Newbie Needs Help

[shemwelljr]

Hello,

This seems like the best photography forum on the net, so this looks like the place for me to get some recommendations. I'm not new to digital photography, and I have 2 digital cameras currently, both older models though, and nothing really nice. Here is my situation:

I have an idea for a book. Well, it may never be anything that gets published, but just doing this as a hobby for myself sounds kind of fun. I want to be able to take super clear photos that are of the quality that would be found in a picture book. Basically, I'll be taking photos of the city near me from unique perspectives.

What camera would you recommend? How many megapixels would I need the camera to be able to deliver?

Any help is appreciated. I'm not a professional photographer, and I don't know all of the terminology or how to use lots of different lenses, filters, etc. with a conventional camera. I just have a project in mind that seems enjoyable, and possibly even profitable if I could get it published someday, so I want a digital camera that will give me good results.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Garbz]

Depends on the size of a book. A 3.2 Megapixel camera can easily fill an A4 page, so as you can imagine the sensor resolution is not the limiting factor unless your book has impossibly large pages.

That said a reasonably good camera is still important. A small point and shoot will take fantastic pictures under perfect conditions, but once you get into darker areas or start shooting into light and getting creative you will need control over the gear more than anything.

That said unless we know what kind of budget you have it's hard to say what camera would suit you best.

 

[shemwelljr]

Garbz..............Thanks for the reply.

I am wanting to take photos of the outdoors, so light and dark conditions both will exist at times. Basically to keep it simple I'm just going to be taking photos of the beauty of nature. Some days will likely be very sunny, some may be dark, and it might be nice to get some night pictures even if that is possible (for me, that is).

I bought a 4.1mp Samsung a year or two ago for $120 at Sears. I do some side work performing inspections for insurance companies, and it was a very lightweight camera. The lens is kind of scratched at this point, but it didn't take very good pictures anyway. I had an old 3.1mp Kodak that took much clearer photos with better color. It was just too bulky for that kind of work.

I would be able to spend up to $500 if need be, but I would prefer to stay around the $300 range if possible. Maybe those figures are way too low, but they are line with a lot of the prices at the stores. I guess I could go over $500 if needed, but not too far over.

If anyone could give me some recommendations under $500, preferebly closer to $300 that would work, that would be great. If I'm grossly underestimating what it will cost, let me know.

Thanks.