i see some wonderful pictures. i specially like jon, JD, and martin's pictures. what camera do you guys use to take the pictures? JD's pictures look like something out of "Bon Appetit" magazine. all nicely arranged.

i used to use point and shoot, but the downloading and editing got tiresome. so i just use my phone camera. but they all comes out washed out... i think figs deserve better. lol

pete

Right now I'm using an old point and shoot Canon. It no longer focuses that well. Would like a new one... Santa? You listening?  I will stick with another point and shoot. In the days of film, I had a nice Nikon, but it was large and there was always the worry of losing or dropping etc. Adore digital cameras!

I often enjoy a simple editing process with the program that came with the camera, though that can take a bit of time if you are in a rush. I don't do anything fancy, mainly just trimming, and sometimes increasing contrast if it makes something more clear.

I have a DSLR Nikon D5000. Love it. I don't really have many neat fig pics to show off since this is my first season with them. Lots of dog pics though ;)

Nichole, nice clear picture, nice dogs.

Er...  what's all that fluffy white stuff?

It's cold stuff that makes Seattle shut down like a ghost town after a couple of inches.

Love that picture of the dogs. My choc. labs will play in the snow all day.




luke

nikons are nice. used to have my father's nikon from 70s before everything went digital. took really nice pictures. too much hassel to use film now days.

talking about snow.. if it dusts here.. everything shuts down.

pete

Great dog shot!  I'm dying to get a good camera.  Had the $$ all saved up, was waiting for the bugs to be worked out of the D800/5D MK III and bam.  no new camera for me  :)

I use a Sony DSC-HX5 I've always used Sony but this one is the best I ever had although it is a small size camera they use the same screen and lens as there high dollar cameras it records videos with HD with stereo sound as well as GPS 

Olympus SP-500UZ 6 Mp. Basically a point and shoot, ,but has a full size body like and old style SLR, which makes it very easy to hold with one hand. I bought another one as a back-up a couple years ago because it is so comfortable in the hand, and if my old one ever dies, I would be lost. I had a Minolta full bore SLR type, but it was just too much wrk to keep track of all the setting and buttons, etc.  For a standard 640 x 480 picture, you use less than half a Mp, so at 6 Mp you have ten times the resolution needed for a web pix. Not that you can ever have too many pixels. Just gives you more to crop in Photoshop. It is more about the clarity of the optics, and the ease of holding and use. I really like the larger hand-grip and the ability to shoot with one hand. The way it fits into my hand, I is almost impossible to drop it.

iPhone4.  Not that my pics are awesome, though, so I doubt this was directed at me. ;)

Could everyone please put the price of the camera your using?

My Canon Power Shot A540 is so old I can only pic from small med or large as photo sizes. It is time for an update.

I think I paid a little more than $200 for my Olympus 590uz. I have one of those old powershots and it was such a huge difference. I like the super macro mode feature, it has a very long zoom too but needs a tripod for a clear shot. Olympus had a little scandal a few months ago and almost dissolved, I think the company has recovered though.

Here is a great site for looking at different camera models and samples of the photo quality they can create.

I have an Olympus FE310 - bought it a pawn shop for $50!  It has video plus 6 other settings including auto  8mg.  Has macro and super macro modes.

Nice photo JoAnn749- what variety of fig is that?

leon,

thanks for the link. beautiful pictures. i wish i can take pictures like that.

pete

Thanks Leon - I purchased it in Jan of this year and it was labeled Celeste.  There seems to be some debate over that - what a surprise!

Pete,

I use a discontinued Sony Cybershot DSC-H5 with a close up lens where applicable. If not that, then my camera phone. The H5 takes good natural light photographs but it is horrible for me in artificial or low light environments. I attached a few of my favorites using it: a passion flower, a fire ant, and an undetemined flowering weed.

Bon Appetit?...Interesting...I appreciate the encomia. I usually shoot for good bokeh (blurred background). Martin, Jon, and Bass take very good photos of figs. Their photos provided an excellent reference for me.

Wow JD!!  Looks like something in Nat Geo!    I wouldn't mind having them on my wall - maybe not the fire ant ;)

I also had a Sony P&S with great macro capabilities (it's why I bought it).  I could focus down to an inch with it, and it fit neatly into my pocket.



Unfortunately, it decided it didn't want to work properly anymore on my 2nd day in Hawaii and that was the end of that camera.  I bought another Sony (so I wouldn't need to buy a new card and since it has the Zeiss lens) in haste, but it does not have the same macro range.

Many years ago (while in college), I worked in a camera store which catered to photographers of every skill level.  This was from before digital into the dawn of the digital age.  I was asked on a daily basis which camera was "best".  My response was always the same "the best is relative."  If you are looking among the name brand cameras, comparable cameras are going to give you comparable results.  Seek out the cameras that have the features you are looking for, then go to the store and try them out.  Some will feel better in  your hands than others.  Some of the cameras layouts will be more intuitive to you.  Find the one that is a better fit for you rather than who says which one is best.  If the camera doesn't feel right, you're not so likely to use it.

The rest is a matter of practice and learning how to maximize the cameras capabilities.

~james

bump

Nikon D60.   (It's a DSLR).  I don't have a macro lens but want to get one.

Mike

I have two cameras that I have used for figs: Canon powershot A630 and a Nikon coolpix 885.  So far I haven't had good luck taking close-up photos of figs and I thought this was because neither camera was designed for taking good close ups.  For other purposes the cameras do very well.  However, others on this thread seem to be using similar types of cameras with good success.  The last time I used the Canon I used digital zoom in combination with the optical zoom and the results were so-so.  With the Nikon I've used the 'close-up' settings from the menu of possible scenes.  With both cameras I have trouble getting the camera to fully focus on close-up objects.  If anyone has any tips let me know.