Camera

I have a Kodak EasyShare CX4230, 2.0 mega pixel digital camera that I use.
Another thing to really look for is optical zoom, mine is 3X.

I'm more than happy with mine.

There are probably a couple of things that you might want to take into consideration when purchasing a digital camera.

Picture resolution (number of pixels, or "digital squares"in an image). This is measured in megapixels (millions of pixels in an image) It determines the relative size, sharpness, and clarity in a pic. I would suggest getting the highest resolution your camera budget allows.

Unless it is a camera that you plan on replacing, I would also suggest getting a camera that has manual settings for focus, aperture setting (called f-stop, it determines the depth of field, or relative sharpness between your fore, mid, and background), exposure time, and white balance (important for rendering colors faithfully). When you use auto settings, the camera makes its "best guess" at what you want. Manual settings allow you to achieve the pic that you're after.

For power supply, stay away from cameras using AA batteries. Get one with a rechargable one.

Pay attention to the Optical Zoom. Digital Zoom works the same way as enlarging a jpeg on your computer. It begins to "pixellate" (pixels which comprise the pic become apparent)

It is also a good idea to invest in a tripod for model photography, if you will be doing any pics indoors. Images with an exposure of 1/4 second or longer will show camera movement, blurring the picture.

I use a Canon Power Shot G2 camera, with 4 megapixel resolution. Its difficult to distinguish its 10.5" digital print from a 35mm print of the same size.

Hope this helps you.

Good info...now the hard part...squeezing it out of the budget! Thanks folks!
John

Hey Pix!
I use the Powershot G2 as well!! It's a great camera!

The one thing the other guys forgot to mention was a macro setting, a little button with a tulip flower icon that will allow you to get up close and personal which is a must for taking pictures of your models.

Which is exactly what the Kodak Easy Share 4230 has. I have the same model as Robert, and once I figured out what the Macro icon meant, it was a breeze!!! Also, what I like about the easyshare, is that I can take a photo even while reviewing another.....just point and shoot, no matter what you are doing.....one form of caution no one seems to touch on.....digi cameras are slower than your regular 35mm. It has to process all of that info....so if you are looking for a "quick snap", you may either have to pay more, or just live with the slower processing speeds.

If you are going to just post to the web you would just need a 640x480 pixel resolution. Anything bigger pixel camera would just be wasted pixels and with much longer download times. So if it were just web pictures any cheap old 640x480 digital camera with a decent macro lens would work. For web pictures I use either an Olympus C-5050 5 meg or an Epson 3100z 3.3 meg camera that I set for 640x480 resolution. Between the two the Olympus has the best macro capability. Unless I am shooting very small items I normally use my zoom to take pictures of models. The zoom compresses the perspective of the image rather than a close up picture distorting a model shape.

I use Canon Ixus 400 with 4.0 megapixel. Good camera but a little expensive.

Buy a Flatbed scanner instead. I suppose in the long run the camera will be better, but take pictures with a cheap 35mm camera and then scan the pictures into the computer.

Scanners go for about $50 these days.

QUOTE: Originally posted by ngc7293` Buy a Flatbed scanner instead. I suppose in the long run the camera will be better, but take pictures with a cheap 35mm camera and then scan the pictures into the computer. Scanners go for about $50 these days.

The problem here is the cost of film and processing and the inevitable poor shots that you still pay for. One big advantage of the digicam is the bad shots don't cost a penny., e.g., last night I took a shot of the Moon and Venus close together. The first two had probs with the auto focus and the third was the charm. I knew right away I had a good image and would not miss having a record of this. The bad ones got delelted and the good one stated.
Color balance is another area digi beats film. You can take pictures w/o flash at a show and not have to worry about the temperature of the lighting or inadvertantly burning out an image from being too close with the flash.

ajlafleche made a good point. With a digital you don't waste film. You can take as many pics as your memory card will allow and if you don't like it, you just delete it and try again I mainly use mine at work and high quality isn't usually an issue, but just the other day I took around 50 pictures of an M1A1 I just finished and I didn't really like any of them. It didn't cost a dime!
I personally like the AA batteries because I have a recharger and you can always have spares at hand "in the field". Digital cams eat batteries!

what about 35mm cameras, are there any that will produce a decent picture? Or are there any inexspensive digi cams that are worth the purchase. I cant really afford to buy one of those really cool ones , but i also dont want to waste money on a piece of junk just for the sake of having a digi cam.

I have a Fujifilm digi 1 mega pixel and I know its time to upgrade , but she works for now .

any suggestions on an inexspenive digi cam or a decent 35 mm?

caseyn5 - Here are a couple of links to GREAT webstores for all your photography needs. There is a lot of info at these sites, that can help you to make a decision. I have dealt with both of these companies many times, and they have great prices & service. They both carry everything from inexpensive consumer cameras to professional gear. They also have software, lighting, tripods, etc. I bought my camera from Abe's of Maine, and had it the next morning.

http://www.abesofmaine.com/

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

Hope you find what you want !

cool, thanks so much pixilater.

I haven't bought a digital camera yet, still saving up for one, but one question I have is related to depth of field with a digital. Iv'e noticed almost all digitals in my price range have a very limited minimum aperature, mostly f8. For photographing aircraft models this doesn't seem adequate. When I photograph models with my 35mm camera I never shoot at less than f16 and prefer f22 in order to get the maximum range of sharp focus. Any digital users have advice on this?

Its not quite the same with digital. With a 35mm camera, you have an aprture and a shutter. In digital, these are both combined into a "iris." I have a Canon Power Shot G2, and the smallest size apeture is f-8. At this setting, my fore, mid, & background are all in relative sharpness with each other. I'll edit this post to include a pic shot at f-8.


The pic is reduced fro 2272 x 1704 to 640 x 480.

Pix, thanks for the reply. Your photo appears to have good depth of field focus. I am a total rookie when it comes to digital, so maybe I have to forget most of what I know from using film format. I accept your explanation, but I can't say I totally understand the difference. To me,depth of field is inherent in the optics, whether I call it an aperature or an iris, and the shutter is what times the exposure. Oh well, guess I'll learn more when I get a camera to play with. Been looking at the Canon G-5 5.0 mp, which has been coming down in price lately. Thanks again.

i have been dreaming about a sony dsc-v 5.0 meg and zoom 4x, but its still a bit expensive.

Wow this thread took on a life of its own! If anybody cares I picked up an Olympus D-560 with 3x optical zoom for 150bucks. I believe it is 3.2 megapixels and I have 128 meg picture card. I also picked up the Monster charger and rrechargeable batteries to go with it.
John

QUOTE: rjkplasticmodIv'e noticed almost all digitals in my price range have a very limited minimum aperature, mostly f8. For photographing aircraft models this doesn't seem adequate.

QUOTE: Pixilater:At this setting, my fore, mid, & background are all in relative sharpness with each other. I'll edit this post to include a pic shot at f-8.

Am I missing something here?

A digital camera's one failing (except for the SLR type like the Rebel) is that it does not produce good depth of field. In other words, everthing is in focus.
Everyone shooting for that extra realism would tend to want a picture that is more infocus near than in the distance; especially when you are doing a diorama.

Anyway, ignoring my comments, try going to stevesdigicams.com
They have detailed reviews of many digital cameras. I have always been a fan of Sony.