Camera Query: How to decide?
Pankaj Kumar
This can be answered by putting some simple questions:
1. What is going to be your most likely subject
(flora/fauna/scenery/portraits/sports)?
Ans: Depending on your choice,
for FLORA you will always need a good camera which has a GOOD MACRO
mode very LOW MINIMUM FOCUSING DISTANCE, allowing you to take
good details at minimum distance.
for FAUNA, you will need a lens with atleast good MAGNIFICATION. Many
people dont understand the true meaning of ZOOM and MAGNIFICATION.
Many of the so called 25x zoom compact digital cameras actually has
not more than 6x magnification. To check please look at the lens
configuration. For example,
Canon-PowerShot SX20 IS has 20x zoom but the lens configuration is 28-
560mm which means it will give a magnification of 5.6x ONLY. For zoom
calculation divide 560 by 28 (= 28)
for SCENERY, you will need a good WIDEANGLE, which is available in
most of the prosumer cameras. These lens also help a lot in indoor
photography. In prosumer cameras, there is always an option of MACRO
mode, hence, such lens can as as multipurpose camera, which can be
used for multiple subjects.
for PORTRAITS, macro lens works fine in DSLR, otherwise any Prosumer
camera is good. It also depends on the camera and its ability to
produce skin color tone, which most of the normal cameras lack. If I
buy a camera then the first thing I do is take a picture of some
person and match the skin color or take a picture of some bright
subject and match the tone of the color. Some cameras though they work
fine they produce extravagant colours which I personally hate.
for SPORTS, you will always need a good shutter speed and ISO
settings. which is not always available in all lower end cameras.
2. What will be your budget?
This is the most crucial part. You will have to decide if you wish to
buy a compact camera or prosumer or DSLR. You cant get all functions
in one camera and if you are planning to buy a DSLR then always
remember that there are specific lenses for specific purpose and hence
cost keep rising higher and higher.
3. What to buy?
If you are a learner then try something basic.
If you are learned but dont want to invest then go for PROSUMER cameras.
If you travel a lot then you would prefer smaller body with multiple
functions (PROSUMER).
People who keep travelling but every purpose other than photography
should go for compact cameras.
People who travel especially for photography should obviously have a
good camera, either Prosumer or a DSLR.
4. Are you planning for long term investment?
If you are looking for long term investment then you should always go
for sturdy body. It also depends on your knowledge of camera and its
usage.
Regards
Pankaj
--
***********************************************
"TAXONOMISTS GETTING EXTINCT AND SPECIES DATA DEFICIENT !!"
Pankaj Kumar Ph.D. (Orchidaceae)
Research Associate
Greater Kailash Sacred Landscape Project
Department of Habitat Ecology
Wildlife Institute of India
Post Box # 18
Dehradun - 248001, India
Chitralekha
Chitralekha
Dinesh Valke
Many thanks.
Regards.
Dinesh
Vijayasankar
National Center for Natural Products Research
University of Mississippi
Balkar Arya
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Dr Balkar Singh
Head, Deptt. of Botany and Biotechnology
Arya P G College, Panipat
Haryana-132103
09416262964
Gurcharan Singh
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SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/
manudev madhavan
Centre for Postgraduate Studies & Research
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Anand Kumar Bhatt
Dear Bhatt sir,
For floral photography 70-300 lens is not good as the minimum distance
in it is around 1.5m which is not good. Its a tele lens.
Moreover, 70-300 G lens is not compatible with DSLR, it cant focus on
the infinity. Rather 70-300 VR ED lens serves a better purpose.
Unfortunately I am not aware of any 110 mm lens from Nikkor. You may
please send me the link to its specification.
Yes there are portrait modes on DSLR as well as Compact and Prosumer cameras.
Yes, 55-300 should be better over 70-300 owing to the fact that both
have same f, i.e., 4.5 - 5.6.
Regards
Pankaj
On Wed, Mar 2, 2011 at 11:43 AM, Anand Kumar Bhatt
<anand...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Pankaj. Thanks for the illuminating write-up. One keeps on learning.
> I have found Nikon 70-300 with a Nikon auto focus DSLR body serving all
> purpose. Using a long lens for flora means that you get rid of unnecessary
> details by keeping them out of focus. For portrait you could use 110 mm
> which is considered ideal, and in the Dslr in the auto mode there is a
> portrait mode which keeps out the unnecessary details.
> The cheapest Nikon DSLR is D3000 or 3100 and it gives a wide angle lens
> 18-55 I think Now a cheaper version of 70-300 is 55-300 with a VR function
> which means that it mitigates the camera shake effects. It also means that
> you can do bird photography from a boat.
> Please dont think that I am carrying a brief for Nikon. Canon also has the
> same apparatus and I thing slightly cheaper as well!
> ak
> --
> Anand Kumar Bhatt
> A-59, B.S.F.Colony, Airport Road
> Gwalior. 474 005.
> Tele: 0751-247 2233. Mobile 0 94253 09780.
> My blogsite is at:
> http://anandkbhatt.blogspot.com
> (A NEW BLOG HAS BEEN ADDED ON 29 jJanuary 2011.)
> And the photo site:
> www.flickr.com/photos/akbhatt/
> (NEW PHOTOS HAVE BEEN ADDED ON 24 FEB 2011.)
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Ten most common surnames of Indians: Singh, Kumar, Sharma, Patel, Shah,
> Lal, Gupta, Bhat, Rao, Reddy. Cheers!
>
--
***********************************************
"TAXONOMISTS GETTING EXTINCT AND SPECIES DATA DEFICIENT !!"
Pankaj Kumar Ph.D. (Orchidaceae)
Research Associate
Greater Kailash Sacred Landscape Project
Department of Habitat Ecology
Wildlife Institute of India
Post Box # 18
Dehradun - 248001, India
--
Anand Kumar Bhatt
A-59, B.S.F.Colony, Airport Road
Gwalior. 474 005.
Tele: 0751-247 2233. Mobile 0 94253 09780.
My blogsite is at:
http://anandkbhatt.blogspot.com
(A NEW BLOG HAS BEEN ADDED ON 29 jJanuary 2011.)
And the photo site:
www.flickr.com/photos/akbhatt/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ten most common surnames of Indians: Singh, Kumar, Sharma, Patel, Shah, Lal, Gupta, Bhat, Rao, Reddy. Cheers!