Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I think I finally figured out how my camera works! My
pictures have always left a lot to be desired. I was trying
out some new settings and took the pic below. Let me know
what you think.

Happy holidays!
Chris Simone
SimoneReptiles

Great pic, Chris. It could be a little sharper, but the angle, detail, and "pose" make up for that. Keep practicing...I've found that no matter what camera you use the number one "secret" is in the lighting. Try a few different types and combinations of bulbs to see what works best.

BTW, this is only my opinion and I am still getting the hang of digital photography myself. What camera are you using? I've been looking for a camera I can trust to take some nice macros with, but am a little strapped for cash. Plus, I'm a little leary to buy a camera just because the box lists "Macro Mode" as a feature...I want good macros, not something that looks "okay".
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Sometimes, things are exactly as they appear...sometimes.

I think for mid range camera Nikon has a great macro mode. Out of 4 different cameras I have used my Nikon Coolpix 885 has been the best even though it is outdated. If I'm not mistaken Nikon replaced it with the 3200 and then the 4200 which I think both have the same macro features.

Another thing to look for when picking out a camera with macro mode is the Macro Focus Range. Basically the minimum distance you can get your subject. All the cameras I mentioned above have a Macro Focus Range of 1.6 inches which is better than most I have seen in the same price range. You can also buy additional lenses to add magnification while in macro mode. Never tried them but they look cool.

You can pick up the 885 off Ebay for around $100 or so, the other two range around $200 to $350.

Here are a few close ups I took this morning with the 885. The lighting wasn't the best so you could easily do better than these.

George Knaack
GLK HERP

Love that last shot!

Eric

Damn You can even see the mites in the pits. Just kidding, I figured I would make everyone panic. Great picture.

These are some pics i took with a new camera i just got, i think it is absolutely the best deal on quality and price. It the Fuji Finepix E550 , 6.3 megapixels and a killer macro function! and only $350 on walmarts site. It was rated # 1 in the 6 meg catagory in consumer reports and id have to agree. So heres some pics taken last week,
Hope you like them,
Jon
Next World Exotics
www.nextworldexotics.com
A Killer spider shot

A new line of pastels we are working with

My Salvador Dali shot (i love this pic!)

Ill post some more macro shots soon.

.

I went out and bought a new camera today. I did look at the Nikons but they were a little out of my price range (starting at just a little over $300 for some of the Coolpix models). I did see one Nikon Coolpix 5000 for $380 at a pawn shop but I thought better of it seeing how it was used and if I spent nearly $400 on a camera my girlfriend would string me up.

I bought the Kodak EasyShare CX7430 for about $200. I did play around with a few other cameras and would have spent a little more but for the price the features were basically what I was looking for. (This is also a "family" camera so it couldn't get too technical because my girlfriend wanted something easy to learn). The Macro Focus Range is 5.1" which isn't exactly what I wanted but it beat out the other cameras I looked at, even some of the pricier models.

I haven't taken any photos with it yet. But I'll try to post a few in the next day or two.

Thanks, George for the advice, even though I didn't buy the model you recommended it still helped me make an informed decision. And Chris, thanks for the motivation to get off my duff and actually buy one (I know this wasn't you aim but it is the target you hit.)

Brandon Sander
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Sometimes, things are exactly as they appear...sometimes.

I was checking out some reviews on the camera and from everything I seen you should be very happy with it. The only real recommendations I seen were to pick up an extra set of batteries and a memory card. From reading it sounds like the original battery life is fairly short. Just thought I would share that.

Congrats again,
George

np

np

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