Digital Camera advice

[lavendertook]

I'm looking into getting a digital camera and was hoping some of ya'll could advise me, as I know very little. What I've been using for the pics I've been taking for my picfic and of the cats and my home is the isight camera built into my macbook--that's my only experience with a digital camera. It's murder finding any specs on the macbook camera, it's really made to be used as a camcorder for teleconferencing I think, video based, not photo based, if that made sense, so I can't use it for comparison in selecting a digital camera. I'm able to get still shots with it by using Photobooth.

What I'm mainly interested in a digital camera is the macro-mode for close-up shots of small things. I'm looking for a cheaper camera--the under $200 range or under $100 if I can get something decent for taking close-up shots. And I need something that is easy to plug USB into my macbook to use with iphoto.

However, if you know it makes a huge difference for close-up shots of the kind I've been doing here on LJ to get a camera that is a little more pricey than that, I can wait and save up, so please advise. However, since my main priority now is my latest mania for doing my picfic, I may not want too high a quality pic--fuzzing the edges a bit may give my dolls and miniature settings greater verisimilitude--the blurred vision effect that mechtild delightfully dubs the "elderly lover's friend." (-:

So in selecting a camera, what should I be looking for? As I understand it thus far, the quality of the optical/digital zoom and the amount of megapixels it gets won't make that much difference for macro use. Is that correct? Do you have a camera that is good at photo-ing small things that you recommend? Know any really great sales I should look into?

I'd be most grateful for any advice.

Comments

[turtleblues.livejournal.com]

You ask tricky questions- it sounds like you've really done your homework and know more about digital cameras than I do.

I've been using the Cannon Power Shot SD1100 http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=145&modelid=16347

It's actually a camera we purchased at work. It works fine. it plugs into the computer. It takes decent enough pictures.

I would love a digital SLR... but those are super-pricey.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for the link! From that I learned another thing to look for--how a camera functions in low light situations--I could use one that was good with that.

I don't know what a digital SLR is--goes to look up.

[cyloran.livejournal.com]

The digital camera that I have and am thrilled with is the Nikon Coolpix. It's light weight, compact, has a very nice macro-mode, takes nice photos and full video. I have a 2gb card in mine and lithium AA batteries that last for 500+ photos.

My sis has an eBay business and uses the same camera to do close up shots of small signatures and details for her seller pages.

The camera usually retails for $100 or less and can be found at Walmart, Target, or any of the office supply stores that sell electronics.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Ooo, that all sounds great! Thank you for the link and info. Do you know how it does in low light situations?

That's a cool icon, btw.

[cyloran.livejournal.com]

This photo was taken at dusk after the sun set with the Coolpix L14. It almost looks as if it was shot in daylight, doesn't it? If you turn off the flash, the camera will automatically adjust for ambient light. :)

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Oh cool! Thank you! We have a contender here. (-:

[monkey5s.livejournal.com]

I have a Fujifilm FinePix Z20fd, and yes, I do have it in green. Which I call "screaming green", interesting that they named it "wasabi." AR AR AR!

I chose it so I would be able to use it for a wide variety of things- I have stuff I want to eventually put up for sale on eBay, I was enamored of the bento LJs and hoped to be inspired enough to make the cute lunches and photograph them myself, and of course I have the cats to take pictures of. I have to confess, though, that I haven't gotten very fluent in its use, yet. I'm just not used to keeping the camera in mind, yet.

I do love it a lot, though- it's the teeniest thing I could have imagined. The box it came in was loaded with all the connectors and battery charger and all that good stuff, it took a bit to dig down under all that to find the tiny little bright green thing. "Oh, THERE'S the camera! Oh, it's so cyooot!"

Here's the Best Buy page that has the details to consider, when you're trying to choose. I was horribly amused that the first thing shown is shop by color. Is that not hilarious? "Oh, I really can't be bothered considering options, so long as it's PINK!"

Have fun shopping. I enjoyed that aspect the most.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Ahahaha! I've been amused at the emphasis the camera ads put on the colors their cameras come in and thinking WTF do you need pretty colors for the camera!!--it's the pretty colors of the pics that you want to be concerning yourself with! And why on earth I'm being so fuddy duddy practical about this when the electric blue of my PT-Cruiser was a very important factor in this much more expensive item to maintain, I dunno. I guess because of always doing some form of visual art all my life, I'm more focused on the tool aspect of the camera for getting the aesthetic work done on the final product. Heee! That is all to say, I hear ya, and, frankly, I think the neon bug green is the coolest camera color I've seen, and if I have a choice between a purple and a neon bug green, it will be hard. (-;

Thank you for the links! The Best Buy page was helpful in letting me know I probably have the basic info now that people who like to be informed take with them in selecting a digital camera.