Need a good CHEAPER digital camera - Orchid Board

HereticHammer · #1 04-12-2009, 11:48 PM

Howdy board,

I am new here but not new to orchid growing. Ok, I am starting a new orchidarium for miniatures and with that I want to get a new digital camera to document setting up and record growth and blooms as I go.

Anyway, I would like suggestions for a cheaper digital camera that takes good regular and macro pics. I have to borrow a camera right now because my last digital camera is so old my Blackberry camera phone has more pixels. lol

So lets hear your suggestions and links to photo examples (especially of orchids) would be great.
Thanks

Hedge · #2 04-13-2009, 12:27 PM

Why not use your Blackberry !

I think you'll have to define cheap to get a serious answer.

Also,do you intend to use it for general usage as well, in which case I can recommend the Fuji Finepix S5700, which was about £100 fifteen months ago and will no doubt have been superseded and therefore even less.

Regards
Heather

smartie2000 · #3 04-13-2009, 12:33 PM

Get a Nikon Coolpix. They offer a good macro even on the point in shoot cameras. Just check out my gallery or threads for photo examples

HereticHammer · #4 04-13-2009, 12:51 PM

Oh, sorry Hedge. Ok, lets say $300 or thereabouts.

Yes, I would use it for general purposes too but I think if it can take great photos of orchids and up close macros that should be a decent well rounded camera I would hope.

I will look up the Finepix S5700.

HereticHammer · #5 04-13-2009, 12:56 PM

Oh nice Smartie,

I was looking at your gallery and saw the detail pic of Paph ((Virgina Moffett x Osiris) x Joanne’s Wine) x Magic Water

That is what I am looking for a camera that can do good plant and flower pics and then also do good up close detail shots.

Now which Nikon Coolpix are you using there are a lot of them.

HereticHammer · #6 04-13-2009, 03:12 PM

I have been pouring over a bunch of cameras and found this one, Fujifilm Finepix S8100 Digital, for $230 or less.

The macro sounds great at 1cm.

It also has a feature that I could have only dreamed existed in a camera. You can set it to simultaneously take two shots, one with flash and one without to compare. UGH, I could have used that over the years. Often when I am photographing my reefs and plants I will do a shot with flash and then without to see what I like and it gets very tedious. It is like Fuji was reading my mind!!! lol

Another neat feature is zoom bracketing where it takes three shots each at slightly more zoom. Awesome! Not useful for flowers but great for other things. Another think not useful for flowers is 30fps movies with sound only limited by the memory card you choose (and it lets you choose from three formats.)

Only thing is I don't think there is a panorama feature. While I love that feature, I admit I rarely have used it.

I am a BIG fan of the 4 AA batteries. I hate proprietary rechargeable batteries. They are expensive and you have to keep up with charging them. If I have a few sets of rechargeable AAs and forget to keep them charged, I can always keep some regulars in the bag and never fear whether I have charged batteries or not. I love that.

Here is a link to Amazon that has some specs on the camera.

Amazon.com: Fujifilm Finepix S8100fd 10MP Digital Camera with 18x Wide Angle Dual Image Stabilized Optical Zoom: Camera & Photo

What do you all think? I would love to hear from anyone who uses this.

smartie2000 · #7 04-13-2009, 03:38 PM

That one was an older model. Coolpix LS, actually all my photos are with that camera. lol I tend not to post my close up shots but you found one! I got it in 2007

I just got a coolpix S610, and it works just as well. Maybe better. I'm using it for vaccation, but the macro is great. Its more compact and has a few more features

Since they are automatic cameras you might have to do some tricking to get them to focus on the right subject if you plan to get that up close. But that depends on the subject. Usually its ok and you don't have to. Get a tripod too! I need one actually. Sometimes shaky hands cause them to be less focused, even though coolpix offers virbration reduction.

HereticHammer · #8 04-13-2009, 03:49 PM

Yes, the Fuji Finepix I posted about above that I am looking at has manual settings as well as automatic so that might help me learn more SLR type photo stuff.

Yep, I learned to use a tripod in photographing the reef tanks. I used to use all kind of books and CDs to set the camera on. lol

Tripods are definitely easier!

smartie2000 · #9 04-13-2009, 04:05 PM

my mom mentioned there is another Nikon model with both auto and manual features, but she didn't buy that one.

S610 is supposed to have some I think. I still need to figure out this camera, it is slightly diff from my old one even though its the same brand

I didn't know you liked reefs. Me too! I have a 10 gallon nano and a 2.5 gallon pico

HereticHammer · #10 04-13-2009, 04:37 PM

I do think I will go with the Fuji because, one, I have had the brand in the past so I may be more familiar with its setup and, two, the camera features some settings that I can't find on other cameras like taking a flash and non flash photo at the same time to compare which is something I do manually often so that will be a BIG help.

Yes, until just recently I had a gorgeous 120g reef setup. I had to move out of my place quickly (it became dangerous) and it now sits in storage. Unfortunately, my pc also crapped out and I lost all my pics of the setup. I am now praying that a thumb drive I always saved to will have the pics on it when I can find it in storage.

I now have a 24g nano and I will be setting up a tricked out 12g nano from NanoTuners.com as soon as it arrives in the next few days.

Whoops, this is an orchid forum. lol Orchids and reefs are my obsessions. I would call them hobbies but my illness is a bit worse than that I'm afraid. lol I have been doing both for a long time. Orchids for over a decade and saltwater tanks for about 20 years.