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Photography Question 

Robert Bokor
 

Best closeup digital camera


I'm looking for reviews of the 2-3 best digital cameras for closeup INDOOR shots under $200. The only one I'm familiar with so far is the Canon A540 with 4x optical & 1 good review.

I'll be taking closeup shots of both tabletop magic tricks such as coins, cards, sponge balls - medium items like magic wands for our print catalog and website.

In addition, if possible, a camera that could take shots of something being thrown into the air (such as confetti) quick enough before it settles.

Thanks for your help!


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December 29, 2006

 

W.
  The Canon A540 isn't suitable for what you want, Robert. You need a multiple light and reflector setup. And a dSLR on a tripod. Is that within your budget and are you prepared to climb the steep learning curve? If not, that kind of photography might best be left to a hardened prosumer, or a pro.


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December 29, 2006

 

ThatsNews2Me
  THANK YOU for acknowledging the learning curve! Yes, I meant to shout it. My new camera has been out of the box, but not put together yet. After all, I only got it the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I'm swerving on the curve. There is a lot to learn from a year with a Kodak digtl to a DSLR. I'll get there, but it may not be until I retire which will be in three years.

In the mean time . . . www.free-ed.net offers a basics on-line class. If I could stay out of BP long enough to read it.
-June


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December 29, 2006

 

robert G. Fately
  Robert, as W intimates, there really is no camera that will fit your $200 budget that can handle the kinds of shots you want to take. There are two primary reasons for this:

First, all point & shoot cameras (the only ones out nowadays for under $200) have a "lag time" - there is a short pause between the time you press the shutter button and the time the shutter actually fires. This makes it quite difficult to capture any fast-moving subjects (like coins in mid-air).

More important, though, is that the most critical components for good close-up shooting are lighting and the lens. Simple P&S cameras have general use lenses, optimized for typical situations that are 4-20 feet from you (like most snapshots are). And the built-in flash makes for pretty horrible lighting, particularly in a close-up situation. While you could try to fashion a lighting studio from lamps or in a room with lots of outdoor light, the lens issue is still going to be a problem.

So, I don't believe you will find anything that qualifies for the purposes you state. Even an entry-level film SLR is more that $200, especially if you add a close-up lens and lights...


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December 29, 2006

 

robert G. Fately
  Robert, as W intimates, there really is no camera that will fit your $200 budget that can handle the kinds of shots you want to take. There are two primary reasons for this:

First, all point & shoot cameras (the only ones out nowadays for under $200) have a "lag time" - there is a short pause between the time you press the shutter button and the time the shutter actually fires. This makes it quite difficult to capture any fast-moving subjects (like coins in mid-air).

More important, though, is that the most critical components for good close-up shooting are lighting and the lens. Simple P&S cameras have general use lenses, optimized for typical situations that are 4-20 feet from you (like most snapshots are). And the built-in flash makes for pretty horrible lighting, particularly in a close-up situation. While you could try to fashion a lighting studio from lamps or in a room with lots of outdoor light, the lens issue is still going to be a problem.

So, I don't believe you will find anything that qualifies for the purposes you state. Even an entry-level film SLR is more that $200, especially if you add a close-up lens and lights...


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December 29, 2006

 

Robert Bokor
  Hi guys - thanks for all your responses. Please note that except for the taking of action shots (of something being thrown into the air (such as confetti) quick enough before it settles) - the review I read on the Canon A540 I THINK will do all I said - it has a virtually no lag, an excellent 4x optical lens etc. The review I read is here: http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_reviews/a540_pg6.html

I am a novice and don't have the knowledge that most of you have here - so any help in checking out this review and letting mke know if this would be the best camera for my needs in this price range. We already have used a Fuji Finepix 2mp with pretty good results - but want something better.
it states: Its 35mm- equivalent zoom range is approx. 35-140mm, and favors the telephoto end. New to Canon's already very popular PowerShot line, the A540 is the 2006 upgrade of the A520 from last year, and incorporates many of the same features like its stylish and durable body, 4x optical zoom lens, etc. However, the A540 "ups the ante" with 6-megapixels of resolution, a larger more resolute 2.5-inch LCD display, as well as a high-quality VGA size movie mode with a selectable frame rate of 30 or 15fps.

The A540 is the big brother to the 5-megapixel A530, which is almost identical other than the lesser resolution, smaller 1.8-inch LCD screen, fixed frame rate movie mode, and the exclusion of several exposure modes (Shutter priority, Aperture priority and Underwater.) These models feature the same hybrid metal/polycarbonate body that we saw on last year's "A" series, which is both durable and stylish. Overall, I found their ergonomics to be excellent. They are small enough to be tucked away in almost any size pocket, but are large enough to still offer a comfortable feel in your hands. The enlarged hand grip makes one handed shooting a snap! The menus are very easy to navigate and allow for quick changes to camera settings; especially the FUNCtion menu. As usual, controls are well placed and functional, all within the reach of either your thumb or index finger.

One feature that is unique over the typical consumer point-n-shoot, is the Canon 4x optical zoom. This lens offers a bit more versatility in composing your shots over your standard 3x lens. While 1x doesn't seem like much, you'll notice that you'll be able to bring your distant subjects up closer and better fill the frame when shooting portraits. Its 35mm- equivalent zoom range is approx. 35-140mm, and favors the telephoto end. We found it provides adequate field of view for most interior or landscape shots, but you'll sometimes find yourself pressed against the wall in small rooms. The lens produced sharp results throughout its zoom range, with average barrel distortion at full wide angle but virtually no pincushioning at the telephoto end. Chromatic aberrations (purple fringing around brightly lit subjects) wasn't much of an issue, with only a bit of purple fringing present in high contrast areas. When you need a bit more versatile zoom range, you can attach the optional LA-DC52F Conversion Lens Adapter and then use either the Canon WC-DC52C 0.7x Wide Converter lens, TC-DC52A 1.75x Tele-converter lens or the 250D 52mm Close-up Lens (these lenses are not compatible with the A530.)

Shooting performance was awesome for a point-n-shoot in this class. From power up to first image was captured measured just 1.6 seconds, and waking the camera from sleep mode to image capture took only 1 second. Shutter lag, the delay between depressing the shutter button and capturing an image, was less than 1/10 of a second when pre-focused, and only 2/10 of a second including autofocus. When using single drive mode and shooting a sequence of images, the shot to shot delay averaged approx. 1.5 seconds without the flash, but increases dramatically to between 4 - 6 seconds when using the flash, depending on subject distance and battery life.

The A540 also offers a continuous (burst) mode, that Canon claims can capture images at a rate of 2.3fps. I found it was a bit more impressive than their claim, capturing 10 images in 3.5 seconds flat; a frame rate of 2.8 fps.


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December 30, 2006

 

W.
  Robert, if you choose to ignore the advice you sought (why did you then?) and think you know better and that the A540 will do what you want it to anyway, then by all means get one. WE, however, think you will be wasting your money: the cam can't do it, and YOU can't either!

Happy landings.


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December 30, 2006

 
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