Digital Cameras for Pipe Photos

[JSPipes]

My camera sucks for stills! I need to get something specifically for taking pictures of pipes. What make and model camera are you using and are you happy with it? If not, why not?

Any other suggestions?

Keep in mind that the pictures need to be small enough to go online. I'm not looking for super hi-rez or anything.

Thanks!
Joel

[ArtGuy]

The Canon A series are good economincal cameras with a lot of features including macro (macro allows you to focus very closely) Mine is an A75 but the newer A80 and A90's can be found for about 199 bucks new.

[ArtGuy]

here is one on ebay for 6 bucks with less than a day left!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-PowerShot-A75 ... dZViewItem

I paid 199 for mine and feel it was a good deal

[JSPipes]

Thanks for the suggestion John. I sent the seller a couple of questions.

[KurtHuhn]

Stay away from Fuji cameras - the CCDs are setup in a pixel pattern that is great from landscapes, but sucks for close in detail work of the kind you do when photographing pipes.

My personal criteria when I was looking for a camera were that it have all the features of a good SLR, and provide stuff like:
- exposure bracketing
- ISO adjustment from 100 to 1600
- custom white balance
- RAW support
- use existing standard lenses
- support for a remote control
- manual focus
- low-light focus
- external flash capable (TTL preferred)
- and the ability to go into "no brain" mode when taking easy shots (like outdoors with full sunlight, etc)

The camera I chose is a Canon 300D. I bought it about 6 months ago, and have been a very happy camper ever since. My mother played with it for a couple hours one day, and immediately went out and bought the 350D (XT). The 350D has all the features of the 300D, and provides some added niceties like mirror hold, increased resolution, and a couple other things. If you have large hands like mine, however, the 350D may get uncomfortable to use due to it's slightly smaller size - perfect for my mother, but my fingers don't quite fit. The 300D and the 350D are both large cameras, the size of regular SLRs, so you won't exactly be sticking them in a pocket anywhere - but the image quality is *superb*.

Admitedly, this type of camera isn't for everyone, and you do need to understand a few things about photography in order to make full use of them, but in the end you'll get a much nicer picture than point-n-shoot style cameras - though it does have a point-n-shoot mode for those times where it's easier to use it.

[JSPipes]

Thanks Kurt. I really would like to get a digital SLR with no automatic settings at all. Just shutter speed and apeture adjustments. Basically like my old Pentax K1000. Problem is, I can't afford that camera I just described! They cost a bundle.

I've been playing with my wife's work camera. Canon A530. It has some manual controls, but not nearly as fine as I'd like. Either way, the pictures have dramatically improved.

I'll use that one for the time being. Until I can figure out exactly what I want.

Joel

[KurtHuhn]

Hey, I can't afford those cameras either. That's why, when my previous camera died, I held a fire sale to get the right tool for the job.

[alexanderfrese]

I would second everything Kurt says. Amazing thing is that even simple digicams can deliver some quite acceptable pics. There is a need for some manual setting, but playing through the adjustment ranges of the auto parameters gives quite some options. You have to RTFM and try to get behind it if you are not familiar with some classic technical photographical terms.
Only it you habe played through all this and still don't get there you might really need a more sophisticated camera. We in Germany say: If the farmer can't swim, he blames it on his bathing trunks…