What camera do you use?

I have a video camera that takes stills, and my cell phone camera, but neither one takes good detailed pics and I was just wondering what you guys use to take pics of your N scale equipment? Please let me know, I need to get one soon so I can start documenting my adventures in the hobby!!

 

I also use the coolpix for quicie shots but just picked up a Nikon D7000 body and added a 18-200 lens ( so I don't have to change up lens's out at trackside. This camera is really good at low light indoor shots when neccessary.

 

For quick Pics I use a Canon Powershot SX100IS. I think it was slightly over $100 and takes some nice photos has a 10X zoom and 8 Mega Pixels. I purchased it a few years ago when I first came on the forum and now you can pickup point and shoot cameras with better mega pixels but I find it more than adequate for point and shoot.
:tb-cool:

 

For the best photography, you need a different type of camera, with at minimum:

1) Manual control of shutter speed and of aperture, which together control the amount of light needed to capture an adequate image under ambient light conditions.
2) Manual control of focus.
3) Lighting compatible with your film/digital mediuim, to avoid color shifts. If too far off in the initial exposure, it will be difficult or impossible to adjust later with processing SW.
4) A tripod to hold the camera stationary.
5) Read up on and practice using the above features.

(I don't always have to use manual shutter speed / aperture / focus, but they are necessary under certain conditions).

Here's an image of a very small model (diameter of a toothpick), which required all of the above features.


MH

 

Unless you are taking photos to submit to some RR Mag...who will scruntinize every pixel...one of the cheaper little digitals at the Big Box Stores will work just fine. Turn on lots of lights...steady the camera...and shot till your happy ! JMO...thnxs

I have an Olympus E500 and a A735 little pocket camera. I use the A735 most of the time. I am NOT a professional photographer...so all them gazillion settings on the bigger digital camera..mean squat to me !!

I like 'point and shoot'...LOL
.

 

Without breaking the bank for a DSLR try the Canon G12. Has all the manual features (AV, TV, Manual and full auto modes + HD Video) you'll ever need plus lots of the latest digital technology.

Again, unless you're a professional photographer the G12 will be more than adequate for around $400. I'm willing to bet most people would never know the difference between the G12 and a much more expensive rig.

Some of the other things mentioned above are important no matter what kind of camera you have especially a tripod!

Here is a VIDEO REVIEW.

Good luck.

 

Point and Shoot cameras have more depth of field (area of focus) then Digital SLR's (It has to do with the physics of the smaller censor to end of lens.) Its the main reason I use my Ricoh Gx100 over my Nikon 300 pro rig and the smaller size lets me use a smaller tripod to get into tight spaces.

Most import feature is a macro setting, a tripod, manual controls if you can get it, and a good light (s). (Think Home depot contractor halogen lights.)

All of my shots in these albums were shot with the Ricoh GX100 and a tripod.

TrainBoard.com

 

Interesting, Smike,

So you are saying that a small CCD, all other things being equal, makes for more depth of field? I didn't know that. However, I do know that a small CCD has the disadvantage that it increases the effective focal length, making wide-angle shots of the layout more difficult.

MH

 

Don't underestimate cell phone cameras. These photos were taken with my HTC Inspire, no doctoring of any kind...

 

I use a Canon Rebel XTI for most of my work. Its a bit out dated now, but stull takes great stills. While everyone has their own preferance on DSLRs, I always liked Canon's hands off approach to sharpening and noise cancilation at high ISOs. I use 4 different leses, but the one I use most for my models is a 55mm macro.

Before I got my Rebel in 2007, I was using a Sony DCF F717, which has one of the best lenses of any non DSLR out there. I still use the camera sometimes. The camera only shoots 5MP photos, which is small by todays standards. Even my cell phone is 5MP.

For day-to-day shooting I use a Canon Elph SD780IS. The quality is good, but there are no manual controls and you can forget macro shooting so its not for modelers. Its nice to have in the glovebox in case something interesting shows up while driving.

For video, I use a standard definition Canon camcorder that uses HDSC flash memory. My wife and I have standardized all our moble electronics to SDHC rather than built in flash/hard drives/tapes/proprietary connections. It makes life much easier.

Speaking about phones. This was shot by my Samgsung Focus, one of the new Windows Phone & handsets:

 

Tracy,

Those look pretty good, especially the depth of field.

MH

 

I have a Canon PowerShot and a Canon Rebel EOS. I think the most important thing is manual control of the aperture for depth of field. A small aperture, tripod and good light (but no flash) makes good pictures.

 

5DmkII and usually 17-40L or 100L Macro, off camera strobe and typically remote trigger. When I have time to hook up the laptop i really like DSLRemote and an iphone for instant tethered viewing

Been a photog for decades, but never really shot my or other model railroads though only as a tourist

 

Fuji finepix S 700, but that model is a couple of years old now/
the current version
FujiFilm FinePix S2940

 

Olympus E-510. If I were buying now, I'd take a good look at the new compact cameras that have interchangeable lenses, but are not SLR's, such as the Olympus PEN series. The lens quality is probably more important than the camera. But, with some practice you can get good results with any halfway-decent camera.

 

I use 2 cameras. A Cannon A590IS and a DXG 595V HD camcorder with still short ability.

I will be upgrading to a 12 or 14 pixel camera.

 

I was originally using a Canon AE-1 film camera and a 50mm macro lens. I just recently bought a Nikon D3000 D-SLR and am still learning the ropes. I have a tripod and one daylight balanced flouresent light in a reflector. I need to get a second light to fill in the dark spaces.

 

Used to have a small Minolta but was not sufficeint for my basic needs so went to a Kadak CX7530 which allows me to do some of my workbench close-ups. Also have a Nice collapsible photo box with the colored backgrounds and lights that I have yet to use. One word of caution on lights. HEAT. Was photographing one of my loco conversions and happened to notice that the tender appeared to be changing shape. Too much heat from the lights. Saved the loco but lost the scratchbuilt tender. Another lesseon learned. Watch the lighting for heat.

 

Mark pretty much hit it. I am a firm believer that it's more technique than actual tools for just your average modeling shots.

Most point-and-shoot digitals now will have an aperture priority (often abbreviated Av on the camera). Put that puppy on a tripod so that it remains steady, dial it to aperture priority, and then select the highest number (which corresponds to the tightest aperture). I have noticed that f/8.0 seems to be as high as a lot of $100 specials go. This is kind of a shock to this film enthusiast, as I regularly employ f/11, f/16 an f/32 on stills. Doing these two things will improve your clarity by keeping the camera from moving in the low-light conditions present in most train rooms (keeping in mind that your baseline lighting situation is outdoors on a clear day) and will help maximize your depth of field, so that more objects within a wider range of distance from the focal plane will be clear.

For lighting on most "hey, guys, this is a recent modeling project" type shots I just use whatever fluorescent lights are nearby. The color spectrum in these is getting MUCH better. Obviously, there are better lights but do you really want to re-do all your lighting for "hey, guys, this is a recent modeling project" kinds of shots? If the answer is yes, then go ahead.


For cameras, I would avoid getting too dazzled by the megapixel race if you are going digital. What's more important to overall image quality is the lens and the control you can get over focus, aperture, and shutter speed.

I tend to use a digital, a (now older) Minolta Dimage Z-1 camera for modeling shots. It's okay. Obviously, someone with a better camera is going to get better shots. Most of my outdoor prototype stuff is shot on film as with film I am dealing with "pixels" on the molecular level and because I already have nice film gear.

Adam