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Posted on 20/03/06 3:03:18 PM |
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chris berry
Overhead Overlord Posts: 724 Reply  |
Which camera?
Buying a camera to shoot objects for PS compositions. In the 3rd edition of HTCP, Steve recommends using an SLR. However, Panasonic's Lumix LX1 range is 8.4MP (more than enough), shoots RAW format and has a 28mm-110mm zoom. Is this professional enough? Grateful for any comments (but not half as grateful as I am for this book!) |
Posted on 20/03/06 3:49:20 PM |
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maiden
Golden Gif Gagster Posts: 471 Reply  |
Re: Which camera?
The type of camera you buy is solely dependant upon your requirements. The Lumix LX1 is a great camera sporting a Leica lens (Leica 's Rangefinder camera were reknown for optical excellence). However, this particular camera is a compact camera and you have to take into account sensor size especially as the smaller compact's sensor size could cause 'noise' at higher ISOs. SLR type compacts have a larger sensor than the slimline compacts and have the benefit of having nearly as many features as a SLR digital camera however the lens is fixed to the body and while this means that dust on the sensor will never be a problem you are limited to the quality and functions of the in-built lens. The Digital SLRs mostly have all the functionality you need for all types of photography and you can buy a variety of lenses from wideangle lenses (good for Landscape and Architechture) to Telephoto lenses (good for Portrait and Wildlife), however, buying lenses isn't cheap and that's the biggest drawback of a Digital SLR, you do however have the bigger sensor size with full SLRs which means that 'noise' is far less of a problem and you can generally enlarge your images up to A3 size without much lose of detail. For the sake of taking image to use on the internet or in general photomontaging anything with a megapixel size of 4 to 6mb should be good enough to produce professional images. Having the ability to take RAW pictures is an advantage as it means that you can compensate for under/over exposure, saturation, White Balance and such within your RAW editing software which allows greater flexibility and means that not is all lost if you missed the exact exposure at the time of taking your shot. So in essence The Lumix is a great camera but don't rule out SLR-type compacts which would give you more creative options, or a good budget SLR if you are happy to work with the kit lens (usually 18-55 Canon or 28-70 Nikon) for a while until you can afford more lenses for your kit. I have a Nikon D70 with a 28-80mm Nikkor zoom and a 70-300mm Sigma zoom. I'm also going to be buying a slimline compact (Probably the Nikon Coolpix S1) to carry around with me so that when I don't have the D70 handy I can reach into my bag and grab the compact instead. _________________ mad as a badger and twice as furry |
Posted on 22/03/06 03:29:48 AM |
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Pierre
Constructional Confabulator Posts: 637 Reply  |
Re: Which camera?
Interesting! I said about the same thing in the other post! We're pretty consistent you and I. By the way, I will probably go for an S2... better for my watery lifestyle...  _________________ |
Posted on 22/03/06 11:33:08 AM |
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Eggbox
Ovoid Opportunist Posts: 797 Reply  |
Re: Which camera?
When I went digital I decided to stay on the SLR route having started with a Pentax 1a in 196x. I waited till I could afford a Canon EOS 300 and finally digitised with a 300D. I find 6MP sufficient for an A3 print and there are plenty of ways to increase the pixel count if you need to go bigger. Like Maiden I also have a smaller second camera an Olympus 4MP which I carry around most times and from which I have had some very acceptable paper prints. I was tempted by the new 350D and its 8MP promise but when I held it it was just too small and light for me so I resisted. Ted |
Posted on 22/03/06 12:54:31 PM |
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chris berry
Overhead Overlord Posts: 724 Reply |
Re: Which camera?
Do you think the LX1 would stand me in good stead until I could afford a pricier SLR - especially if I used it for close-up work?
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Posted on 22/03/06 1:36:44 PM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 7047 Reply  |
Re: Which camera?
For close-up work, you really need an SLR. The problem is that with compact cameras, you don't view through the lens - you only see the image on the LCD screen. Which makes it hard to focus, since you're viewing a tiny representation of the image. With an SLR, you're viewing through the lens itself, and cameras such as the Canon 350D include a depth of field button that lets you see exactly what's in focus. It all depends on your budget, of course, but I'd recommend going for the better camera if you can afford it: the difference in quality and useability is huge. |
Posted on 22/03/06 5:12:42 PM |
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trinityofone
Guest Reply |
Re: Which camera?
I agree in part. the SLR ultimately gives a better image but (true) macro lenses can be very expensive. That's not to say you can't use a standard lens; you can buy macro filters or extension tubes. Of all the compact digitals I've used, nothing compares to my Nikon 3100 when it comes to close-ups.  _________________ It must be Thursday, I never could get the hang of Thursdays |