Good Digital Camera For Beekeeping Photography

[elkridge]

I'm looking into getting a nice camera to document my beekeeping experiences. Any of you photographers out there recommend any of your favorite cameras? It'd be nice to find a camera that can do some really detailed close ups of bees on flowers, or eggs in cells etc, but also something that can generally take bee yard shots with landscapes mountains, sunsets etc. Any advice is much appreciated!

Thanks,
Dan

[Kingfisher Apiaries]

Are you are looking for a point and shoot? I like a Cannon Power shot SX10IS point and shoot and it works great. One thing I like about it is that it takes plain AA batteries.
Kingfisher

[elkridge]

Yeah mostly point and shoot, maybe some tripod use. Are those batteries rechargeable?

[Hambone]

I have a Nikon D40X that I like a lot. I don't know a lot about cameras, but this one is easy to use and takes great pictures. I don't think they make that model anymore. I think the D3000 is the replacement model. I like to buy from Wolf Camera. They don't charge sales tax and have free freight on their orders.

http://www.wolfcamera.com/product/SL...igital-cameras

Here is a pic I took yesterday with the standard lens it came with. It has a good zoom lens that came with it too.

[elkridge]

Wow, nice photo, I'll have to look into that model. Thanks for the advice.

[fafrd]

Hambone,

how did you get your photo to show in the post like that? I tried to get an image into a post once it it came out disasterous - how did you get such a beautiful high-resolution image to post?

thanks,

-fafrd

[bigevilgrape]

I have a cannon s5is that i absolutly love. It has been replaced by the cannon sx20is, which my mother has but I havn't played with. It has a bigger lens then most digital cameras which generally means better pictures. It has a view finder which is key for taking pictures outside on sunny days. And the best part for taking close ups of bees is that it has a good macro and super macro setting. So basicly I went and bought the fanciest camera I could find wihtout getting into the digital SLRs. Mine also has manual over rides for pretty much every setting. (although the manual focus setting is mostly useless)

I posted some pictures on my blog a few days ago http://alittlebitofeach.wordpress.com all the fun websites are blocked at work so I can't get to my flickr account to find some more.

[Hambone]

how did you get your photo to show in the post like that?

Put the pic on a server somewhere, I use photobucket.

Open the pic or webpage with the pic. Right click on the pic and click properties.

hightlite the address for the pic, right click and copy.

On beesource open a reply or start new thread. Type [img] and then paste the copied address and then type [/img]

should look like this: [img]your pic address here[/img]

Click preview post to see your pic before submitting.

Photobucket kas a link with the [img]...[/img] so all you have to do is copy and paste. They make it pretty easy. PM me if you have any questions.

[hoodswoods]

I too have a canon 10is - it has a lot of bells and whistles, but I was able to essentially point & shoot after 10 minutes with the manual. The nikon D40 was recommended to me as well, and since it is an SLR, you have lens options unlike the canon - I couldn't justify the extra $$$ at the time of purchase.

[hoodswoods]

I also miss it not having the RAW file format, but hoping that maybe a firmware upgrade from canon might eventually be possible.

[uncleflip]

I'm a Canon loyalist. I've used their P&S and SLRs (film and digital) for some great shots on all 7 continents.

Brands aside, I would definitely look for a somewhat slim-line point & shoot. Why? Well, fitting in a pocket of your pants or bee suit while you're in the bee yard is a big factor. Also, P&S cams can let you use the LCD screen to set your shot. With an SLR, you have to use the eyepiece- meaning you have to press the camera to your face, and thus your veil to your face...which could make stings easier. Plus, some P&S cams are very easy to operate with one hand. (This may not sound like a big concern, but it can really come in handy at times- pun intended.) If you have gloves you regularly wear in the yard, I would suggest taking one with you when you go camera shopping- just so you can get a feel (again, pun intended) for what it'll be like using your camera in the yard, with your gloves on. (My brother is an avid motorcycle rider, and took his bike gloves with him to the store when buying a camera, and is frequently VERY happy he did.)

Oh- and make sure you get a cam with a good macro function.

Be well
-UF

[Pink Cow]

Dan, it's pretty hard to find a bad digital produced by any major brand these days. If you have an idea of the range (features & price, mainly) you have in mind we can probably provide much more help.

I'm assuming you are looking for a point and shoot, and there are plenty to choose from. As an example of a very well respected, relatively inexpensive and easy to use camera something in the Canon Powershot line might be worth a look. I've owned them before going SLR, my daughters both have them now and we have zero complaints. I've noticed the A1100 IS model has had a recent price drop at most retailers and I think it is an amazing value for what it offers. Amazon lists it right now for just $129 and I don't think you could possibly go wrong with a camera like that should it fit what you are looking for.

Cameras themselves aside, let me take a second to remind everyone to spend a little time to truly understand whatever camera you have and learn what produces the best images with them. Really, two hours spent going through the manual and experimenting is going to be more productive than most of the time used to decide on a particular model. My opinion, of course.

Good luck, and have fun with whatever you choose.