Beginner Looking for a New Camera

phyrphreek · Sep 28, 2013

Hello all! Obviously new to the forum, I'll introduce myself a bit. I am an amateur photographer currently living in New Llano, Louisiana. My husband and I will be moving to Washington State within a few months. We are looking to get a little extra income in order to help improve our credit and buy our first house. Since I am a stay-at-home-mother, I was hoping to try and use my photography skills to help.

I have a love of macro photography, and I am hoping to sell prints as well as contribute to microstock websites. I have no formal training, and no experience with a DSLR. Point and shoot only. My last camera was a Nikon CoolPix L810, however I am almost certain it was defective and it left a sour taste in my memory. (Shutter button would only work with $50 rechargeable batteries, for about 7 shots, and only if the batteries were fresh out of the charger.) Anyway, I would like to avoid that particular model. I am looking for a camera that does well with macro photography (1cm or less) but can handle a bit of landscape, seeing as how I'll soon be living at the base of Mount Rainier. I would like to be able to have the largest prints made that I possibly can. My best and favorite camera was a Canon Powershot SX120 IS that I killed a few years ago. I had beautiful success with 12x20" prints, but I would like to go a little larger if possible. I understand that the absolute best way to go for macro is a DSLR, but I will try and work my way up to that. For now, here is the rundown.

I am looking for a camera that:
is 1cm or less macro capable
has at least 16 megapixels (however, as I am still learning, I am not sure that more is necessarily better for larger prints? Advice in this would be great *

can handle a little landscape photography
is RAW capable
is under $500

The two cameras I have been looking closely at are the Nikon CoolPix L620 and the Canon Powershot SX170. Those seem to be the closest I can find to what I'm looking for, but neither have all the specs I was hoping for, so any suggestions and advice will be much appreciated. Thanks, everyone!

The_Traveler · Sep 28, 2013

phyrphreek said:
We are looking to get a little extra income in order to help improve our credit and buy our first house. Since I am a stay-at-home-mother, I was hoping to try and use my photography skills to help.

Before you get into this too deep, let me say honestly that your chances of going from zero to earning money selling photography are virtually nil.
With the explosive growth in digital photography, the world is swamped with people with significant experience and skill and equipment who aren't doing much, let alone well, selling prints.
If you like photography, do it for fun but thinking that a little investment in a camera will yield significant income is just not correct.

phyrphreek · Sep 28, 2013

I am not going from nil, I have experience selling prints *

I would not go far enough to say that I could offer custom work, not with a point and shoot, but I have extensive knowledge in photography composition (taught on a manual 35mm, self developed in a dark room) as well add digital photo editing. Thanks for the encouragement, though it had nothing to do with my question.

phyrphreek · Sep 28, 2013

Besides, I did not say I was looking for significant income. A few extra dollars a month is all I am aiming for. Not that it should matter, as I was not asking for advice about money or sales.

Designer · Sep 28, 2013

Well, I guess she told you! So c'mon, folks, help this lady decide.

As for me, I will have to beg off, because I don't have any experience with macro, nor with either of those cameras.

phyrphreek · Sep 28, 2013

Well, it doesn't have to be either of those two, if you have any other suggestions *

I would love to have a more advanced camera than either of those, actually. I was limited on funds when I bought my last two, and it seems like the market has just exploded. You seem to get a lot more for a lot less, these days.

The_Traveler · Sep 28, 2013

yes, she wants what she wants when she wants it.

a polite response would have incited me to answer what I could but she has told me off and I'm just afraid of not measuring up again.

Dinardy · Sep 28, 2013

Don't come to Washington, it rains too much here.

Also, good luck finding work and selling prints! It's a fast paced, highly aggressive field.

phyrphreek · Sep 28, 2013

I wasn't so sure your response was very polite, yourself, but I suppose that's the bane of communicating through text. It's impossible to convey tone, almost. However, if you have a response that pertains to my question, I would more than love to hear it *

I'm also not overly concerned about the "when" in reference to what I want, but I will say that, yes. I have a goal, and I'm going to strive to work for it. No matter if there is a market. I am very proud of my work, and I believe that others may be as well. Maybe impressed enough to even buy it. Shooting down my goals didn't seem very polite to me.

phyrphreek · Sep 28, 2013

Dinardy, I have lived in Washington before. While I did dislike the rain, I'm determined, haha. No state matches its beauty, in my opinion, so we're shooting for Spokane. Quite a bit less rain, and the forests are just as beautiful a little north *

While we're renting, we'll be in a little house at the base of Rainier. Some of my favorite shots have been on that mountain, it's so amazing!

VABuckeye · Sep 30, 2013

It's much more the lens than the camera that is involved in producing macro photography to the level you desire. $500 isn't much of a budget for a DSLR and a good macro lens. Plus you'll need a tripod and software. I'd look at used equipment and lenses.

Jmho, but I didn't read travelers response as rude or condescending. You did describe yourself as a beginner in your thread title. I think you took his comments personally instead of constructively.

pete72 · Sep 30, 2013

I didn't read Travelers response as condescending either. Photography is highly competitive & your initial posting you did say you had experience of 'only point & shoot'.
I know a couple of photographers & if you don't have high quality kit, you lose out to those who do.
The only exception is if you are very lucky to get a shot because you're in the right place at the right time...but this won't be the case for macro photography.
If you look at my list of kit, it is obvious I do it purely for fun & don't have any belief I will make so much as a cent (or on my case a penny) from it.
You'll also have to budget a few hundred dollars more for some photo editing software because the bundled stuff will only do the basics like exposure compensation & color correction..

gsgary · Sep 30, 2013

You will have more luck platting fog, i would think $500 is only good point and shoot money no way will it get you what you want, there is also another 1,000,000 that want to sell prints and make money better getting a proper job

Derrel · Sep 30, 2013

I think if you want to do mostly close-up stuff on a $500 budget, that you ought to buy a good small-sensor digicam and maybe a Raynox close-up lens and use that. And no, I am NOT kidding. Look around for a few days, and research the issue; there are a number of advantages to going with a small-sensor digicam and not a big SLR. Also, on close-up and macro images, not all that many pixels are needed to cover such a small area.

gsgary · Sep 30, 2013

Derrel said:
I think if you want to do mostly close-up stuff on a $500 budget, that you ought to buy a good small-sensor digicam and maybe a Raynox close-up lens and use that. And no, I am NOT kidding. Look around for a few days, and research the issue; there are a number of advantages to going with a small-sensor digicam and not a big SLR. Also, on close-up and macro images, not all that many pixels are needed to cover such a small area.

I would say Washington State is quite a big area :wink: