In the market for a new camera

[Kevan]

Which one should I get? I want true macro capability. I like the cameras that look like SLRs and I would like to stay under $500.

[born2snooze]

Mine fits your requirements, its the Nikon Coolpix 8400, I love it soo much! Great macro, I use the manual for taking pics of beads and jewels, and I use the auto for snapshots.

Since your budget is under $ 500, you can go higher and buy this baby! : Click the picture to read details about it!

24684 (http://www.thenikonmall.com/product.asp?sku=2648503)

Since I'm a good salesperson, hee hee.. I included pic I took with my Nikon. :D I made this focal a couple weeks ago:
24685

Happy shopping! :love:

.

[rosiescreations]

Heres some cool pix
http://www.bestpricecameras.com/prodetails.asp?prodid=193183&ovmkt=S49O9LLMNA7QK9JFMVBVDPOO8C&OVRAW=COOLPIX%208700&OVKEY=coolpix%208700&OVMTC=standard#

[born2snooze]

Pattie, thats the same camera I suggested, but yours is cheaper! Now I want new camera... :(

.

[Kevan]

Thanks you two. I have heard about this camera. I love the Nikons. We used have the F4S. The Nikor lenses are pretty unforgiving. lol

[sislonski]

I have the same one only mine is a 3800. Does the job. but I'll let you be the judge.

shari

[Tanner Studios]

Here's a thought. Oh by the way. Hey Kevan! It is the lens that creates the photo ( well we do but thats a different story ). So would it not be smart to buy a camera that you could change the lens? After all you can write it off. Cheap is not always the best road. Look at SLR's ( Nikon, if you trust me ).
much love
Scott

[sislonski]

Here's a thought. Oh by the way. Hey Kevan! It is the lens that creates the photo ( well we do but thats a different story ). So would it not be smart to buy a camera that you could change the lens? After all you can write it off. Cheap is not always the best road. Look at SLR's.
much love
Scott

I agree. If I could justify buying another camera and a better camera I would. One with an exchangeable lens and digital. I have a nicer camer than the digital I currently have, only it's not digital. I didn't think I would ever like digital, now I'm in love with it.

I have too many camera's, my husband would kill me if I bought another one. Hum....well maybe if I made more money he wouldn't grumble at me. LOL!

[Tanner Studios]

Hey Sislonski, Your photo's are very nice. But your husband needs to know ( get him to read this ). If your selling your beads on the internet. Your publishing. And if your publishing you are in competition with the best. That means you need to have the tools to out class your competition. I know that sounds hard core. But it is the reality. Here, we are all friends. But on Ebay or in galleries. It's who ever puts up the most professional front carves the biggest slice.

And remember, It is a business expence. So justifying it is pretty eazy. If you look at the tax advantage and future income it can draw.
Much Love
Scott

[Kevan]

Yes, your photos are all you have on the interenet to show your work and I have noticed that the people with really good clear close up photos make more money on their beads.

Tanner, hello to you, too. I was looking at the Nikon D50 yesterday. I like a camera that "feels" like a camera. I have an auto focus Minolta 7000i that I used to take slide pictures for doing my paintings from and I'm used to a camera with some "heft" to it. These little silver boxes fit in your pocket, but it's just not right to me.

The Nikor lenses are fantastic. We used to have a Nikon F4. I miss that camera, but film is technology of the past, I'm afraid.

[WhiskerWood]

I am a Nikon girl myself, I use a D70 with a Micro Nikkor lens.
I am very happy with how my pics come out :)
But I think that is way over a $500 budget...

[Tanner Studios]

Hey Kevan, I'm with you. I hate little silver boxes too. And I have a F4 as well. I have even more expensive film camera laying around my studio collecting dust. But don't get me started on Film vs Digital. We have to face it. Digital is here to stay. But that does not mean, we have to buy little silver boxes.

Heres my advice to you. In thirty years dealing with Nikon they have never done me wrong. I used Nikor lens for my 4x5 Sinar camera, and all of my 35's. And always, the price I payed, was offset a thousand times over by what I made.

You Have two needs. The first. You need a great macro lens . And you need a longer focal to photograph your paintings. You need two very different len's. If you can spend the money . Here is one lens that will work for both ( it is very pricey, but worth it's weight in gold ). It is the Nikor ED AF-S 28-70 1:28 D. Yes, when you see the price tag. It will hurt bad. I mean really bad!

I know most people will say. I saw your photos in the show us your other art work thread and say there just fine. They looked great to me. But you are a world class painter. And some day (if there is justice in this world ) you will be hanging in the Met. And you will need photos that can be enlarged to forty feet tall.
Just my humble opinion.
Much love
Scott

[sislonski]

Hey Sislonski, Your photo's are very nice. But your husband needs to know ( get him to read this ). If your selling your beads on the internet. Your publishing. And if your publishing you are in competition with the best. That means you need to have the tools to out class your competition. I know that sounds hard core. But it is the reality. Here, we are all friends. But on Ebay or in galleries. It's who ever puts up the most professional front carves the biggest slice.

And remember, It is a business expence. So justifying it is pretty eazy. If you look at the tax advantage and future income it can draw.
Much Love
Scott

Oh I agree totally.

[Kevan]

Hey Kevan, I'm with you. I hate little silver boxes too. And I have a F4 as well. I have even more expensive film camera laying around my studio collecting dust. But don't get me started on Film vs Digital. We have to face it. Digital is here to stay. But that does not mean, we have to buy little silver boxes.

Heres my advice to you. In thirty years dealing with Nikon they have never done me wrong. I used Nikor lens for my 4x5 Sinar camera, and all of my 35's. And always, the price I payed, was offset a thousand times over by what I made.

You Have two needs. The first. You need a great macro lens . And you need a longer focal to photograph your paintings. You need two very different len's. If you can spend the money . Here is one lens that will work for both ( it is very pricey, but worth it's weight in gold ). It is the Nikor ED AF-S 28-70 1:28 D. Yes, when you see the price tag. It will hurt bad. I mean really bad!

I know most people will say. I saw your photos in the show us your other art work thread and say there just fine. They looked great to me. But you are a world class painter. And some day (if there is justice in this world ) you will be hanging in the Met. And you will need photos that can be enlarged to forty feet tall.
Just my humble opinion.
Much love
Scott


Gee Tanner. with praise like that maybe I should put the torch down and go back to the brush...lol...that's awfully nice of you to say.:love:

Thanks for the advice. The $500 budget is not that crucial. My problem is not Sislonksi's. I have to try to hold my husband back when it comes to any electronic gizmo.:biggrin:

[Tanner Studios]

Kevan, A camera is not an electronic gizmo ( not yet any way ! ) It's an Optical gizmo, hee hee. But above all it's a tool that will make money. If one just understands the differance between ok and great.
again just my humble opinion.
Much Love
Scott
P.S. Who are you kidding, Everyone knows that you don't hold up a bead torch. It's sits on the table. And I bet it will still be there when you come back. :)

[Cosmo]

I got my Canon EOS 300D off Ebay for less than $500. Came with a 80-200 lens (plus the stock 18-55), extra battery, bag, software, etc. Now that the 350D is out, there are more and more 300's becoming available for very little money.

[Laurie L]

I agree....having a camera with interchangable lenses is a must !!! I have not seena camera yet with a macro setting that can be compared to a macro lense.

I also love the digi SLRs for their manual settings. This is a feature that everyone should learn how to use - you will be amazed at how better your photos will be and less editing time in photoshop !!!

A GREAT place to look at digis and compare features etc... is DPreview.com

[Laurie L]

http://dpreview.com/

[Cosmo]

I personally never use macro. I find that even with a good macro lens the depth of field just isn't there. I use a regular lens and zoom in. Always gets better results for me.

[Kevan]

Thanks Laurie and Cosmo. I'll check this out.

[Laurie L]

Any lense used properly will yield great results. I have used both a macro lense and regular and zoomed in. It really depends on what type of shot you are wanting. Sometimes it also depends on what lense you have handy. LOL.

DOF depends alot on the quality and speed of your lense aswell.

[wildfirelauri]

Another plug for the Nikon SLR. I have the D50 with a honker macro lense. I love taking bead pics. 25851

[Charlee]

I was looking at the Sony DSC H1 until I played with a Nikon D50 with a 60mm f/2.8D AF Micro-Nikkor lens. OMG big, big difference! I'm doing without a camera until I can get the Nikon - and am saving furiously for it. LOL It blows the Sony (which is a great point-and-shoot digital camera) out of the water.

[Kevan]

They have the Nikon on sale at Circuit City for $649.