Posted on 11/19/2012 9:33:03 AM PST by Patrick1
What is a good camera to buy for a reasonable price that will take pictures of people, posing, athletic events etc, that is easily postable to a website or facebook?
I bought a 400 MM L series which requires a tripod to use. It was in near-perfect condition, bought used from B&H for about half the new price.
One of the problems with uploading images can be the file size. Large image files can take too long to upload and the computer will “time out”. You can fix this with a good photo management tool. While I am sure there are many out there, I used ACDSee for years - in my previous life as a real estate appraiser - with great success. It makes it very easy to reduce the file size without losing image quality. There are free versions available for download.
Another advantage of the A1200 is that there is a version of CHDK available for it. This allows you to do things with the camera, like time-lapse photography, that are ordinarily available only on more expensive cameras.
I like B&H. Have been there often (don't go Friday after sundown)! I would like a fixed telephoto or the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Telephoto Zoom Lens. (costs a lot!) I also like the built-in flash, but need to get a nice external one.
You're in luck, I happen to have an extra bottle...
It's yours for the low price of $59.99 plus shipping...
It's guaranteed for 100’s of Facebook pages...
One thing I missed when I bought a digital camera that I wish I had checked on: Power cord. Lots of times when you’re shooting video, you drain the battery before the event is done. Many if not most of those times you have access to a 120V outlet if only the camera had the plug for power.
I bought a Fujifilm FinePix A500 digital a few years ago, and it serves me well. I take a lot of photos for property valuations as well as personal stuff, grandkids, etc. I don’t remember the exact price, but I think it was under $250.00 list and I got it at a nice discount on sale.
I am familiar with the hours at B&H. I’ve never visited the store but get their catalog and mailings.
Avoid Canon like the plague!
I can echo that...I too have the ZS7.
Under most conditions, you will be very happy with the results.
In good light, you could even do a decent job of photographing sports events, but probably nothing indoors.
It also shoots excellent HD video with full zoom, albeit the zoom works a bit slowly.
The ONLY two things that I dislike about it are that it tends to get grainy quickly at high ISOs, and it lacks the ability to “infinity focus”, which means that it can be hard shooting timed shots from a tripod in low light. The only thing to do to mitigate the problem is to set the camera to manual and shut the aperture down as low as possible to ensure the best chance of everything being in focus, but then you have to crank the ISO up to compensate, and everything comes out grainy.
But, for most everyday shooting scenarios, it’s hard to beat.
Go check out the reviews here :
I am a professional sports photographer...I have no idea what is going on in the consumer market. I send my family and friends to this site when they ask me for ideas on what cameras to buy.
Generally speaking, canon and Nikon rule the pro world. Their new technologies are found in their lower level cameras within a year or two from their high end introduction.
Sports photography is difficult with any lower end consumer camera, but stuff for Facebook and travel shots are more than acceptable with a mid $200 Nikon or canon.
Pick up photoshop elements for editing. It will give you whatever you need for editing.
If you have several thousand to spend. Freepmail me....I can help you get rid of that quickly! (Just kidding—I have enough competition these days!)
The 400 came with a 1.4 L series extender which gives somewhere in the range of 650. All that glass is nearly impossible to hold via the camera body, thus the tripod.
I’ve taken some boat race shots here are Lake of the Ozarks but none have been worth publishing. I need to spend more time with this combination.
A buddy said I spent more than I needed to and should have looked at Lumix.
Practice makes perfect (a little luck doesn’t! hurt either!) Keep shooting!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.