Camera Techniques When Fishing?

[Poodroo]

Over the years as a fisherman I have not only learned that there is a lot to know about fishing itself but there is also a lot to know about photographing those special moments and that there is a lot of difference between taking an ordinary snap shot and a remarkable photo. With the technology continually advancing we have at our disposal an amazing variety of digital cameras that represent good value and while some are better quality than others they all have the potential to take amazing photos.

I don't consider myself to be an expert in photography by any stretch of the imagination but my basic knowledge to capture a reasonable shot of my fishing exploits is okay by most standards so I thought I would share with you what it is that I do to capture my photos.

First of all the camera I use is an Olympus MJu750 which is a sleak little compact camera best suited to taking in the boat because it is splash proof so it is not going to get ruined if it gets wet. It features a 5 x optical zoom, 7.1 megapixels, manual settings, wide lcd screen, stability control and much much more.

The main thing which is useful to me is the ability to imagine the photo before I take it. Recently I did a fishing trip to Mud Island following Scalem in his boat and upon arrival at Mud we were greeted by quite a pleasant sunrise. I envisaged the sillouette of Scalem's boat against the sunrise so got the camera ready and accelerated to get alongside him to take the shot. This was the result which I find is pretty amazing for a budget camera.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t315/Poodroo/P8300014.jpg

The camera has a manual setting for sunrise and sunsets which I use a lot for this type of shot but being able to imagine the shot before taking it is very helpful. Most cameras are capable of capturing such a photo.
Most often I see photos taken of prize fish and in my way of thinking if the fish is worthy of a photo then it is worthwhile putting some simple techniques in to taking the photo to have that moment captured.
Things to consider include :-
1/ Making sure no shadows impair the shot ie: Have the sun in a position that doesn't cast a shadow on the fish or subject.
2/ Make sure you line the horizon up so that it is straight howver if you take a good shot with a crooked horizon all is not lost because you can rotate the photo when you get home using Paintshop Pro or Photoshop to name a couple.
3/ Most cameras have an automatic setting so you can just aim a shoot however I always half press the shutter to allow the camera to focus itself first on the subject to avoid getting out of focus shots.
4/ Always make sure that whoever is holding their catch for a photo is holding the fish in a good side on profile. Many shots are taken with the fish angled backwards so that you see more of it's underside rather than the whole fish.

Anyway there are a lot more things to consider but thought I would leave it open to any of you who feel like sharing what it is that you do when taking nice shots. There are great photographers amongst us like Kingtin who might like to share some knowledge so that we can all see more amazing results of peoples' fishing trips caught on camera. Here's just a few more of my favourite photos that I have captured in the past.

Scalem holding up a nice Snapper caught at Mud Island recently.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t315/Poodroo/MudSnap260708.jpg

Scalem holding up a nice Jew caught in the Pin a couple of months ago.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t315/Poodroo/P6140011.jpg

Another magical sunrise at Mud Island.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t315/Poodroo/P6060008.jpg

A bit of a nature shot taken on one of our 4wd M&G's earlier this year.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t315/Poodroo/P2230023.jpg

Still probably my favourite photo of a sunrise taken at Wello last year.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t315/Poodroo/P7290016.jpg

Not a photo taken by me but rather one my uncle snapped of me holding a yellow tail kingfish I caught off Cape Moreton. He is largely responsible for giving me a lot of tips on taking photos when fishing. Note how straight he gets the horizon in the background.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t315/Poodroo/YTKingfish12-9-07.jpg

Well that's about it from me. Just thought it would be a good topic seeing as most of us take photos of our moments on the water or even when fishing on land. Feel free to share your knowledge with us. I am keen to hear and see what you lot are doing with your camera techniques. If possible also let us know what camera gear you are using. Thanks.

Regards,

Poodroo

P.S. If you have a favourite fishing photo feel free to post it up and share it. I would love to see it as would many other members I'm sure.

[Poodroo]

Decided to post up an example of a poor quality photo that I would have ordinarily discarded however used it as an example of what can be achieved with an ordinary shot and Paintshop Pro (My prefered editing program). Note the original photo is dark and the horizon background is crooked. The result in the end after editing is much better.

Original

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t315/Poodroo/ScalemMud.jpg

Copy of the same photo after using Paintshop Pro.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t315/Poodroo/CopyofScalemMud.jpg


Poodroo

[webby]

I personnelly go out to fish, the camera is just to point at things and click the button.
None of this poseing stuff involved, just point click and throw the next bait out, if what i pointed at comes out so be it.
regards

[HIGH and DRY]

some good info there andrew!!

I have the next model up to your camera, but essentially the same, and its fantastic!
Those sunset and sunrise pics make for some great screensavers on nice big computer screen!!.
I seem to have a lot more scenery pics rather than fish pics though,
maybe i should take webby's advise and spend more time fishing!!!:P

pete

[146C]

Photography has played a big part in my life.

One of the first things from the many I learnt is the rule of thirds which I believe can often make an image more interesting .

This is where you imagine a grid in your viewfinder or LCD screen when composing the photo bit like a tic tac toe grid. Some cameras already have this feature built n.

Place you main subject on one of the intersecting lines(focal points) and use the horizontal lines for the horizon in sunsets etc.

Also using the cameras Shutter Priority and Aperture Priorty setting will allow you to be more creative.

For example in Aperture Priority you could say select an Fstop of F4 for example so you have less depth of fied(less in focus) this would have the effect of the subject in focus but the background out of focus being less distracting. Of course this also depends on other factors such as focal length of lens and distance of background from subject.

However what works for one photo may not work for the next.

Poo is right re images from most budget digital cameras or most average images can quickly be transformed using Photoshop, Adobe Elements or Paintshop Pro into a fantastic looking Sharp contrasty photos. You can even at boarders to your pics.

One other thing I do is after an outing with the family I will put a selecton of images together of the outing into digital slideshow program with transitions, text and music burn it to DVD which can be kept for many years and makes interesting viewing.

I currently use a Canon 20D DSLR.

Cheers,

Dave

Ps Attached are a few of my photos.

[the gecko]

That software makes it look like the boats have been cut and pasted in. Both scalems fish look like theyve been pasted in, yet I know they havent....
did you use the software on the fish shots?

Good topic tho , Id like to improve my shots.

Andrew

[Poodroo]

some good info there andrew!!

I have the next model up to your camera, but essentially the same, and its fantastic!
Those sunset and sunrise pics make for some great screensavers on nice big computer screen!!.
I seem to have a lot more scenery pics rather than fish pics though,
maybe i should take webby's advise and spend more time fishing!!!:P

pete

Thanks Pete. Those Olympus cameras are really good value I reckon. Always worth taking on a fishing trip.


Photography has played a big part in my life.

One of the first things from the many I learnt is the rule of thirds which I believe can often make an image more interesting .

This is where you imagine a grid in your viewfinder or LCD screen when composing the photo bit like a tic tac toe grid. Some cameras already have this feature built n.

Place you main subject on one of the intersecting lines(focal points) and use the horizontal lines for the horizon in sunsets etc.

Also using the cameras Shutter Priority and Aperture Priorty setting will allow you to be more creative.

For example in Aperture Priority you could say select an Fstop of F4 for example so you have less depth of fied(less in focus) this would have the effect of the subject in focus but the background out of focus being less distracting. Of course this also depends on other factors such as focal length of lens and distance of background from subject.

However what works for one photo may not work for the next.

Poo is right re images from most budget digital cameras or most average images can quickly be transformed into a fantastic looking Sharp contrasty photos. You can even at boarders to your pics.

One other thing I do is after an outing with the family I will put a selecton of images together of the outing into digital slideshow program with transitions, text and music burn it to DVD which can be kept for many years and makes interesting viewing.

I currently use a Canon 20D DSLR.

Cheers,

Dave

Ps Attached are a few of my photos.

Dave thanks for sharing those amazing photos. I too am a big fan of the SLR digital cameras however they are above my budget at the moment and even if I owned one I'd be afraid of getting it wet out there which is where the little MJu750 comes in. Perfect for the job. Doing those slide shows with music accompanyment is good fun too.


That software makes it look like the boats have been cut and pasted in. Both scalems fish look like theyve been pasted in, yet I know they havent....
did you use the software on the fish shots?

Good topic tho , Id like to improve my shots.

Andrew

Andrew the problem that you are pointing out is not so much the photo editing program but rather one of the only camera limitations. It is only a 5 x optical zoom and when you zoom in too far the camera tends to make the picture become a little pixelated and grainy. When you use the photo editing program to enhance it then you also start to enhance the grainy pixels along with it. A better quality camera with 20 x optical zoom will get rid of that problem. I guess the real trick also is to know your camera's limitations. If it doesn't have such a strong zoom then move closer to the subject.

Cheers,

Poodroo

[kingtin]

That software makes it look like the boats have been cut and pasted in. Both scalems fish look like theyve been pasted in, yet I know they havent....
did you use the software on the fish shots?

Good topic tho , Id like to improve my shots.

Andrew

I think that could be down to how they've been sharpened, although I may be wrong.

When you use some sites to host your pics, and then link them into another site, for some reason I have noticed that some seem to increase the edge sharpness (where one coloured pixel butts up to another of a different colour). This often makes the edges more pronounced, hence the "cut & paste" feeling to the image. If you really have to sharpen your image, do it only once, and then, as your final touch before saving.

kev

[PinHead]

I use a Canon EOS300D..point, click and download..never bother trying to alter the pic. I take pics for the moment...for my memories...not so much for anything else .
Took 98 pics on Saturday morning and most of them are brilliant..not because of the quality of the pics but for the subject matter.

[146C]

Andrew the problem that you are pointing out is not so much the photo editing program but rather one of the only camera limitations. It is only a 5 x optical zoom and when you zoom in too far the camera tends to make the picture become a little pixelated and grainy. When you use the photo editing program to enhance it then you also start to enhance the grainy pixels along with it. A better quality camera with 20 x optical zoom will get rid of that problem. I guess the real trick also is to know your camera's limitations. If it doesn't have such a strong zoom then move closer to the subject.

Cheers,

Poodroo


Also the higher the ISO the grainier the image becomes.
Particularly noticeable when cropping and enlarging an image.
Always try to use the lowest ISO you can.

Cheers,

Dave

[Volvo]

Nice Pics and good subject with the keen photographers comming out of the woodwork lol..So much advice can be passed along and so much learnt if your keen enough and a willing listener:)..
Talking of Lens, SlR's and from an amature level :) ..Some of the best advice i think is worthwile is to play and learn the limits of not only your camera but your lens and each Lens's sweet spot..
Watching the Bee Movie with the Grandchildren the other day and after taking what Pics i could of the Grandkids i started playing around with my 50mm f1.4 primes without flash at variouse appatures see how they performed at each setting.. Took a Pic of the plasma with the Movie playing trying not to get too much reflection in the shot and here's the result of the shot..Had to do a quick resize via irfanviewe so cant see a full viewe of the Pic but for me it was impressive..
Far as sharpening is concerned there are variouse ways depending on the pic and a little less is better than too much for reasons previousely pointed out..
Cheers

[Cammy]

I got the Olympus MJU 850sw, i got it too improve shots when im fishing,
Aquariums and in General. Great little camera with 24 different Camera Modes and has the Panorama Mode where you join photos together, you also got Face Detection and Auto Zoom thingy. Also if you get the 2G memory you can house over 1,000 pics and video memory is in the 30min mark.:o

I actually havent been fishing since i got the camera several weeks ago so i still gotta try it out for fishing shots. But i have been taking tank shots and they come out pretty good, you can see all the detail and colours. I'll attach some shots i have done and i recon they are pretty good with detail.

Thnx to all the members who recommended the Olympus series of Cameras to me:)

The pic in my sig is a Jungle Prch i took with the Camera on Underwater Macro Mode, shows detail and the beauty of these magnificent fish. The pic has no editing at all, i did try to edit it but it actually wrecked the pic rather than make it look better.;)

To look at some of the videos this Camera takeshave a look in my utube account at the recent vids.http://www.youtube.com/user/TheFishGuy011

Cammy

[Nic]

Those photos look great Poodroo, thank you for sharing. Dave your photos are beautiful, too.

I still have my photography training wheels on, but one thing I do appreciate is that you don't have to fuss around for ages to get a good pic or two. It can take surprisingly little time and effort, so I figure -- why not? Whether it's a photo of the waterway, a fish coming to the boat, a pic of you with your rod bent double... they all remind you of the happiness and pleasure you felt on that trip. :)

I don't know which of my photos is my favourite but I am fond of this one of a nannygai (this is a cropped version). It's the first of my underwater photos that actually 'worked', most of the others came out with just a nose, a fin or a tail. ::)

Our camera is a 12.1 megapixel Canon PowerShot G9 with a waterproof housing. It's OK but I don't know that I would recommend it wholeheartedly, it's not an SLR and after shooting underwater you have to wipe the front of the housing before taking any more photos. That, or take the housing off.

It is handy for wading though, you just wear it around your neck and take snaps as you go, and it doesn't matter if you slip and fall in. I tend to do that quite a lot! ;D

[kingtin]

That's a good tip from Volvo and one which often is overlooked. Each lens has a "sweet spot" mine are all around f8 or f11 so I mainly shoot in aperture priority with the camera/lens set at f11. Ther are other considerations of course, such as how much dpth of field you requiore so there will be occasions such as landscape shots, where you may have to set the aperture at something less than optimal.

You can google your camera's name (if it's a compact) with the word "review" and if you're lucky, some techy site may have reviewed your camera and the review will mention the lens sweet spot. Failing that, you can take a shot of a test card or similar, from the same position and in the same light with your camera set to all the different apertures available..............you should then be able to see which pic is the best, if you have a reasonable monitor.

I'm, by no means an expert but if there's a question that I may be able to answer, feel free to throw it out.

I'll post these pics, mqainly as an indicator that all is not lost if the weather is crap. Even pics on a dull day can be enhanced and if it's one of those days when your brain reads grey featureless skies, then all is not what it seems. ther are actually clouds there and features that your brain has no need for and hence, doesn't recognise but those features can be brought out fairly simply in many cases with the use of software.

It is not "cheating" as some purists may think. Photos have always been manipulated by dodging and burning in the darkroom..............think of photoshop and other software as your darkroom and you can rescue some shots that are dull and lifeless.

Josh (KIngcobe) posted some pics of an ausfishers travels so here's a few of mine. The weather was crap but nearly all my pics were "rescued" in one way or another.

Here it was dull and rainy (hence the haze/spray from the waterfall)...........a trout fisherman

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/bidkev/1482467-1-dedication.jpg

Coarse Fisherman.............his reflection adds to the image

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/bidkev/1420917-1-patience.jpg

Coarse Fisherman..............grey skies and rain but managed to pull some detail into the clouds

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/bidkev/1424507-1-at-peace.jpg

Coarse Fisherman getting his prioroties right ;D

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/bidkev/1444137-1-getting-his-priorities-ri.jpg

look around you............you never know what's over that hedge

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/bidkev/1528998-1-over-the-hedgerow.jpg

All the pics below are of sea lochs in scotland that I used to fish when I lived in the UK.......we used to catch atlantic cod to 35lb till the trawlers moved in. The first one illustrates that even with rain and fog, you can still make something of a shot.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/bidkev/1462289-1-castle-moil-kyleakin-isle.jpghttp://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/bidkev/1417104-1-across-the-loch.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/bidkev/1439714-2-the-red-roof.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/bidkev/1468811-1-beyond-the-trees.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/bidkev/1473003-1-loch-broome.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/bidkev/1490037-2-kyle-of-durness.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/bidkev/1447744-1-torridon-fishermen.jpg

[Nic]

Those are beautiful Kingtin, it's like a travel catalogue!

[kingtin]

Those are beautiful Kingtin, it's like a travel catalogue!

Thanks Nic, as my sig says, they're free to ausfishers. Buyers pay $160 for a framed print at 20x16.

If an ausfisher is looking for a unique gift for someone, why not a nice large priint? Rather than pay mega bucks, take a look, if any ausfishers like something, let me know, and I can send a digital copy which you can print out at hardly normals or somewhere else and then frame it yourself for a fraction of the cost................it's just a hobby to me, although I do make a few bob occasionally :D

I'm updating all the time and hope to get a few more Aussie flavours soon.

Next tip coming soon........... with regards to those 20x16 and bigger prints from small megapixel cameras

kev

[Poodroo]

Kev you never disappoint when it comes to photography mate. Those photos are truly a step above all else and fall into the "Art" category. You know your stuff. I assume you will be taking the camera on your holiday?
Thanks to all who have contributed to the thread. It's a good topic I thought.

Poodroo

[Poodroo]

I got the Olympus MJU 850sw, i got it too improve shots when im fishing,
Aquariums and in General. Great little camera with 24 different Camera Modes and has the Panorama Mode where you join photos together, you also got Face Detection and Auto Zoom thingy. Also if you get the 2G memory you can house over 1,000 pics and video memory is in the 30min mark.:o

I actually havent been fishing since i got the camera several weeks ago so i still gotta try it out for fishing shots. But i have been taking tank shots and they come out pretty good, you can see all the detail and colours. I'll attach some shots i have done and i recon they are pretty good with detail.

Thnx to all the members who recommended the Olympus series of Cameras to me:)

The pic in my sig is a Jungle Prch i took with the Camera on Underwater Macro Mode, shows detail and the beauty of these magnificent fish. The pic has no editing at all, i did try to edit it but it actually wrecked the pic rather than make it look better.;)

To look at some of the videos this Camera takeshave a look in my utube account at the recent vids.http://www.youtube.com/user/TheFishGuy011

Cammy
Cammy I am glad you listened when you were asking for advice on which compact to buy. I hope you find the Olympus serves you as well as mine has done.

Cheers,

Poodroo

[imnotoriginal]

Great topic. I can understand Webby's point of view, but I think a nice pic can really make a trip for me. It's all well and good to say "I got a big bream that day" or "great day on the water and the fish were biting" but having a few really good photos just adds to the day. I'd prefer a few photos where some thought and effort was put in than a whole hard drive of point and shoots.
Joel
p.s. great photos Kev and that's a nice underwater snap Nic!

[Dug]

;D I make a living from photography and have for the last 30 odd years.

The rules ?

There are no rules ;D

Compacts are fine for most work now The new underwater compacts are just amazing.

One hint for compacts is look at everything in the frame or on the screen, lots of people concentrate on what they are looking at ( fish or boat ) and forget what the background looks like. Check the whole picture before pushing the button.


If you have an SLR styled camera BUY A POLARIZING FILTER and learn how to use it !!

They make an amazing difference.

last hint

Take lots of photos, look at lots of photos, look at the photos in fishing mags and think "Why does that look good" then look at your photos and think "OK what should I do different?"


photography can be a lot of fun and can give you really good memories and stories, it is worth a little effort to get the best results.;)


http://www.silverimagephotos.com.au/

you can judge if I know anything about photography ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[ronnien]

doug,

i have heard that a photo tells a thousand words, mate yours tells me 1... UNREAL!!!
just by going through & having a good look at them is going to be a big big help.

ron.

[Poodroo]

Dug I am glad I have people like yourself and Kev making me feel humbled about my photographic capabilities. It makes me want to go out and invest a lot of money in my photographic equipment and then spend just as much in lessons on how to use them properly. Thanks for contributing to the thread. Perhaps we need someone with your expertise to run a Photo Workshop M&G in the future. Should be fun and informative.

Poodroo

[kingtin]

2 lots of tips:


Shooting and saving:

If your camera can shoot in RAW, always shoot in RAW. The disadvantage is that they are big files but now that memory cards are a lot cheaper, there's no reason not to.

Why RAW? RAW is just that.............it's the Raw information that your camera captures without any in camera processing. When you shoot in jpeg, the camera processes the image the way that it's microprocessor has been programmed to. 95% of the time, it will average out pretty well, but if you want control over your image, and want to "develop" it in your digital darkroom the way that you would like, then RAW is the go. After you process your RAW image, you can save it as a tiff, jpeg or any number of different files, but jpeg and tiff are the main ones.

What have you got against jpeg? This is really important as most folk new to photography don't know about this....have you ever noticed over a period of time that a once nice looking digital pic is now looking a bit shabby?......jpegs are a means to an end............they are the finished product that most "labs" expect your files (photos) to be in when they are "developed". The problem with jpegs is that they degrade every time you save them............they throw away a little bit of info each time they are saved. If you are going to work on them.........straighten a horizon, crop, sharpen, or otherwise change them in any way, then do that all in one session and then save, and always save at the highest quality your software will allow. If you crop and save, you will lose a little bit of detail. If you then re-open it at a later date, and decide it needs sharpening and then save it again, you will lose a bit more detail. Avoid major calamities by making a copy and working on that...............don't touch the original unless you have a calamity with the copy. You can also save as a tiff as these don't degrade when you save them, although they are a bigger file...........I have 3 copies of all my pics.........the original RAW, a tiff, and the jpeg which is the completed (developed) "neg" ready for printing.

If your camera doesn't shoot in RAW, then don't worry as long as you observe the rule to work on your jpeg all in one go and only save once.


Those megapixels and what to do if you ain't got 'em:

There is a lot of attention given to how many megs your camera can record and it is generally considered that the more the merrier and this is generally so. If you haven't got an adequate zoom lens and from the sidelines you shoot (with a standard lens) your kiddy playing footy, then you will likely have a large playing field with a tiny kiddy in the middle of it. You can correct this by cropping out the field and enlarging your kiddy to a standard size image (say 6x4). If you do this, you will also be enlarging any imperfections, and pixelation can also occur (you can see the pixels). If you had a 10 meg camera, the faults would not show as much as a camera of lesser megs, so generally it can be seen that the more megs the better when it comes to cropping and enlarging

So is all hope lost for those with only a 3 meg camera if they want to crop and enlarge?.............Contrary to what camera salesmen may tell you, no it is not. I have seen a picture enlarged to poster size from a 2meg camera and could hardly tell the difference from a 10 meg. There are programmes such as Genuine Fractals that can upsize better than photoshop but considering it's cost, you might as well try and buy a camera of higher meg. If you have photoshop and a low meg camera, you can upsize your image but if for example, you wanted an image twice the size, to frame and hang on your wall, do not simply double it...........increase it in 10% steps or less and the finished product will be much better than doing it all in one go. Of course, upsizing is no substitute for more megs but it is a way of getting say a 6meg pic from a 3 meg pic with little loss of resolution. If the pic is sub-standard in any way, it won't improve it............upsizing is simply a way of creating a file that will print larger than the camera manufacturer recommends.

If I've lost you on the above, feel free to ask what you aren't clear on, or pm me.

kev

[kingtin]

;D

photography can be a lot of fun and can give you really good memories and stories, it is worth a little effort to get the best results.;)



Dug, I remember when I was pretty much new to the site, there were some amazing marlin shots on here and I'm thinking that they were yours if I remember rightly? If they were, could you put a few up for the newer members as they were bloody gold mate and put the viewer right in on the action.

kev

[kingtin]

I assume you will be taking the camera on your holiday?

Poodroo

Probably just the 3meg fujifinepix mate.............good enough for vermin pics ;D

kev

[Nic]

For anyone who hasn't seen the Catch photos in the Saltwater Fishing Photos section, here is a link: http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?t=137772

The pics are from a US magazine, they're amazing!

[Poodroo]

2 lots of tips:


Shooting and saving:

If your camera can shoot in RAW, always shoot in RAW. The disadvantage is that they are big files but now that memory cards are a lot cheaper, there's no reason not to.

Why RAW? RAW is just that.............it's the Raw information that your camera captures without any in camera processing. When you shoot in jpeg, the camera processes the image the way that it's microprocessor has been programmed to. 95% of the time, it will average out pretty well, but if you want control over your image, and want to "develop" it in your digital darkroom the way that you would like, then RAW is the go. After you process your RAW image, you can save it as a tiff, jpeg or any number of different files, but jpeg and tiff are the main ones.

What have you got against jpeg? This is really important as most folk new to photography don't know about this....have you ever noticed over a period of time that a once nice looking digital pic is now looking a bit shabby?......jpegs are a means to an end............they are the finished product that most "labs" expect your files (photos) to be in when they are "developed". The problem with jpegs is that they degrade every time you save them............they throw away a little bit of info each time they are saved. If you are going to work on them.........straighten a horizon, crop, sharpen, or otherwise change them in any way, then do that all in one session and then save, and always save at the highest quality your software will allow. If you crop and save, you will lose a little bit of detail. If you then re-open it at a later date, and decide it needs sharpening and then save it again, you will lose a bit more detail. Avoid major calamities by making a copy and working on that...............don't touch the original unless you have a calamity with the copy. You can also save as a tiff as these don't degrade when you save them, although they are a bigger file...........I have 3 copies of all my pics.........the original RAW, a tiff, and the jpeg which is the completed (developed) "neg" ready for printing.

If your camera doesn't shoot in RAW, then don't worry as long as you observe the rule to work on your jpeg all in one go and only save once.


Those megapixels and what to do if you ain't got 'em:

There is a lot of attention given to how many megs your camera can record and it is generally considered that the more the merrier and this is generally so. If you haven't got an adequate zoom lens and from the sidelines you shoot (with a standard lens) your kiddy playing footy, then you will likely have a large playing field with a tiny kiddy in the middle of it. You can correct this by cropping out the field and enlarging your kiddy to a standard size image (say 6x4). If you do this, you will also be enlarging any imperfections, and pixelation can also occur (you can see the pixels). If you had a 10 meg camera, the faults would not show as much as a camera of lesser megs, so generally it can be seen that the more megs the better when it comes to cropping and enlarging

So is all hope lost for those with only a 3 meg camera if they want to crop and enlarge?.............Contrary to what camera salesmen may tell you, no it is not. I have seen a picture enlarged to poster size from a 2meg camera and could hardly tell the difference from a 10 meg. There are programmes such as Genuine Fractals that can upsize better than photoshop but considering it's cost, you might as well try and buy a camera of higher meg. If you have photoshop and a low meg camera, you can upsize your image but if for example, you wanted an image twice the size, to frame and hang on your wall, do not simply double it...........increase it in 10% steps or less and the finished product will be much better than doing it all in one go. Of course, upsizing is no substitute for more megs but it is a way of getting say a 6meg pic from a 3 meg pic with little loss of resolution. If the pic is sub-standard in any way, it won't improve it............upsizing is simply a way of creating a file that will print larger than the camera manufacturer recommends.

If I've lost you on the above, feel free to ask what you aren't clear on, or pm me.

kev

Kev I appreciate this valuable information that you have shared. You're a wealth of knowledge on this subject. Thanks.

Poodroo

[MattChew]

Good Post Andrew, I have a Canon 300D and would like to use some sort of Tripod in my Boat ... to take pictures of all the Double Hookups obviously;D but seriously if I am Fishing on my own, I want a picture that is not on a Brag Mat or similar. I have just purchased a remote and was thinking of having mount in the boat which I can just attach the Camera to a pole ... a tripod would be a bit of a pain to get out, set up etc don't you think?

Thanks
Matt

[Poodroo]

Good Post Andrew, I have a Canon 300D and would like to use some sort of Tripod in my Boat ... to take pictures of all the Double Hookups obviously;D but seriously if I am Fishing on my own, I want a picture that is not on a Brag Mat or similar. I have just purchased a remote and was thinking of having mount in the boat which I can just attach the Camera to a pole ... a tripod would be a bit of a pain to get out, set up etc don't you think?

Thanks
Matt

Thanks Matt. Most tripods have that little mount that you mount onto the bottom of your camera. Just leave it permenantly fixed to the bottom of the camera when you head out and that way when required all you need to do is simply extend the tripod and clip the camera onto it. Put the camera on self timer and hopefully it is set up in the right position. I tend to look at the viewing screen first and do a practise photo first then snap off a couple more shots just to have the pick of them to keep.

Poodroo

[kingtin]

Hi Matt,

These are the bees knees:

6EIrCecCwv8


You can wrap 'em round your bimini, a hand rail, or even the handle on an esky. A tripod in a boat is a no-no if there's any swell or wash................you're just settling down with fish in one hand, and a remote in the other, and Mr White Deck Shoes swans past in his Riviera...............over goes your tripod and smash goes your camera.

There are copies of these at a fraction of the price on ebay but you get what you pay for and the Joby original does the job perfectly.

kev

[MattChew]

Thanks Matt. Most tripods have that little mount that you mount onto the bottom of your camera. Just leave it permenantly fixed to the bottom of the camera when you head out and that way when required all you need to do is simply extend the tripod and clip the camera onto it. Put the camera on self timer and hopefully it is set up in the right position. I tend to look at the viewing screen first and do a practise photo first then snap off a couple more shots just to have the pick of them to keep.

Poodroo

Only problem is I do not have a "Live Image" on the screen, I can only look through the viewfinder. My Idea was to measure from a fixed point and set the Focal Length to where I would be sitting. I like the idea of a remote so I don't have to keep putting the fish down ... a quick 4 or 5 snaps and back they go. I think a polarising filter would be the go after reading up on them. Maybe I need to do a photography course:o

Ta
Matt

[MattChew]

Hi Matt,

You can wrap 'em round your bimini, a hand rail, or even the handle on an esky. A tripod in a boat is a no-no if there's any swell or wash................you're just settling down with fish in one hand, and a remote in the other, and Mr White Deck Shoes swans past in his Riviera...............over goes your tripod and smash goes your camera.

There are copies of these at a fraction of the price on ebay but you get what you pay for and the Joby original does the job perfectly.

kev

Thanks Kev, They look pretty swish. Do you think if I had a fixed location i.e a Pole at a fixed height with a quick mount plate for the Camera it would work? I really want to clip the Camera on select my pre determined setting and click my remote????

Ta
Matt

[kingtin]

Thanks Kev, They look pretty swish. Do you think if I had a fixed location i.e a Pole at a fixed height with a quick mount plate for the Camera it would work? I really want to clip the Camera on select my pre determined setting and click my remote????

Ta
Matt

Matt, I'm not quite sure what you mean but if it's a bright day you simply set the camera to aperture priority and set a large f number such as f16, focus on where you are going to be sitting and then use your remote. Even if the camera doesn't focus exactly on you (the eyes should be the point of focus) the high f stop will be enough to ensure that you will be in focus.

Of course, on a dull day the slower shutter speed (if you've set a high f stop), may not be enough to freeze any rocking of the boat but you overcome this by setting a higher iso.........I always shoot at 100 and rarely go above 400..........The new image stabilised lenses are great for allowing you to shoot at lower shutter speeds and I can get decent shots even at 1/10 sec hand held..........they do not compensate for subject movement though, only your movement of the camera as you press the shutter.


The latest cameras, such as my deckie's lumix, now have face recognition and they will recognise a face..........even in a landscape, (believe it or not) :o and use that as the point of focus. It's not foolpropf but they work most of the time which is why they are great for the task you are talking about.........the lone photographer who wants to take a pic of themselves. Simply point the camera towards where you will be, move into position and use the remote. The camera will then recognise your face in the overall scene and focus on that.

kev

[kingtin]

Only problem is I do not have a "Live Image" on the screen, I can only look through the viewfinder. My Idea was to measure from a fixed point and set the Focal Length to where I would be sitting. I like the idea of a remote so I don't have to keep putting the fish down ... a quick 4 or 5 snaps and back they go. I think a polarising filter would be the go after reading up on them. Maybe I need to do a photography course:o

Ta
Matt

Matt, there's tons of free tutorials online, without you spending hard earned bucks............there's one going on now ;D thanks to Poodroo :-*

Polarisers are great for enhancing colour and reducing flare, but they do reduce some light to your meter (around 2 stops) which means that unless it's a really bright day, which it normally is in Qld, you won't be able to get those small f stops that I've talked about in my other response. It shouldnt be a problem though on an average summer day. IMHO, they also do a far better job of reducing that blue haze that you see on a hot day, than a UV filter but they are considerably dearer............and cheap is nasty..........go for the best. Your bog standard camera shop don't stock these, as they make more mark up on the cheaper ones, but look at Hoya super HMC Pro 1. I know a wholesale outlet that sells these at not much dearer than the price that a camera shop would charge you for a standard Hoya. They also sell other gear (canon Nikon etc) cheaper than some of the stuff that comes from Hong Kong and they have just opened an outlet in brizzy so you can save on postage too. PM me if you want details.

kev

[slyman]

The latest cameras, such as my deckie's lumix, now have face recognition and they will recognise a face..........even in a landscape, (believe it or not)kev

So Kev, would that camera pick out the face-like features in this pic? Look just to the right of the smoke plume. I took this on my sisters Canon 510 while on holiday in Vanuatu, its at the top of Mt Yassur, an active volcano that you can stand on the rim of and get shots like this. Apparently you can do a night time flight over it but I didn't have that kind of money.

Incidentally, how do I include pictures in my posts like you guys have without having to attach them? Do I have to save them to photobucket or flickr or something like that or can I use them straight from my hard drive? A bit off topic, sorry.

[kingtin]

So Kev, would that camera pick out the face-like features in this pic? Look just to the right of the smoke plume. I took this on my sisters Canon 510 while on holiday in Vanuatu, its at the top of Mt Yassur, an active volcano that you can stand on the rim of and get shots like this. Apparently you can do a night time flight over it but I didn't have that kind of money.

Incidentally, how do I include pictures in my posts like you guys have without having to attach them? Do I have to save them to photobucket or flickr or something like that or can I use them straight from my hard drive? A bit off topic, sorry.

Wouldn't think so Simon.............that's a spooky pic.............looks like one of those US presidents carved into the canyon in the US.

Yeah, upload your pics to photobucket and simply copy the image code on each pic and paste to your posts.

Edit: mate, that's even spookier...........when I look at the full size image I see the left side of a face, facing left, but when I look at the small image in your post, I see a face looking slightly towards the right. :o

kev

[Poodroo]

Yeah I can see the face in that photo too. Spooky alright. He needed a bit of a haircut though.::) ;D

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t315/Poodroo/volcano062028Custom29.jpg

[Poodroo]

Kev at one stage I was contemplating investing in a Sony SLR digital camera. What are your thoughts on them? I have been a fan of Sony for a long time. Do they have polarizing lenses in them? I wanted something just a bit better than the Olympus for nature shots etc but would still use the Olympus when in the boat to avoid damage to the more espensive camera should it cop salt water spray in poor conditions. I also had a look at the Olympus and cannot see anywhere or read anywhere that suggests that it will allow me to shoot in RAW. Do many camera's in the compact range have this option? Maybe I am not looking hard enough?

Poodroo

[MattChew]

I'm learning lots with this ... it's good!!! I'm going to sort out a fixed Mono Pod type thing and do some experiments. Also sent you a PM Kev. Keep it going people.

Ta
Matt

[Volvo]

Doug, me ole mate:) , glad ta see ya back onboard ..See this topic is gunna spike up the ole Forums a tad ;) ..
Kev mentioning using Raw if your camera supports it cannot be overstressed as like he sez, that shooting in raw format you have all the infomation at hand without any lost info through compression..Though a photo editor akin to photoshop or paint shop pro that supports raw editing is neccasary.
Ide like to also add that your greatest ally with your camera is your Histogram or at least in my opinion it is.. Near every pic i take i have a squizz at the histogram n go from there or at least it gives me an idea if any of my shadows or highlights are blown and the need to adjust up or down..
KEEP EM Comming:D ..
Okay add acoupla of me own if i may:-[..

[kingtin]

Kev at one stage I was contemplating investing in a Sony SLR digital camera. What are your thoughts on them? I have been a fan of Sony for a long time. Do they have polarizing lenses in them? I wanted something just a bit better than the Olympus for nature shots etc but would still use the Olympus when in the boat to avoid damage to the more espensive camera should it cop salt water spray in poor conditions. I also had a look at the Olympus and cannot see anywhere or read anywhere that suggests that it will allow me to shoot in RAW. Do many camera's in the compact range have this option? Maybe I am not looking hard enough?

Poodroo


Mate, this is the best site for reviews:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Sony/

Each brand have their lemons so you really need to sieve through heaps to find what you're after.personal preference plays a big part. having a digital slr I Could never go back to a non dig. for one, i can't see the bloody screen ::) and for two, i hat that way the image freezes at the moment you press the shutter.

Of the non-slr's I like the panasonic lumix's for their Carl Zeiss lenses and the fujis for value for money, but all brands have their beauts and their lemons. Sony are good though.

My fuji finepix is 5 yr old and that shoots in raw soi I'm guessing nearly all do. This site will give you the specs though, and whether they do or not.

kev

[Poodroo]

Mate, this is the best site for reviews:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Sony/

Each brand have their lemons so you really need to sieve through heaps to find what you're after.personal preference plays a big part. having a digital slr I Could never go back to a non dig. for one, i can't see the bloody screen ::) and for two, i hat that way the image freezes at the moment you press the shutter.

Of the non-slr's I like the panasonic lumix's for their Carl Zeiss lenses and the fujis for value for money, but all brands have their beauts and their lemons. Sony are good though.

My fuji finepix is 5 yr old and that shoots in raw soi I'm guessing nearly all do. This site will give you the specs though, and whether they do or not.

kev

Well thanks again Kev and Volvo. I too am learning heaps here and I am glad I started this thread now. Awesome that you are all contributing to it.

Cheers,

Poodroo

[MattChew]

Just ordered my IR remote for a grand total of $7.90 delivered to my door ... Thanks Kev. Will get my Filter tomorrow and see how I go ... I'll post up some general pics if they turn out okay ... I retouch for a living so it's a win win either way. I must say that the quality of images I'm seeing is pretty special.

Thanks
Matt

[kingtin]

Do they have polarizing lenses in them?

Poodroo

Sorry, I forgot this bit Poo.

No, polarisers are filters that screw onto the front of your lens. There are basically two types..........linear, and circular. Circular doesn't refer to the shape but to the fact that it won't interfere with your camera's metering system, so for cameras with through the lens metering............which is most, you need a circular. There are also filters and filters...........the higher the price, generally the better the coating on the filter. If you decide to buy one I will clue you up on the best for your camera.

Back to you thinking about DSLR........I've researched a lot and I think I've got the best prices to be had, if you go down that track.

Regarding my deckies 18xzoom :o panasonic lumix............retail outlets in brizzy were asking 200 bucks more than I got it off ebay from an Asian dealer in Perth via ebay...........it came with an international warranty and a free polariser and UV.worth over 100 bucks.........any wonder Aussie business ain't competing? ::) research can save you a lot of bucks.;)

kev

[Poodroo]

Sorry, I forgot this bit Poo.

No, polarisers are filters that screw onto the front of your lens. There are basically two types..........linear, and circular. Circular doesn't refer to the shape but to the fact that it won't interfere with your camera's metering system, so for cameras with through the lens metering............which is most, you need a circular. There are also filters and filters...........the higher the price, generally the better the coating on the filter. If you decide to buy one I will clue you up on the best for your camera.

Back to you thinking about DSLR........I've researched a lot and I think I've got the best prices to be had, if you go down that track.

Regarding my deckies 18xzoom :o panasonic lumix............retail outlets in brizzy were asking 200 bucks more than I got it off ebay from an Asian dealer in Perth via ebay...........it came with an international warranty and a free polariser and UV.worth over 100 bucks.........any wonder Aussie business ain't competing? ::) research can save you a lot of bucks.;)

kev

Remind me to chat with you about it when I see you on the weekend Kev. I am reasonably serious about getting a DSLR camera but don't have a huge budget seeing as I just blew $520 on a stainless prop for the boat. ::) At one stage I was thinking of either a new prop or maybe spending about $1200 on a new camera but when I found out that the prop that came standard on my boat was built so badly that it was cavitating (Wore all the paint off in a strange spot) I decided to get a new prop. So now if I get a DSLR camera I would need to score a bargain and perhaps try get one in the $500-$600 price range. If I went through a Brisbane retailer the price point would be around $899 or there abouts but if I can get a bargain through Ebay I am mighty interested. ;D

Poodroo

[Volvo]

Poo, a wee bit of info that might help is tosus out variouse Photgraphy Forums eg; dslrusers.com.au australiandigital photography.com.au(as well as kingtins advice) etc and get the feel of what DSLR's people are using and lens..What problems they are having with each brand, read and ask and then make your move towards a purchase..
I previousely owned an MZ50 Film (Pentax )so had a coupla lens from that and budgetwise i found the best camera to suit me and give me the quallity i needed was a Pentax DSLR so first purchased the Pentax istDS and then moved onto the K10D..
Havent regretted either Camera or lens i purchased with both sets as i was and am an amatuer Photgrapher and will always be so due to timespan left in life lol(not that i'm planning on departing in the near future, just a realist)..
But it dont stop me wanting another Camera or more lens if i won Lotto:)..
Seriousely though its easy to get eager , go buy an outfit and then six months later say "Darn if i had only studied the market a tad more"..
As for extras for you cameras???wouldnt go past ebay or overseas..
Spare battery for instance for my K10D here the going price was $80 odd , ended up $16 from Honkers at my front door fer instance ..
Leave it at that and wish you luck and sure you will get plenty of help on site here..

[Poodroo]

Poo, a wee bit of info that might help is tosus out variouse Photgraphy Forums eg; dslrusers.com.au australiandigital photography.com.au(as well as kingtins advice) etc and get the feel of what DSLR's people are using and lens..What problems they are having with each brand, read and ask and then make your move towards a purchase..
I previousely owned an MZ50 Film (Pentax )so had a coupla lens from that and budgetwise i found the best camera to suit me and give me the quallity i needed was a Pentax DSLR so first purchased the Pentax istDS and then moved onto the K10D..
Havent regretted either Camera or lens i purchased with both sets as i was and am an amatuer Photgrapher and will always be so due to timespan left in life lol(not that i'm planning on departing in the near future, just a realist)..
But it dont stop me wanting another Camera or more lens if i won Lotto:)..
Seriousely though its easy to get eager , go buy an outfit and then six months later say "Darn if i had only studied the market a tad more"..
As for extras for you cameras???wouldnt go past ebay or overseas..
Spare battery for instance for my K10D here the going price was $80 odd , ended up $16 from Honkers at my front door fer instance ..
Leave it at that and wish you luck and sure you will get plenty of help on site here..

Thanks heaps Volvo. Yeah I have already started to research into dslr cameras and I seem to get more and more confused as I go because each brand that I read about is supposedly "The Best" according to the manufacturer specifications. It becoming more and more apparent to me that it is impossible within a lower budget to get "the perfect" camera. It seems where one brand has short comings another has a strong point and visa versa. Suffice to say I think any dslr camera is going to do more for me than what my compact will allow me to do for example shooting in RAW. I am still liking the Sony range of dslr cameras according to what I am reading in my price range because they will do all I need them to do and even the most basic in their range is still 10.2 mp. The other thing is I can put other brand lenses on the Sony camera and am not restricted to just using Sony lenses. The compact camera I have is an Olympus MJu750 and for what it is I think it performs more than admirably. I wish I could afford to spend $10,000 but alas I am but a poor man.::)

Poodroo

P.S. I wish the mods didn't move this thread to an area hardly anyone goes to. :-X

[kingtin]

P.S. I wish the mods didn't move this thread to an area hardly anyone goes to. :-X

Yeah, it's difficult to find it without it's own link in the Chat board drop down.

kev

[kingtin]

The other thing is I can put other brand lenses on the Sony camera and am not restricted to just using Sony lenses. ::)

Poodroo

:-X

It isn't as simple as that Poo. Using non-sony lenses requires an adaptor and even then, on most non-generic lenses, autofocus or through the lens metering is disabled, and some other brands off er that feature as well so sony's sales blurb is rather suss.

Canon and Nikon aren't the market leaders for nothing, although pentax is a close thirsd and other brands are catching up. When one brand offers you a feature that other brands haven't got, then they seem to skimp in another area.

kev

[Poodroo]

It isn't as simple as that Poo. Using non-sony lenses requires an adaptor and even then, on most non-generic lenses, autofocus or through the lens metering is disabled, and some other brands off er that feature as well so sony's sales blurb is rather suss.

Canon and Nikon aren't the market leaders for nothing, although pentax is a close thirsd and other brands are catching up. When one brand offers you a feature that other brands haven't got, then they seem to skimp in another area.

kev

Thanks Kev. This is becoming one big learning curve for me. It sounds like the Panasonic are a reasonable camera but perhaps out of my price range? If Bridget has her camera with her this weekend I might take a look at it.

Cheers,

Poodroo

[MattChew]

Hey Andrew, I think if you wanted to get a entry level DSLR the Canon or Nikon might be the go ... the Canon 400D (10.1MP) is going for about $770 with a standard lens (18-55) and the Nikon D40 (6.1MP) for about $550. The only reason I say the Canon or Nikon is that Lenses and Accessories are readily available and all existing Canon EF lenses work with their digital siblings. When I bought my 300D they were nearly $2000 so a better one for $770 is a steal. Definitely buy the brand you have most faith in. This is pretty useful for amateurs like me ... http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/digital-photography-tips-for-beginners/

Thanks
Matt

[kingtin]

Tip for the day:...................... USE YER FLASH!

"What!!!!!!.....................it's always bloody sunny in QLD" I hear you say. ............but that's why you should use your flash.

Unless it is early morning or late afternoon, the Qld sun is often high in the sky which casts unsightly shadows under the eyes, nose and chin. If the subject is wearing a cap, their face is often unrecognisable.....................how many pics of lovely fish and the surroundings have you seen on Ausfish, where the ausfisher's face is in total shadow?

Most cameras nowadays have a fill-in flash facility whereby you can give a small burst of flash to fill in the shadows, as opposed to a full burst that sometimes gives a washed-out look. Even if your camera doesn't have fill in flash, a full burst is preferable to not recognising your subject. even on a dull day when there are no shadows, you can still give a burst of flash to put attractive highlights into the eyes such as you see in studio portraiture.

Familiarise yourself fully with the flash section in your instruction manual and think on this............ever watched the news and seen a pollie or celebrity outdoors on a sunny day surrounded by pro photographers, all with flashes firing?..........speaks volumes.

Also, as in all photography, remember that the camera doesn't lie. When you look at your subject on a sunny day, you may not see the shadows because your brain has compensated. you have made a subconscious effort to look into those shadows for the detail.......the camera can't do this which is why you get burned out highlights which are pure white, and deep blacks with no detail at all. Ever noticed biminis or lamp posts growing out of your subjects head in your pics, or perhaps a beautiful landscape with a truck chugging along in the background or your mate giving you the finger off to one side ::) Look hard and try and over-ride that which your brain is not seeking but which the camera will find............the crooked horizon is a typical............ you can straighten this, but in doing so you will have to crop out some of your pic so try and get it right in the first place.

Just a couple of snapshots but spot the pic here that didn't have flash............actually it did, but the deckie was out of range so the flash didn't reach.................just like all those poor souls who pay hundreds to go to a kylie concert and think their compact flash will reach the stage :'( ;D

Take a good look at the sign ;D

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/bidkev/Portfolio/boat%20rally/noflash.jpg

Notice the attractive highlights in the eyes on the one with flash, even though it's only a quick grabbed snapshot, the flash makes all the difference.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/bidkev/Portfolio/boat%20rally/flash.jpg

[Poodroo]

First thing I picked was the sign with Ausfish.com.au. Good one Kev. Yes I have my camera flash on all the time too. Something I did learn a while ago about sun position casting shadows. Good tip. I have noticed since this thread was moved there are very few viewings. What a shame. I think a lot of fellow members would have got lots out of this.

Poodroo

[Poodroo]

On a different note I do own a Ricoh SLR camera which has to be at least 25 years old now ... would that be worth anything these days or just a relic that is destined to gather dust for the rest of mt days? It still has a film in it that I never finished off and never had developed. Perhaps I should to see what is on there. :o

Poodroo

[PinHead]

taking pics is a great pastime but as to the original topic..how much time do you spend taking pics when you are on a fishing trip???

[Poodroo]

taking pics is a great pastime but as to the original topic..how much time do you spend taking pics when you are on a fishing trip???

To be honest I don't take a lot of time at all with the photography when fishing but the intent of this thread was to originally give some helpful tips on taking a good photo which really doesn't take any more time than taking a happy snap. Making sure the horizon is straight and using the fill in flash are just a couple of helpful hints that can make a world of difference without cutting into fishing time any more than a happy snap would. ;)

Poodroo

[PinHead]

Poodroo..I just set the bloody thing on auto..take the pic and go back to what i was doing...I do that wth everything these days...took 98 pics on Saturday morning...that drove me nuts.

I tried for over 5 years to get a pic of one thing..using an slr with motor drive..the works and could not get it...just one pic of a tomonage...LOL
and that was using film..cost me a fortune on developing.

[kingtin]

On a different note I do own a Ricoh SLR camera which has to be at least 25 years old now ... would that be worth anything these days or just a relic that is destined to gather dust for the rest of mt days? It still has a film in it that I never finished off and never had developed. Perhaps I should to see what is on there. :o

Poodroo

Collectors often want old cameras as spares.........ebay would probably be the only way to see it's worth. Don't forget with the brand leaders such as canon, nikon and pentax, many of the old lenses work with digis and, for example, many of the old canon film cameras that go cheaply on ebay, have perfectly good lenses that would go on a digi.

kev

[Poodroo]

Might have to set up an ebay account I think. Would not have a clue what to do but I guess I will figure it out.

Poodroo

[MattChew]

Might have to set up an ebay account I think. Would not have a clue what to do but I guess I will figure it out.

Poodroo

If you need to mate you are welcome to use my account, have Paypal set up too!

Ta
Matt

[Volvo]

Poo, pick yourself say two or three entry level DSLR's that suit your $$ range and then head over to the Dpreviewe sight and read owners opinions regarding these cameras..The for and against hangups with them..You know some like, say the Canon 20D or the Nikon D70 were yesterdays top entry level DSLR's as was the Pentax K10D for Pentax..

With prices having dropped with camera's like the D3, D700, 5D and so forth having steepd into the arena..

Today you can pick the 20D,D70 etc new at a reasonble price that wont break you piggybank and they still do a top job with the person that reads their manuals and plays around learning their habits..

As for Lens?? there's always Sigma and tamron that wont break your bank either and both these brands bring out a reasonable lens..
Nikkor and Cannon lens are great but you have to pay for them but a guess its the old adage"You get what you pay" for in some cases ey..
Dont be in a hurry the Compact you have now will keep you happy till you know what you want after all its a passion not a Career:) ....

[Poodroo]

Poo, pick yourself say two or three entry level DSLR's that suit your $$ range and then head over to the Dpreviewe sight and read owners opinions regarding these cameras..The for and against hangups with them..You know some like, say the Canon 20D or the Nikon D70 were yesterdays top entry level DSLR's as was the Pentax K10D for Pentax..

With prices having dropped with camera's like the D3, D700, 5D and so forth having steepd into the arena..

Today you can pick the 20D,D70 etc new at a reasonble price that wont break you piggybank and they still do a top job with the person that reads their manuals and plays around learning their habits..

As for Lens?? there's always Sigma and tamron that wont break your bank either and both these brands bring out a reasonable lens..
Nikkor and Cannon lens are great but you have to pay for them but a guess its the old adage"You get what you pay" for in some cases ey..
Dont be in a hurry the Compact you have now will keep you happy till you know what you want after all its a passion not a Career:) ....

Thanks again for the advice. Truer words could not have been said. It is a passion with me and a growing one at that. My compact as you have already seen does a reasonable photo so I am very happy with it but as time goes by I realize there are limitations hence the desire to get something a little better. The question is just how much better would an entry level dslr be? Enough to warrant spending the money? I did get a few brands together already and tried as best as I could to get a review on all those models which included Sony, Olympus, Ricoh, Pentax, Nikkon, and Cannon. All cameras had their strong points and bad points according to the reviews but that has not helped me make up my mind however. I am in no hurry as you say but will probably end up with one in the not too distant future.

Thanks also to MattChew for the offer for using your account. Will see how things pan out.

Poodroo