Camera question

[Slowcountry Balls]

What are you planning on using this new camera for? I ask, because the that would really help with the recommendation. I have a Rebel XT that I like, but if you are going to go for a DSLR, then there is a lot about photography to learn. I am doing all of this research on exposure, lighting, and lenses so that I can take full advantage of the great features of the Rebel XT. Any of the Rebels offer a great camera body and a good lens to start, but the real advantage is that you can buy different lenses for different situations. The problem is that the lenses aren't cheap. A good 50 mm prime lens for my camera costs between $340-$400. But that is a great lens that will last for a long time and allow me to shoot in a wide variety of light conditions. I really want to get more into photography, so I am willing to spend the time researching, saving and money that it is going to take to go with a good DSLR set up.

Around Christmas time, I received a Nikon Cool Pix L28 from the gift give away at work. This is a rather nice, but in expensive point and shoot camera. It takes nice pictures, has lots of megapixels (around 20 I think, more than my Rebel), is really small and only costs around $100. It is real convenient to take with me to different things (slips into a pocket and is there when I need it).

As I said earlier, there are certain items that you will need to do indoor photography, no matter which camera you choose (good lights, something to diffuse or soften the lights, a tripod and a card to help with white balance). In talking with a coworker who was a professional photographer, and in doing the research that I have been doing, I have learned that it is possible to get some great shots with simple point and shoot cameras. No matter which camera one uses, if taking photographs inside, one needs really good lights. For most photographers, flashes are the preferred light for portraits and other subjects that can move (snakes can move, but usually slower, so that means that flashes aren't the only solution). Continuous lighting is the other option (and if you want to shoot video, this is the only option that works for both). That said, you really want a lot of light for continuous lighting. If you use incandescent (tungsten) or halogen lights, they give off a lot of heat, so compact florescent lights (CFLs) are often the best option. But CFLs usually don't do a great job of getting the colors right unless you get a Daylight Balanced (5000K to 6500K light temperature) full spectrum bulb. To get the best shot possible, you will want the camera to be as still as possible, therefore a tripod will be desired. If you get a reference card, like a WhiBal card, the white balance on the camera can be adjusted to correct how the camera captures colors and it can be used if you choose to edit your photographs later to fine tune the colors.

If you are mainly wanting to take pictures of your snakes then consider this, just for fun, I looked on ebay and found a tripod mount for my mobile phone (it was only $5). The tripod I recently bought was this one (http://www.amazon.com/Ravelli-APLT4-...=camera+tripod) about $40, as for lights, you might consider something like this to start (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Photography-...item3a776aa7e3) a little more than $30 and I would not get CFLs that were less than 45 watts, to diffuse the light you might get one of these two options (http://www.ebay.com/itm/StudioPRO-30...item3a8af302c6 or http://www.ebay.com/itm/Photo-Studio...item2c78ee79c7) you should get a 24 inch or bigger light tent so that you can do comparison shots of juveniles and adults around $25-$30, and a reference card like this (http://www.ebay.com/itm/WhiBal-G7-Wh...item56615f0af1) $20. You should be able to spend about $130 and get everything you need to take better pictures with your mobile phone and the only thing that you wouldn't use if you choose to get a higher end camera would be the tripod mount that holds your phone on your tripod ($5). I would really suggest starting here and seeing what you can get with your phone before going for a higher end camera unless you want the camera for other things too.