4 replies to this topic

[Anne]

I have decided to put a fork into my old camera and call it done. My previous camera was a Kodak Z740 which came with a loading dock/printer/battery recharger all in one. I like the rechargable battery feature alot. The camera is good but there is no internal white balance which makes shooting a mostly outdoors experience. I was shooting indoors in the beginning with a three light setup I had seen other places in the forums but the colors would always be really off and take tons of time in reshooting to get something approxiamately to what the figure looked like in reality. I was not using any additional lens with it. Or a tripod for that matter which I'm going to be getting one now. With regard to reducing camera movement, do most people use the cameras internal countdown delay to shoot, or are people using an older style attachment to press the shutter? I don't think the internal delay option would cause that much shake but then again I could be wrong...

So I've been researching around looking for a new one and trying to keep it in or around $500. The one I'm thinking of getting is the Nikon Coolpix P510 16.1 MP CMOS digital camera with 42x zoom. The slr cameras look very nice too but I believe if I went that route additional macro lenses would be needed, and as photography is frustrating to me as it is already, I was trying to keep things as idiot proof as possible.

So I was just posting here to see if anyone thought this purchase was a bad idea or if anyone had any recommendations for alternatives. Any advice is greatly appreciated thanks!

[Loim]

I will give you my opinion, but please take it as what it is, since I am by no means a great photographer. I come from a family of Nikon users, so obviously I'm a bit biased. I have used some of the older models of in the Coolpix line, and had fantastic luck with them. Easy to use, and great picture quality. I currently use a Nikon D50 with a manual Vivitar macro lens, tripod, and a remote shutter release for mini photography. A macro lens is very helpful, but you can also get extension tubes that are useful in using standard lenses in macro photography relatively cheap. If you want to go the DSLR route you can probably get a good body with a starter lens for around the same price as the P510. The P510 looks like a pretty solid camera to me, and without having ever used one, I can only say that I trust the quality of Nikon products over most other camera manufacturers in their range. I prefer them over Canon or Sony.

[Inarah]

I've been happy with my Coolpix, but it is an older model. You might want to read the reviews of the one you're looking for, I find Amazon has a broad enough user base that you get some fairly accurate reviews. http://www.amazon.co...n/dp/B0073HSH8U

[Anne]

Thanks for the good advice, I appreciate it! Going to check out Amazon, perhaps I'll go slr afterall.

[Spike]

The Coolpix does seem to get good reviews all around. If you're looking for a camera that will be primarily used for minis, then the Coolpix's built-in macro function should do the job well enough. Now if you're looking to take up photography (not just of minis) as a hobby, I'd recommend going the DSLR route, but macro lenses for DSLR cameras can get pricy. You can get a decent close-up photo of a mini using a DSLR with kit/starter lens, but IMO my point-and-shoot camera's macro function gets a crisper picture without near as much fiddling and manual-focusing.

If you can find a camera that suits your needs that can use a shutter remote control, I recommend that over using the onboard timer for several reasons. 1) You don't have to wait 5 or 10 seconds in between shots while the timer counts down. 2) If you are doing the sorts of photos that require multiple views (front and back or 360 'spin') of a mini taken from the exact same angle at close range, resetting the timer can affect the consistency of your shots, causing a "jumpy" effect in spin shots. 3) Remote shutter button is also great for other things you will eventually want to try with your camera, such as self-portraits that include you and a child or pet, or getting that rare photo of a bolt of lightning. Doing either while trying to hold a camera or trusting that perfect moment to happen just as the timer runs out can be pretty difficult.