I personally use a Nikon D80 with various lenses, sometimes a dedicated 60mm macro lens, sometimes a longer lens (17-105ish).

I'm also a professional photographer and i've learned for 4 years how to take pictures of various subjects. That said, it is NOT the camera that takes a good picture, its the person behind it. I suggest reading a few "how to" photo books, there is also a photography section in the forum below that has many helpful hints and tips.

i shot all of these with the D80.
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=85271
http://cinderbird.com/cinderbird.com...thon_book.html

tips:
always white balance. ALWAYS.
always shoot RAW if you have the option.
always take way more pictures than you think you'll ever need. You can always delete
Always make sure you have enough light. Low light makes for poor, blurry images.


For getting clearer close shots, use the macro feature on your camera if you have one and if your camera cant focus get farther away from your subject. Not all cameras and lenses have the ability to focus close up (i count "close" as 2 inches or less from my subject)