i model for a website, but unfortunately their photographer lives on the opposite side of the country!!
so im stuck taking my own pictures.
so i wanna know what the best camera to buy would be.
it HAS to be one that i can plug into my computer and just put the pics in my "My Pictures" folder. [digital camera]
also, i'd prefer that it would have the ability to take black n white/sepia/etc pictures.
plus maybe a self timer and stuff like that.
AND AT A REASONABLE COST.
any ideas? Most digital cameras nowadays have self timer, b&w/sepia/etc modes and USB to connect to your computer. These are common features.
If you are going to be taking your own pictures, you may need a digital camera with features such as aperture settings and speed settings. Sounds like you are into professional or semi-pro modelling. So you may have to take a short course on photography and light settings if you want to take some nice shots of yourself. CAMERA ALONE CANNOT TAKE GOOD PICTURES. And don't forget to buy a tripod. It is a must-have.
About camera recommendation, it depends on how much you want to spend. There are digital SLRs which are pretty good. If you want something simpler, do some reasearch but just don't buy those cute and compact ones. They may not have aperture and speed settings...
Beware: When buying a digital camera, make sure optical zoom is higher than digital zoom. Digital zoom is a useless feature. Obviously you would be much better off getting hold of a professional photographer to take your photos. For a start, he will have his own camera. I assume that you have your own reasons for not doing so (eg cost, sleazeability, fear of being exploited etc), so I will address your actual question.
The fundamental difference is between SLR and compact cameras. SLR cameras are more flexible and professional, but are bigger, more complex to use and they cost more.
I am no kind of professional photographer but I have found Ken Rockwell's site to be very readable and to have a lot of useful information about cameras and photography. He will tell you in plain English how he uses the features of a camera and what's important and what isn't. And he isn't trying to sell you anything or please advertisers. I don't think you could go wrong picking a camera that he recommends. See the link below.
For a cheap SLR he likes the Nikon D40 for around $530, but you will need to add a tripod, memory cards and perhaps the external SB-400 flash (the camera does have a built-in flash) for perhaps $250 extra for all that.
He also uses and has recommendations for compact cameras, starting at about $150 for the camera alone (you will still need to get tripod and memory card).
Some general comments:
I think what you would need is a self-timer that can take shots continuously every few seconds, refocusing and adjusting for light each time.
Every camera has USB, but make sure it has USB 2.0 - the old USB 1.1 is just too slow.
Some cameras do stuff like sepia inside, but every camera will come with software that can do that kind of stuff. I would take the pictures normally and then make b/w or sepia afterwards. That gives you more flexibility.
Oh and I agree with everything that carpe_diem said above.
Good luck... All digicams have a self timer and download easily to a computer. Most have B&W, but a simple (and free) program such as Picasa2 will solve that problem easily.
But- it's not about the camera, it's about lighting. Depending on what level image quality and look you want- consider actually hiring a local professional photographer.
If you are using the on-board flash from any camera, the photos will look lousy. I promise. Most of all you need a good photographer.
Many talented photography students (college or high school) would jump at the chance to take your photos just for the regular practice.
Make it clear to them that one of your conditions is that you share copyright equally (and get a shared copyright agreement in writing), so you can use your photos as you want. A beginning photographer should have no problem agreeing to this. But it's only fair to let them use the photos also since they are helping to create them and by default copyright law hold the sole copyright.
You will get MUCH better B&W and toned photos by shooting in color on any digital camera and doing the conversion to B&W in Photoshop or similar software.
As for which camera to buy, try this camera selector. It lets you select the features that are most important to YOU (including price ranges) and gives you lots of information on models that have the features you want.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare....
This is much better than just getting people to tell which cameras THEY like. Looks like you need a DSLR camera, try nikon d40, it is affordable and really easy to use for beginner. I would suggest a Canon Rebel XT or XTi. It has many automatic feature modes that you can use for ease, plus a large creative zone, so you have control over the images you produce. It can connect to your computer via usb. It has a timer and an option to get a wireless shutter remote if you want one. It can take black and white, sepia, pretty much anything you wanted, but it's always better to take your images in color and edit them in Photoshop (or a similar program) afterwards.
I suggest an SLR because if you are going to be doing this for a living, you are going to want the highest quality images possible. Most companies only accept very large dpi files, as well, and you can't get the size images you need with a standard point-and-shoot.
Keep in mind, it's not just the camera that makes the picture. You also must consider buying lighting, reflectors, backgrounds, et cetera. Especially lighting. Photography is an art of light. It is the basis of photography. I would suggest buying a flash for the camera, because the built-in flash does not have the option to bounce (to diffuse light) and is always too bright and washes out detail. Plus I would suggest a couple of large flash or continuous light units to eliminate shadows. |
