i'm on the market for a good digital camera that can take great close up picture like a grain of sand or anything as small.
most of the cameras today gets blurry when it comes to about a foot of the subject. i saw a canon EOS 400D. is this a good one? please help !! Here's an article that I wrote for intraoral photography, which should translate almost directly to your purpose.
I'll tell you what I use and what you might consider. I got a Nikon D70s for personal use, with the thought that I could also get a macro lens and use it in the office. I got myself a new camera for personal use, as I found that I wanted to leave this setup in the office at all times. I would say that a Nikon D40 or D50 would be perfectly adequate for intraoral use, but you might find a good buy on a D70s, as they are being closed out right now. 6 MP is PLENTY for intraoral use.
You would not need a huge memory card for limited use, but I'd still suggest a 1 GB card with accelerated write speed, like a Sandisk Ultra or Extreme or a Lexar 80x card.
I am using a Nikon 60 mm Macro lens, which translates into about 90 mm in "35 mm equivalent." This gives plenty of working distance. Nikon also has a (discontinued) 105 Macro and the brand new 105 VR Macro, but you said, "simple and effective." This lens gives you a true macro 1:1 reproduction. The only lens that will autofocus with the D40, though, is the new 105, because it is an AF-S lens, requred by the D40. You can use the 60 mm with manual focus only on the D40.
I use the built-in pop-up flash rather than a $400-600 marco lighting set-up. It's free. "Simple and effective."
Set the camera in Aperture priority and choose f:11, f:16 or so, depending on personal preference. Set the EV at -0.7 stops. Perhaps you would like a different EV setting, but this is what works for me. After that, in autofocus, it's a point and shoot with wonderful results.
These prices are from www.bhphotovideo.com as of March 2007. You can probably price shop and find them cheaper, but B&H is a rock solid dealer and I usually end up buying from them, even after comparison shopping. I am just using their prices as a point of reference.
The Nikon D40 is $560 _with_ the 18-55 kit lens AND a 2 GB Sandisk Ultra II card.
The D70s seems to be unavailable, but...
The D80 sells for $925 for the body or $985 for a body and a 2 GB Sandisk Extreme III card.
This is almost $400 more than the D40 kit, but the D80 it will autofocus with the 60mm macro lens and the D40 will not, so you can save over $400 on the lens, making the D80 "macro kit" cost the same as the D40 "macro kit." It's a no-brainer to me to say that you should at least get the D80.
The D200 sells for $1,340 for the body or $1,525 for a body and a 4 GB Sandisk Extreme III card.
The Macro 60mm f:2.8 lens is available for $370.
The Macro 105mm f:2.8 VR is available for $810.
SO - pick your price and find a match. If you can find a D50 and 60mm Macro lens, you would have an excellent intraoral camera for less than $900. I have seen kits to modify point and shoots that cost more than that. I would say that the D40 would be perfectly adequate, but it will not autofocus the 60mm lens that I use and the 105mm VR lens, while a wonderful lens that WILL work with the D40, costs more than twice as much. Most people would not really NEED VR with intraoral photography, because you are using the flash. To me, this means there are two real choices:
Nikon D40 with the kit lens (can't avoid it) and the 105mm VR macro lens and 2 GB memory card = $1,410.
Nikon D80 with 60mm Nikon Macro lens and 2 GB memory card = $1,385.
**********
This makes it a no-brainer decision. Get the D80 with the 60mm lens. If you find that you have trouble getting clear images due to shaking, you can add a tripod for about $50.
**********
I own and use and love a Nikon D200, but I admit that it is overkill for intraoral views and the comparable kit would cost about $1,700, which is a lot more than you need to spend.
Here's a sample shot from my D70s with the 60mm lens. I admit that it is not "presentation quality," but it was just a quick shot to communicate with the lab. It is also a full-sized image, so you can enlarge it to see the detail. Your cursor should be a "+" maginifier as you move it across the image. Just click to get the full size and check the detail. If it is not a magnifier, click on the white space to the right of the picture once and then move it back over the image again.
http://www.members.aol.com/swf08302/d70s...
Here are some more samples using that 60 mm lens on a different camera.
Yorkie Pendant - Macro Technique
Nikon D200 - 60 mm macro lens - f/13.0 - ISO 200
http://www1.snapfish.com/slideshow/Album...
Cardinal Pin - Macro Technique - The pin is about 1录" long.
Nikon D70s - 60 mm macro lens - f/5.0
http://www1.snapfish.com/slideshow/Album... it all depends on the lens you use. For the kind of work you are speaking of you need a Macro lens. That is what you need to ask for when you buy your camera. Canon makes them as well as Nikon, etc. Some point and shoot models have a macro mode but they may be limited. The 400D would be great.
You'll need a "macro" lens and here's a place to start:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Revie...
There are other techniques like bellows and reversing rings. Google for info.
Hope this helps. |
