lookin' for a new digicam (for macro photography)

[UltraMagnus]

i am looking for a new digicam, mainly for macro photography but i would like it to be adaptable for other things too, in the £200-£300 price range, although i could go abit higher.

i went to the local camera store today and the recomended me the "Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H2", it seemed pritty good (they let me try it) but i wanted to get a few other opinions on it before i (well, my parents, actually, its going to be an xmas present) buy it.

thanks in advance!

[g8ina]

My son and I can recommend the Panasonic DMC-FZ7 from
http://www.purelygadgets.co.uk/prodi...FZ7&catsel=all

Excellent camera, with good macro (1.9") and a Leica lens. 6MP.

[UltraMagnus]

no one else got any suggestions/comments? please?

[chrestomanci]

I would not say 1.9 inches is a good macro these days. Being able to put a transparency up against the lens is good macro.

Digicams don't do macro the same way as older cameras or SLRs do. In general the best macro is obtained at the wide end of the zoom, and will let you take pictures of things about 2cm in size by putting the lens close to the subject.

SLRs macro modes work differently. They usually work at the long end of zoom lenses, and the subject goes some distance from the lens. You can get huge magnifications. (Often the image on the film plane is bigger than the subject).

Anyway, back to the point. I suggest you pay a visit DPReview and read some of their reviews. They always test the macro on the digicams they test.

[chrestomanci]

I would like to add a link to this image, I took using a digital SLR and a basic 50mm lens turned backward.


(Caution, large file)

The flower was growing in a road and was about 3 millimetres long.

Turning a lens backward is a simple poor man's technique that will give you a very close macro, at the expense of a very short depth of field, and difficulty focusing.

[dave87]

Couple of mates have got various models of the Panasonic cameras (both with leica lenses) and whilst they are good, they do not compare to the quality of a film SLR, or a more expensive body only Digi SLR. They are a good starting point for a digital SLR, but the lack of an interchangeable lens is always a limitation.

Dave

[Bobster]

not a bad attempt at macro photography there - the DoF is a little narrow, needs opening up to allow the stem and flower to be infocus instead of a couple of points of the leaf

[snedger]

some Ricoh cameras can get in as close as 1cm in wide angle.
Not sure about the quality of the optics on the Ricoh though.

Just make sure that you have manual focus and the screen or viewfinder is very clear.

[g8ina]

I did a review for the Ricoh Caplio GX at pyroport.com, only gave it 60 % !!

Very poor chromatic and barreling on the lens...
http://www.pyroport.com/showarticle.asp?item=32

Nikon and Canon make good lenses and cameras to go with them, but IMO for REAL macro, you would need a dedicated macro lens, whichever camera you got (assuming a DSLR)

One of my macros :


Nikon D70, Tamron XR Ultra Zoom, at 300mm FL. Not perfect, but gives a an iidea.

[UltraMagnus]

thanks for your advice, however i really dont think i cant streatch to the cost of both a DSLR and a good macro lense unfortunatly....

[chrestomanci]

Originally Posted by UltraMagnus

thanks for your advice, however i really dont think i cant streatch to the cost of both a DSLR and a good macro lense unfortunatly....

In that case I would investigate Cannon and Nikon digicams. Both should be able to produce a shot comparable with g8ina's above, (assuming it is a daisy) though perhaps not mine.