Camera choice?
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Russ
- Advanced Board Poster
- Posts: 161
- Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2004 7:23 pm
- Location: British Columbia, Canada
Camera choice?
Looking to get a digital camera that would be good for close-ups for the collection but will also be resistant to moisture damage when on the rivers or lakes. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I have been using a Pentax 43WR for the past several months. I like it a lot. It is waterproof (not an underwater camera) and is about 3" square. Cost is about $350. Here's a link: http://www.dpreview.com/news/0403/04030 ... io43wr.asp
Rob
Rob
This guy's reviews are pretty thorough:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2004_rev ... o43wr.html
The camera's normal and macro focus ranges overlap nicely, so shooting reels should be easy. And the macro range allows focus down to a centimeter, which is more than adequate.
I went through this recently and was able to try a few cameras at photo stores, playing with various conditions while shooting at different distances, using reel-sized subjects. It's best to pre-arrange a testing visit with a salesperson. Ended up buying the last Sony 717 that the photo chain had in stock, at a price $100 less than any I could find on the Internet. But I try not to get it wet.
The biggest problem with most reel shots is the short depth-of-field, and the biggest flaw in digital cameras, I think, is their relatively narrow range of aperture settings, which is responsible for the problem. You end up with a sharp pic of the front of the reel, while the rest of it is too blurred to see clearly. Using film, I used to shoot everything at f/16 or f/22, but you can't do that with most digital cameras. To compensate, it's sometimes necessary to move the camera a little farther away and zoom in. Also use plenty of light to force the camera to "stop down" or shoot in "aperture priority mode" at the highest f/stop setting.
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2004_rev ... o43wr.html
The camera's normal and macro focus ranges overlap nicely, so shooting reels should be easy. And the macro range allows focus down to a centimeter, which is more than adequate.
I went through this recently and was able to try a few cameras at photo stores, playing with various conditions while shooting at different distances, using reel-sized subjects. It's best to pre-arrange a testing visit with a salesperson. Ended up buying the last Sony 717 that the photo chain had in stock, at a price $100 less than any I could find on the Internet. But I try not to get it wet.
The biggest problem with most reel shots is the short depth-of-field, and the biggest flaw in digital cameras, I think, is their relatively narrow range of aperture settings, which is responsible for the problem. You end up with a sharp pic of the front of the reel, while the rest of it is too blurred to see clearly. Using film, I used to shoot everything at f/16 or f/22, but you can't do that with most digital cameras. To compensate, it's sometimes necessary to move the camera a little farther away and zoom in. Also use plenty of light to force the camera to "stop down" or shoot in "aperture priority mode" at the highest f/stop setting.
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Reel Geezer
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Steve's remarks
Hurray for Steve. I get hundreds of photos annually for use in The Reel News, and his are great. Most people try to get too close. Back off and zoom in. Leave some margin area. It is so easy to cut a photo down to what you need these days that there is usually no need to take your photo from 2" away.