# Upgrading Camera



## CCBettas (Jul 6, 2010)

I currently have a Sony NEX-3. It's a great entry-level camera and takes some great photos...especially if there is adequate light. However, I'm finding it's not the greatest camera for fish or lowlight. There tends to be a lot of noise. 
I'm selling this camera and wondering what is a good next step upgrade?


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

If point and shoots, personally, I'd go with a Canon Elph SD series. Watch for the deals from now until Boxing Day at BestBuy and Futureshop.


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## CCBettas (Jul 6, 2010)

Thanks. I'm thinking about a Nikon D5100. Does anyone have experience with this camera or comparable other cameras?


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

I have a D5000. It's a pretty good camera. But the 5100 is superior. It has the same sensor as the D7000. If you want a DSLR and a Nikon, I don't believe there's a better bang for buck. Pair it with the kit lens and one longer zoom, plus the SB700 flash and you can pretty much shoot under any condition.


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

I would say almost any dslr is a giant step up from a point and shoot. The 5100 is a pretty good deal. You should try places like costco to see if they have packages. Broadway Camera also has some pretty decent prices if you are looking.


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## CCBettas (Jul 6, 2010)

Ok. I never thought of Costco. I'm gonna be heading out to try out the different cameras. Can't wait.


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

Yeah, if you want to test drive stuff, costco can't be beat.


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## CCBettas (Jul 6, 2010)

So I went with a Nikon D90. Can't wait to test it out.


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

Nice choice! I have the same body with the 18-200 lens. I want the 105mm macro badly!


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

tony1928 said:


> Nice choice! I have the same body with the 18-200 lens. I want the 105mm macro badly!


Me too  If I didn't quit my job or get a nice offer before Christmas - that will be my Christmas present. Ah may be the fund from scrolling say 700 letters (100 names) - after that I may not be able to see :lol:

I love my D90 - over the higher model which I found simply too heavy for casual use. BTW, my niece who shoots semi-professional may have an extra D700 body coming loose if anyone interested.


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## CCBettas (Jul 6, 2010)

I've just got an 18-105 lens for now. Gotta re-accessorize it though - then hopefully a new macro lens sometime in the new year.

I chose this one over the D5100 mainly because it was easier to use. The swivel screen on the 5100 almost had me though! D90 also leaves more options open for lenses and the current lens will get me through til next summer.


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

The D90 is a much better quality, may be less unnecessary features, than the D5100 IMHO. The D5100 has more gadget. At one point my niece was looking for another D90 and I almost caved in to the D5000.


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## deepRED (May 22, 2010)

The body doesn't matter as much as the lenses do. The main difference between those two bodies is the autofocus motor in the d90, (the 5100 is dependant upon lenses that have the autofocus motor built in.)
Both are good cameras and will do pretty much anything most people need their camera to do. 

All I can say is take your time and invest in good lenses. 

Quality glass truly is an investment and it will hold it's value. 

What are you shooting mainly?

For the most part, you get what you pay for, but there are some great lenses that can be had for a relatively cheap price. 


Let me know if you have any questions about lenses. I'm a gear junkie and have used/owned a ton of nikon glass ( from low-end to pro). 


(ps gklaw - d700 you say? hmm... interesting. I've actually been looking lately.... maybe a Christmas present?  )


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## deepRED (May 22, 2010)

CCBettas said:


> I've just got an 18-105 lens for now. Gotta re-accessorize it though - then hopefully a new macro lens sometime in the new year.
> 
> I chose this one over the D5100 mainly because it was easier to use. The swivel screen on the 5100 almost had me though! D90 also leaves more options open for lenses and the current lens will get me through til next summer.


The 18-105 is a really good walk-around lens. I was suprised at the quality of the images, considering it's a kit lens.

For aquarium macro, I'd go with a 60mm 2.8, or else you could try the new 40mm 2.8. The 105mm is awesome for outdoor nature macro, but I found it way too long for aquarium use on a crop sensor body. ( I had the 105 VR, but sold it).
The 60mm is considered one of nikon's best for aquarium photography, and the 40mm just came out a few months ago. 
These are just suggestions, at the end of the day, just try them out and see what is better suited to your shooting style.


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## CCBettas (Jul 6, 2010)

I mainly end up taking photos of landscapes. I really love macro photography as well, but lack proper equipment and know how. 
My first photo is a photo of the Thompson River here in Kamloops. Will do some editing tonight maybe. I think my next big purchase will be photoshop. I love that program. Using GIMP right now.


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## wil_son (Apr 24, 2010)

I am using a D90 paired with a Tamron 90mm f2.8 and a sb-600 when I do my aquarium shooting. This tamron is not a bad choice to begin your macro photography and its 2/3 cheaper than the 105VR.


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## CCBettas (Jul 6, 2010)

Here are a couple of shots I took of a carp and some other invasive species:



















Not the greatest as I still haven't figured out aperture and shutter speed manually in low lighting...so I just used auto settings.


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## big_bubba_B (Apr 25, 2010)

now what is a good printer to go with such a nice camera or is it better just to get them done at like walmart or places like that


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## CCBettas (Jul 6, 2010)

I found printers to be too much of a hassle. I am a student so I do most of my printing on campus. I haven't printed any photo's yet, but I plan on getting them printed at Costco. I think it was $4 for an 11x14 print.


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## Arcteryx (Nov 23, 2011)

I print all mine @ Costco, if your monitor is calibrated you can even download their printer profiles for Photoshop so that you can be relatively confident that your prints are close to what is on-screen.


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## CCBettas (Jul 6, 2010)

Finally tried a new shot of my fish. Specs f5.6, 1/60 shutter, 200 iso.










Still using kit lens. I am way too busy with school for my fish these days. I'm considering doing photography as a part-time business so I'm looking at getting the Nikor 70-200 mm lens.


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## Arcteryx (Nov 23, 2011)

On the subject of printing... very helpful to have a tool like a Spyder3, Spyder4, Huey monitor calibrator to make sure what you see on the monitor is really what you get on print. Otherwise you'll go nuts. Once you're calibrated, make sure you note on your photo order "No Colour Correction" so that the tech doesn't try to white-balance for you. If you're really into it, get an IPS panel so that your viewing angle doesn't change the colour of what's on screen. Take a few hours to learn the in's and out's of ICCs & colourspaces and you're set.


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## CCBettas (Jul 6, 2010)

Thanks for the reminder of colours spaces. What I'm tryin to figure out is why my picture looks different at each place I upload it at. Regarding those panels, where can they be found? Would a photo store have them?


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## Arcteryx (Nov 23, 2011)

My IPS panel is a Dell 2209WA monitor; I've had it for a couple of years now and they've replaced it with a newer model, not sure what it is. But a quick google for IPS should get you on to the latest/greatest/cheapest in a hurry. They've gotten dramatically cheaper so that's the good news. When I was getting mine, even NCIX had a couple of note.

Different sites & image-handling engines will show pix differently. For example Facebook is notorious for their excessively poor compression & resizing engine. Picassa, Flickr, Smugmug, 500px - they'll all do different things to your picture. It's one reason why starting from calibrated can be important if that sort of thing drives you nuts; the variations of, and the way they show on different monitors, won't be much different.

Most print fanatics eventually end up with their own photo printers so they can have control at every stage of their print workflow... me, I'm not so bothered by a bit of variance, so Costco is fine for 99% of my printing needs. 

Good luck


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## CCBettas (Jul 6, 2010)

Hey everyone,

Towards the end of the semester I became extremely busy with school and have mostly put fish hobby on hold and taken up photography more. Cameras don't need to be fed twice a day. 
I was also lucky that within one week, someone wanted to buy my D90 and someone else wanted to sell me a D7000. So of course I upgraded. I now have the kit 18-105, a 70-300 and just purchased my first dedicated macro. 
I also ended up working in Nova Scotia for the summer. Here are a few of my favourite shots:
Sailing on Bras d'Or Lake









Some Lion's Mane Jellyfish in the ocean:









My first portrait - a recent graduate of Cape Breton University:









A red pebble beach near Kluskap Caves - one of the most sacred Mi'kmaq sites:









Finally, my first couple of macro shots:

















The macro lens is a Tokina 100 mm f2.8. I still need to get better with it and can't wait to try it out with fish.


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