Any camera recommendations?

canon xti with a 60mm prime macro. I would never own a chameleon if I didn't have that camera.

mind you, that 60mm macro is an investment all by itself. I think it was nearly 400.oo.

xti with the kits are around 780.oo brand new from B&H photography online.

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Nice pictures Royden. what brand was the macro you used? you said it was a 60mm?here is a picture i took with a canon 1ds 11mp with a 65mm 1x-5x macro.the water drop is about the size of the lead on a number 2 pencil.
waterdrops.jpg

I am also a student at Brooks Institute of Photography and can use pretty much any camera equipment that is on the market and of pro quality. Of the digital SLRs that i have used i still would go with Canon every time for many reasons. they are worth every penny.
 
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It's a canon 60mm. It's really great. Obviously, that spider pic was digitally cropped, but that was a jumping spider, it could've fit inside a grain of rice.

I'm an amateur so I'm still figuring out how to make full use of both the lens and the camera. But it's really fun.
 
Here's a cropped pic of a shot I took a week or so ago with my new camera. I didn't use manual focus, so the picture isn't close up (still haven't figured out how to do that on this one...)

It's not taken from close up at all - the camera goes up to 2 cm, I think. I was nearly a foot.
Not bad for a compact point and shoot.


http://www.zorabellarose.com/Chameleonpics/ardith.jpg

sorry, new cam takes huge pics, had to post a link instead!
 
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Ok with all the talk of new cameras, I decided to look for our old 35mm camera, after digging it out of the closet it is a nikon fg-20 and we have 3 lenses with it... as I remember this camera took very good pictures and I was wondering, will the lenses from this camera fit the dx40 slr? looking at the pictures and things online it looks as if they are in fact interchangeable but i cannot find any info stating as such... if someone knows if they will or not please post or if someone knows where to look please let me know, this will make a camera purchase 299.00 rather than 899.00 thanks
 
I'm not that familiar with the D40x, but most Nikon SLR's (including digitals) can use almost every Nikon lens made for the F-mount (that includes lenses going back to the 50's) - sometimes some conversion is necessary, and sometimes functionality becomes limited, but you will be able to take a photo...

However, any lens that is not autofocus isn't very practical to work with on a digital SLR. In most cases (except for the expensive models like the D200/300 etc.) the camera will have no metering capability with a manual focus lens (and of course, no autofocus...). That just makes it a pain to work with those lenses.

Luckily, most of the lenses Nikon has manufactured in the last 20 years have been autofocus, and are compatible, so odds are good that your lenses will work. As long as the lenses are AI, AIs or AF lenses, they should work fine.

This site has a pretty handy inventory of all the Nikon lenses and cameras available, and you should be able to work out what is compatible with your lenses/camera: http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/index.htm
 
Thanks, the lenses I have are a sigma Auto focus sigma uc zoom 28-70mm 1:35-4.5 i dont know what some of these numbers mean...and there is a symbol a circle with the line through it like in the no smoking signs, and number 52 the other lense is a Quantaray Auto Zoom 750200mm 1:45 Macro same symbol 55

I think the symbol is the macro size or setting or something to do with that, I'm trying to learn all this stuff right now, i actually might take one of the lenses with me to walmart and try the thing on there you know... haha if any Photographers in here can help out i would really appreciate it so I dont have to buy stuff i wont need thanks!!!
 
Believe it or not, if you are looking to get a quality camera on the cheap, a Sony Cybershot is a great deal. It will has a decent zoom feature and a couple built in filters to it too. You can probably get one new in the $150-200 range or less, maybe even lower on ye 'ol eBay. It will take very good pics of your animals in shade, direct sunlight and low light inside shoots plus can use a tripod if you wanted to go with longer F-stops in really low light sitautions where a flash won't do the trick (F-stops are slightly customizable on these cameras). I've had one since 2000 and it still works perfectly, is small/light weight, has great, long lasting batteries and can take a beating. Plus, the picture quality is through the roof with the cybershots. A 3.2 or above mega pixel unit will take good pictures all day long (provided you have a steady hand) and not break the bank in the process. If you wanted to go big time the Cannon Rebel is my hands down favorite, just too customizable and field proven to pass on if you had the extra dough. The EOS is a close second IMO but is pricey. Good luck.

-Matt
 
Believe it or not, if you are looking to get a quality camera on the cheap, a Sony Cybershot is a great deal.
-Matt

Here, here!

Several of us in the lighting department at work have the Sony DSC-W7, so it's our unofficial "Department Camera". Why?

First, it's very affordable. Now that it's discontinued, it's downright cheap. My friend Kelly just picked up a "spare" one for $145 BNIB. Second, it's 7MP and has a ton of options that I would have loved to have on my Maxxum 7000: Three different metering modes (average, center weighted avg, spot), auto bracketing, good auto programs, etc. Of course, it has video recording, too.

The built in threads for a lens extension tube let you easily add filters or additional lenses, so macro, tele, and fisheye capability is well within your reach. Is my $60 fisheye adapter as good as a $600 fisheye lens? Nope, but it's an entire decimal place difference in price and I have no qualms with the quality of it. Throw a polarizer on it for everyday use and you have an incredible photo machine.

The most important feature for us, though, was the Sony MPK-WA Marine Pack underwater housing. It's rated to the limits of recreational diving, so you can go down 30 meters with a $199 MSRP housing. I think I paid $125 for mine, though. We take some great video clips with it, too. Sure, you can get a housing for almost any camera, but a manufacturer made housing is going to be more affordable.

Heck, if everything fails and the housing floods, it's still only a $250 MSRP camera.

Our DSC-W7 gets so much more use than any SLR I've ever owned because it takes great photos (I actually feel like a photographer with it) and it goes literally anywhere I do, from 100' underwater in scuba gear, into the pool, out in the rain, tubing at the lake, taking tripod night photos, and 9000' up the side of a mountain.

Anyway, food for thought. Is it an SLR? No, but I have no problem recommending it to anyone as a very affordable photo "SUV" as a first or second camera.
 

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I didn't know they had discontinued them. Is that the entire Cybershot line? They take an amazing picture for the small price tag, provided you have a stead handy and pay attention to a couple basic photography rules. I'm almost shocked they've been discontinued. I took this pic on a 3.2 mega pixel Cybershot many years ago, see link below to pic - nice model! Ended up selling this photo and quite a few others to HP's high quality printer division for a pretty penny. The camera I think cost me about $210 a little over 8 years ago. I get a good laugh out of that from time to time still. Sometimes going big with an expensive camera and all the fancy fliters, lenses and a light meter doesn't equate to good pictures.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/att...770d1167418243-rekka-1-year-old-_cyclops_.jpg

-Matt
 
Well, they only discontinue certain models each year. They're still making CyberShot cameras and probably will forever.

I really want one of those Sony a100 DSLRs, though. Just think of all those Maxxum lenses going to waste out there. :)

Fantastic pic, btw!
 
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