herping camera reccomendations

[crocka79]

to all the herp photographers out there taking all those awesome close up shots of there herps. I am looking into getting a new camera soon and would appreciate some advice on what to buy, need it to function as an everyday point and shoot camera for mrs then take good quality close ups of herps. Dont kno much about cameras so yeah after some advice, obviously u get what u pay for but dont want to spend a small fortune. Once i know what to look for then i can shop around thanks in advance trevor

 

[CameronWright]

i got a cannon IOS1100D Does the job very well little but pricey but not to bad compared to some

 

[user 16324]

you will find most Digital SLR's will do a great job. You are most likely going to need specific lenses though. So a macro lens is great for those up close pictures to show great little details like scales and eyes. Long zoom lenses are also great if your target is quite illusive and hard to get close to but they are a bit pricey

 

[hrafna]

i would never use a point and shoot for my snakes. i have dslrs for work so i put them to good use on my herps. you can take great shots with a point and shoot but with a decent lens and a decent dslr you can make the pic much better. esp if you want close up head shots, eye shots etc etc.

 

[crocka79]

thanks cameron, was just looking at that camera on ebay. does it have interchangeable lenses or is the one on it good enough? i dont know exactly what im talking about so bare with me lol. ive read about people on here using these macro lenses etc? i do understand that its not just the camera that takes the good pics its the operator and setting everything up right, lighting etc.

 

[hrafna]

if you want to get a dslr, then i would recommend a nikon d90 and do a beginners course at tafe so you can get a basic understanding of what the camera is capable of. kit lenses will suit you fine until you work your way up to a macro lens which can be very expensive.

 

[crocka79]

ah thanks guys good info, what price range are we talking here? camera and macro lens. I say i dont kno much about cameras as obviously i dont but have always taking the time to muck around and play with settings on previous "point and shoots" to try and get the best out of them. they just dont cut it taking close up pics of reps. the other delema is what ever i buy cant be too technical too use as my wife will want too use it and shes well hopeless lol

 

[Mighty_Moose]

I've been using a D90 for a while now, Haven't had experience with a macro (yet) but I love the camera and what it can do.. I've seen some of the pics I've taken and some of the pics my Dad has taken with this camera and it's pretty darn good (in my opinion).. Even without the macro you can take some pretty darn good close ups (not as close and detailed) but still good enough to see the animal and not be 10cm away. I'm by no means a good photographer but at least with the right equipment I have the room to improve


Example:
Just an attempt at getting a pic from close up of this Blue tongue I rescued with the standard lens turned out alright. Then trying to get a shot of this Diamond Python from a medium distance.
Spec on the lens (18-105mm I THINK)

 

[crocka79]

sounds pretty good, will suss out the D90 for sure also just had a quick look at photography courses as reccomended by hrafna, appreciate the advice mate. theres a part time 24 hr course on how to use a DSLR camera running will find out more about that aswell. thanks for pointing me in the right direction cheers

just looking at prices at the moment...... the canon IOS 1100D is looking pretty good? i knew it wouldnt be cheap but that D90 is alittle over budget at the moment

 

[thomasssss]

do a beginners course at tafe so you can get a basic understanding of what the camera is capable of.

this is the best advise in this thread no offence to anyone else ive got a cannon EOS 50D (from what i understand a pretty decent camera) that i inherited and there is no point in me really using it because i don't have a clue what i am doing with the bloody thing to the point that i just get annoyed with it when i use it , so now im looking into doing a course at tafe myself because i know the camera could take some great shots , if i knew what i was doing

 

[hrafna]

for those interested in a few shots from a macro lens, i am currently uploading a few in the show us your rsp thread in the snakes section.

as to the tafe course, you don't plan on becomming a pro, just wanna take some nice pics and get a better understanding what the different functions are, i think the tafe course would be perfect.

a few macro shots

 

[crocka79]

nice shots thankyou for sharing, will deffinately do some kind of course to learn the basics as no point getting a decent camera and not being able to get half decent pics from it, obviously wont be a pro just doing a basic course but same with learning anything new all the small bits of info/knowledge make a big difference. Thanks again hrafna and anyone else who reaponded, look forward to presenting something half decent in the not too distant future cheers

 

[daniel.g]

i got myself a fujifilm finepix s3400. i dont really know how to use it, but still get some ok shots

 

[Stompsy]

I have a Nikon d7000 and watch a lot of online tutorials! And practice makes perfect! Although I'm far from it right now. I'm also thinking about setting myself a 365 day challenge soon as I know if I got my camera out everyday I'd learn much more and get better quicker. Good luck and look forward to seeing some pics!

 

[Tassie97]

sony alfa a390 55mm lens

 

[Nephrurus]

If all you want to do is take a few photos of your reptiles, you can certainly do the job with a point and shoot. The fujifilm ones are meant to be pretty good. I'd probably go for a high end nikon point and shoot myself.

Have a look at the mirrorless DSLR range that is just coming into popularity as well. They might be worth considering.

 

[crocka79]

I definately want to take better pics of my herps but have always had an interest in taking pics pf landscapes etc. went for a look today at the canon 1100 and nikon D90, the canon was a little cheaper but think there was a little bit of a mix up with there price tags for the nikon D90 with 55-200 lens and the 18-105 lens for under a grand? SOLD! pretty frikn good from what ive seen online, im happy with that! excited to have a play around with it and learn how to get the best out of it, see how we go cheers.

 

[Moreliavridis]

A d90 is a good choice. Here are a few shots with a d90 and a 90mm macro lens.

 

[crocka79]

awesome, especially the amyae i love geckos!

 

[Wookie]

I can only say positive things about canon dslrs. An entry level camera will me more than capable of taking great photographs of your snakes. As you said, you can get amazing photos out of a camera if you have the correct settings/technique (yes that even means point and shoot cameras)