Choosing a Camera

GoMavs · Nov 13, 2011

Hi, we're wanting to take a few professional-looking photos for our business to put on our web site. We do exterior remodeling so most of the photos will be taken outdoors. Obviously, we don't plan to be professional photographers so our budget is limited when buying a camera, but we would like to take high-quality pictures since it will be on our site. Some of the pictures will be right next to stock photos, so I'm hoping they will not stick out like a sore thumb in terms of quality.

Can someone please recommend a high-quality camera for someone like us with a limited budget?

Thanks!

snowbear · Nov 13, 2011

The camera is only part of the equation. Do you have anyone on your staff that is trained and/or experienced in photography or art? If not, you may not get the results you are looking for. Depending on how many, and the kind of photographs you need, you may do well outsourcing to a professional photographer.

GoMavs · Nov 13, 2011

Well, I was thinking I could spend some time experimenting and studying photography and eventually come up with some acceptable photos. I need only two or three good shots.

TCD photography · Nov 13, 2011

How limited is a limited budget?

snowbear · Nov 13, 2011

And what are you trying to photograph?

GoMavs · Nov 13, 2011

I would say our budget is somewhere between $200 to $400. We're wanting to photograph certain areas of our customers' houses. Things like gutter, siding, windows...All outdoors

mrpink · Nov 13, 2011

Canon S95.

GoMavs · Nov 13, 2011

mrpink said:
Canon S95.

This one?

Canon PowerShot S95 10 MP Digital Camera

BlairWright · Nov 13, 2011

mrpink said:
Canon S95.

agreed..

GoMavs · Nov 13, 2011

Ok, 2 votes for Canon S95. Anymore?

KmH · Nov 13, 2011

What will you be using for lighting and what is the lighting budget?

Professional-looking photos is all about the light and using high quality optics.

HikinMike · Nov 13, 2011

If you're using this just for a few pictures for your website, why not hire a professional photographer and have THEM do it?

GoMavs · Nov 13, 2011

KmH said:
What will you be using for lighting and what is the lighting budget?

Professional-looking photos is all about the light and using high quality optics.

This will prove my ignorance on the topic, but I didn't think I needed lighting for outdoor pictures. I guess I need some type of reflector?

GoMavs · Nov 13, 2011

HikinMike said:
If you're using this just for a few pictures for your website, why not hire a professional photographer and have THEM do it?

Well, firstly because I want to learn something new! And surely there will be many more professional type photos needed in the years to follow. Secondly, we'll use the camera for a photo gallery. The photo gallery pictures don't need to look professional but I want them to be high quality, so a good camera is necessary.