need some advice on cameras

[TrueJoy]

just to warn you, i've had an interest in photography for years, but i still know very little about it.

I want do fully digital (no developing) and i have a cheep camera($250-ish 3 yrs ago), but the pictures always seem to come out... i think the term i've seen is "soft...not as clear as i'd like. what kind of digital camera would i need (funds are tight, so the quality that would do the job for cheapest price) to get professional clearity? or am i just using mine wrong?

 

[Mitica100]

What brand/name is your camera?

 

[TrueJoy]

sony - cyber shot

 

[Smitzel269]

Professional Quality and Cheap don't belong together haha. But you can get very very good pictures with a budget camera. Sorry I'm not much help there!

 

[TrueJoy]

well i was thinking a few hundred, hoping for something under 5 or 6

 

[Mitica100]

Do you have a tripod?One of these small, table tripods? If so, mount your cyber shot onto it and take a few pictures of something. Then look at the results, are they sharper?

 

[mrpink]

Look for a used D200. They can be had for a good price of you are willing to shop. p!nK

 

[TrueJoy]

i do have a tripod, but my primary subject is an active 1 yr old, had pictures taken of her that turned out sharp, but not sure what camera they were using.

 

[TrueJoy]

noticed that the newer cameras at the store go up past 16mp, mine's only 8.1...would that make a big difference in clarity?

 

[Smitzel269]

I think you could win a Canon Rebel T2i for about 600 or you could get a Nikon D3100

 

[Mitica100]

noticed that the newer cameras at the store go up past 16mp, mine's only 8.1...would that make a big difference in clarity?

Nope. I have pictures taken with a 4.1MP camera that are sharper and better overall than some of my 12.8MP P&S camera.

 

[WesternGuy]

just to warn you, i've had an interest in photography for years, but i still know very little about it.

I want do fully digital (no developing) and i have a cheep camera($250-ish 3 yrs ago), but the pictures always seem to come out... i think the term i've seen is "soft...not as clear as i'd like. what kind of digital camera would i need (funds are tight, so the quality that would do the job for cheapest price) to get professional clearity? or am i just using mine wrong?

If you know very little about digital photography, then I would suggest that you get a good introductory book like "Digital Photography for Dummies" - don't laugh this is a good introductory book, and read it cover to cover. As well, you can surf the web using such search criteria as "Digital Photography Basics" or Digital Photography Introduction" and you will get hundreds or even thousands of site like this one...Digital Cameras - A beginner's guide - photo.net. As has been said, using professional and cheap in the same sentence is an oxymoron...just not possible...If you tell us a couple of things then maybe we can provide you with some better insight as to what might be available - 1st, what is your budget? - very important - 2nd, what type of photography are you interested in doing - goes to the budget you might have, or require - 3rd, are you looking for a Point & Shoot or a digital SLR - what are your expectations in term sof the kind of camera you are looking for - would you settle for used and refurbished or just used, or are you going for the brand-new look?

You stated that you want to do fully digital (no developing), again, this is really not possible in these digital days. In most cases, images that come out of the camera will often require a few edit touchups - maybe white balance adjustment, maybe a bit of colour correction and definitely some sharpening. Pictures coming out not as clear as you would like can result from a variety of things, poor quality lens, camera shake, focus problems, etc. Maybe if you could post a couple of the ones you are not happy with, the folks here could look at them and maybe provide some thoughts on why they are, as you say, soft. Would also be curious what you mean by fully digital? HTH.

Cheers,

WesternGuy

 

[TrueJoy]

Well, if you scanned the thread you'd see by cheap i mean 5 or 6 hundred (i know cameras are exspensive), which is also my budget. By soft i mean the image isn't as sharp as i'd like it. there are several photos around this site that people have commented ar "soft" and i noticed that that is exactly what has been irritating about the ones i've taken. by no developing, i mean i don't have to physically get them developed, digital editing is something i dable in and am actually looking forward to (haven't been able to sharpen the photos much)...and the type of photography i'm interested in i guess would be primarily non studio portraits i suppose, since my primary subject is an active 1 yr old (my duaghter).....i do have a few friends and family that've asked me to do engagement, prom, and wedding photos, becuase they liked ones i have previously taken though.

my camera (as i stated) is a sony cybershot, 3 or 4 yrs old, 8 mp, it does it's own focusing, but i dont know what quality the lens would be, i'd have to look it up. (would really like one i can adjust the focus on though, becuase the entire picture is always in focus, i would like to unfocus the background sometimes, and editing for that effect never looks as nice as if it was done in origional shot)

Also, by very little, i mean i had a photography corse in college when i was 16 (have been snapping pics ever since), but i'm sure i've forgotten much, and haven't yet learned most there is to know. thanx for the links, i do find that suggested links from those in the know are far better than wading through the internet.

an SLR is probibly my best bet, as my suject is and active 1 yr old...i currently have a "point and shoot"

I've been meaning to post some pics, but i have to wait till said monster pants is sleeping, like now.

thanx bunches for everyones imput

 

[Dao]

If you know how to take a good photo, some point and shoot camera are not bad as long as you know the limitation.

i.e. This is a sample photo of a Canon G12 (from Canon USA site)
http://www.usa.canon.com/app/images/cameras/powershot/PS_G12/sampleimg/sampleimg_1.JPG

Again, I believe the above photo is taken by a photographer that knows how. (including how to light the subject)


As for small kids type of photos, DSLR/SLR have an advantage that you can snap a photo very quick. Not much of a delay between press the shutter button and the camera records the photo. So you have a higher chance to capture the happy moment. For $500 - $600 range, you may look for some used / refurbished camera kits. Most of the entry level DSLRs are quite good.

 

[TrueJoy]

doesnt seem to want to let me upload pics...ok, up loaded some to member galleries, since "in post" doesnt like me. not to happy with them, would love any insight.



http://www.thephotoforum.com/photos/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=100053