I helped a trainee get a Nikon B 600 (this is his inaturalist profile of some pictures) - he is getting great pictures and videos. He does not own a computer so the wifi facility is essential for him and he is very productive on inaturalist - considering that he has begun watching nature only for a relatively short while.
I helped another trainee get a Canon Sx 70HS - again amazing videos and some great pictures.
Having said that many of us use our mobile phones to take pictures - the new mobiles phones have great cameras and even decent closeup facility. So a good mobile / cell phone is a handy ever present tool to consider.
However the expensive range of mirrorless and the mid range to high range DSLR with all the modern magic on board are great choices too - they are unbeatable for low light; fast paced (birds, insects etc) HD video , macro etc.
Fujilfilm high five! I shoot with an XT2 and I LOVE it. I don’t think I’ll ever switch systems.
Did macro with reverse mounted vintage lenses and extension tubes for a while. Last year, Laowa came out with the 65mm 2X macro lens for Fuji for not too much money. I picked one up just after it came out and it’s been my go-to for all things macro. Definitely not as inexpensive as using vintage lenses, but I find that my keeper to trash ratio has gotten considerably higher with the Laowa lens.
Also, I love the film simulation/“recipe” capabilities of the Fuji X cameras. So much fun.
That was really helpful with the measurements and scale.
I have a ~truly~ ancient Olympus. Back in those old days I really researched it by buying print photography magazines and Consumer Reports. Geez! Anyone else remember Consumer Reports?!?
(There was little to no internet guidance available then ).
It was nice and compact like yours, but pretty heavy. In its day, it took a good pics (well, within the limits of the photographer anyway).
I never had the money to buy special lenses (ha, buying filters was as special as I could get !)
If you have time to check, may I ask what yours camera weighs?
My iPhones flash and even my old Olympus flashes tended to blow out the details (create white hot spots in the image) unless I used a least a make-shift diffuser.
Back in the day, I was known to paste a Kleenex or similar semi- sheer “tent” over the flash apparatus to make the bright light less destructive of fine details. I never got to the point of buying an actual photographer’s diffuser set up, but I saw setups that impressed me.
Well, it is sometimes easy to see on my photos where the flash made too much washed out white spots on the photo, obscuring details I would have liked to see. Professional photographers have a lot of tricks for bringing out details they want with bounced light to diffused light, or other tricks to provide more detail without creating shadows or overexposed areas.
Given my iPhones are not the best nor most versatile cameras, I use the flash sparingly, Too often, over lighting kills the fine details.
Honestly, I hope people with more photographic talent and expertise could explain this better to me.
On tips topic there’s a described way of DIY diffuser, just a piece of paper in front of flash will help, but seeking out a ring flash that would fit your camera is an option too.
Most camera setups are designed around taking photos of people or scenery, and for macro the flash is too intense. A piece of tissue or greaseproof paper folded and taped so it hangs over the flash can help scatter and soften the light. I have a digital microscope that has 6 led lights arranged ring fashion, and I find it frustrating that they form 6 spot reflections everywhere on the subject. Background colour, if white and reflective, can worsen the problem. I made a cone of greaseproof paper with the point cut off, that I could insert between lens and LEDs, and it works well enough
I am looking for recommendations for a good camera… a camera with which I can take the pictures and immediately post to iNat with date / time stamp and geo location.
So far I have been using a phone, but its rubbish for anything except close work - basically ‘bugs’ that will sit still!
Alternatively is there a recommendation about a camera with bluetooth or something (I am an IT idiot so totally lost here) that I can connect to the phone to get the same result - i.e. an immediate upload with the necessary date location stamp.
About €400-500
Just the camera and phone. Need to leave room for beer and sarnies.
I phone 10. (I think)
Back in the day I have had a Canon A1 (35mm) & a Canon EOS and still have the lenses. But I don’t really want to get back into the habit of lugging masses around.
Just want to be able to photograph something more than a couple of feet away and have the simplest of tasks in identifying & uploading to the App. (Ideally I would have a camera with ‘seek’ built in because I use it for identification as much as I do for taking pictures.)
).