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Hi all question for the photographers among you,

I am looking at getting an entry level DSLR as I have alwasy wanted one and love photography although im really amateuristic and know next to nothing, I love photographing my models and battles but i always get dreadfull results with a run of the mill point and shoot cam, no matter how carefully i take the pic it always seems blurry, i am looking at a Nikkon d3000 as it seems to suit all my other needs but was wondering on some advice in reguards to photographing miniatures

Thanks

If blurry pictures are the problem, have you tried using brighter lights and/or a tripod? Also does your current camera allow you to play with ISO numbers and exposure times?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_single-lens_reflex_camera

**edit** I admittedly just glanced at the topic. I would say your issue is more related to light sources and or lenses. I'm no photography expert, but I'd start with those parameters and some google fu

Try macro mode. It's that flower thing setting on most cameras. Also try not to put the camera TOO close to your model. And if you're using auto-focus make sure the objective of the picture is at the center.

I think photography is a very nice hobby but don't buy an expensive camera to photograph your minis. :S Every single picture in my gallery was taken using a camera phone.


Edit: Wow, I was curious but just searching for nokia in the gallery yelds some amazing pictures.
http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/113260-.html

Sorry to the potential author but if that metadata is correct you've got one heck of a phone.

thanks for the replies

no my current digital camera is quite basic so i cant tweak ISO etc also it has no vibration reduction which is prob half my problem, i am using the macro pic feature and it helps but still get blurring

Im not buying an expensive camera just for mini's I take an awfull lot of photos and have been wanting a nice camera for ages, i just wanted a DSLR that will take good Mini photoes too

Believe it or not but in many ways point a shoots are better suited for miniature photography than slr's. My biggest problem with shooting stuff is I have a full frame SLR. It makes it a nightmare to keep even a small group of miniatures in focus. I have to shoot at high apertures with at least a flash at half or full power and even then it's a challenge to keep everything in focus.

I think the best course of action is to find a decent prosumer point and shoot that will give you manual control. That and a powerful light source or two.

Tripod, more light & use the timer function if you can't get a remote shutter release.
Macro isn't always needed as I found out recently.
Just zoom in lots instead. This cuts out the paralax error.
Take pictures from between 1m & 1.5m.
Try not to use flash. If your camera can't have this over-riden cover it was grease-proof paper to difuse the light.

Here is the thing. If you are simply looking for better pictures you should start by learning what makes a picture good, both artistically and technically.

Most of the time you will be able to get away with nice point and shoot, so odds are you can save your money and not even buy a DSLR. I worked as a photographer for a good while, and have all of the gear associated with that job. I hardly ever take my SLR to the game store. A good point and shoot and the right knowledge can make all of the difference.

It sounds like you are dealing with a really basic camera. It might be worth it to invest in something a little more up-to-date. You can pick up a nice Cannon for around 300 bucks.

Good Luck.

bubber wrote:Tripod, more light & use the timer function if you can't get a remote shutter release.
Macro isn't always needed as I found out recently.
Just zoom in lots instead. This cuts out the paralax error.
Take pictures from between 1m & 1.5m.
Try not to use flash. If your camera can't have this over-riden cover it was grease-proof paper to difuse the light.

I would not reccomend zooming in a lot unless you're taking a shot of a single model. Zooming in may make macro mode impossible on many point and shoots, that and there's a good chance it will alter the minimum focus distance and add more compression. Also on most point and shoot the aperture is not constant and will shift at longer focal lengths.

I went to a pawn shop and got a HP photosmart m525. Don't know how old it is but it's got more features than I know how to use. Including macro mode and that ISO stuff they said. Paid $40

Lighting, aperture control and stability are the main issues.

Tripod fixes the stability issue.

Unfortunately, depth-of-field scales are a vanishing breed. These are often helpful to gauge what will and won't be in focus at a given aperture.

Mine have them. I also use my slr for taking miniature shots (in M mode, generally - so I can control all of the camera variable functions.). I don't get fuzziness or other issues. I also use flash and get away with it due to the dedicated metred flash - and that it is off camera).

I shoot with a Canon 50D and have a 100mm Macro lens for it and every one that said they have an issue with depth of field is absolutely correct.
One advantage to a DSLR is that if your in a location that you cant control the light you can raise your ISO and add a better flash then a small point-and-shoot. The down side is the size (sometimes you want to get a shot in a small place) the other is price. If your main use is going to be doing macro then you should look at something like the Sony's they have new sensors and very nice lenses. The sensor is called the Exmor R sensor if you wanted to do any research on it, but you will notice that it does exceptionally well in low light and you can get it in considerably cheap cameras.

Anyways enough with the running on.... Good luck and hopefully some of this might help....PM if you have any camera questions!!!!

Crablezworth wrote:

bubber wrote:Tripod, more light & use the timer function if you can't get a remote shutter release.
Macro isn't always needed as I found out recently.
Just zoom in lots instead. This cuts out the paralax error.
Take pictures from between 1m & 1.5m.
Try not to use flash. If your camera can't have this over-riden cover it was grease-proof paper to difuse the light.

I would not reccomend zooming in a lot unless you're taking a shot of a single model. Zooming in may make macro mode impossible on many point and shoots, that and there's a good chance it will alter the minimum focus distance and add more compression. Also on most point and shoot the aperture is not constant and will shift at longer focal lengths.

1. Just using macro doesn't guarantee you can put the camera real close and shoot away. You're giving the camera a shorter focus distance, but also narrowing the margin for error. A little too close or far out and you're just making things worse. Check your camera's specs for the best range to shoot from.

2. A little tripod goes a long way. Even just resting the camera flat on a table can help a lot, but the more you zoom in/move the camera closer, the worse the blur is going to be just from the slight movement of hitting the shutter button.

you can PM or e-mail me on this, but a good macro lens will be the key, and Nikon makes great ones! they are pricey, however, so look on eBay for used ones. good lighting and reflectors will help, too, and those don;t have to be pricey! a good tripod will help immensely!

remember, it's not the camera that takes the picture, it's the lens.