Camera Help for a Dummy

[S.Trutta]

As many fish pictures as I've taken in my life, I still consider myself a dummy with the camera. I've done most of my stuff with just a simple pentax point and shoot, but I am now really wanting to get myself a DSLR and fisheye lens for future trips and projects.

Obviously being that im no pro and probably not any good with a camera anyway i dont want to go insane on the price, so does anyone have any recommendations for an affordable setup?

Also, for those who regularly fish with dslr's....how do you carry them while on the water. I just stuff my point and shoot in my shirt pocket or front piuch of my waders, but have been trying to think of a way to safely carry the bigger camera.

Thanks guys
Rich

[Gatorbyte]

Rich:

have you seen the stuff that drifter is doing? Check out his Alaska thread and this thread as well. It's got me yearning for a new camera.

http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=81306

[RoyC]

Without breaking the bank, look at the Nikon D3100. It will have its announcement from Nikon later this week. Per the foreign press it will be a 14mp with full HD video and good low light ability. Should sell with a couple of kit lens for around $700. I have the D3000 it is replacing and it is a great little camera for stream or boat. I just place the camera in a zip lock bag with whichever lens I choose for the day and a CP filter. This goes either in the rain pouch of my vest or boat bag. It has more then enough IQ for what most will want on stream and the weight and risk off loss is acceptable.

[zacmac2112]

photography is a new can of worms that is very fun as well as frustrating.

I would stick with canon or nikon systems, they are the two strongest markets and put more research into product development. they are really ford/chevy in terms of features but either way are great.

dont get hung up on expensive bodies or megapixels. you can do everything that you need with an 8mp camera. new models (18mp) just fill up hard drives.

Spend your money on a decent lens and find a used body from a reliable source such as KEH.com or adorama. Your better deals will be in the $300-600 range for cameras that are 3 years old and sold new for $1200-$2000. a general rule of thumb is that your camera will loose half of its value every 2 years. HD video on dslr is pretty cool but it is also still in the development stage with mostly 1st generation cameras on the shelves. in most pros eyes it still has some autofocusing work to be done from both manufacturers, but for clips under 3mins its probably fine. I would reccomend a Canon 20D or 30D or a nikon D80 or D200 for a body. Besides if you get serious you will probably upgrade your body every few years anyways.

Look for lenses with constant F-stop, the lower(faster) generally the better (f/2.8 is ideal for most zooms). Most kit lenses are built out of lesser quality materials and have a varible f-stop. Fisheye or wide angle lenses are cool but are trendy and sometimes overworked (i am as guilty as any). they also offer a narrow zoom range since they were initially developed for landscape use. For a crop frame DSLR, you will want a lens with a 10mm to 12mm wide end in an ultra wide angle lens. Canons 10-22mm and Nikons 12-24mm are really sharp lenses with decent prices used. Sigma and Tokina make great UWA's also that produce images that are indistinguishable to most eyes.

I also recommend using a separate shoe mount flash. you would be surprised at what extra light can do even to daytime shots.

Wading with a camera is pretty much a B!$%&. It will make you think twice and walk slower as you have $1000+ dollars around your neck that could be gone with one dunk! pelican cases are the best options for boats hands down. as far as wading, you either have to find a drybag that fits and risk missing action shots, or keep it around your neck and shoulder and be ready but unprotected. cameras are also pretty heavy during a days wading, its like fishing with a guitar around your neck. i would get a neoprene strap like an op/tech pro to lighten the load. I usually wing it and tuck it into my chest waders. Fishing and taking pictures at the same time takes skill and patience.
I have a hard time putting the rod down to take pictures lots of days.

I hope that my opinions help, and i am by no means a professional photographer, just merely an angler that strives to take better pictures.

[TroutTackler]

Rich,

Just a couple of days ago, Nikon released their brand new entry-level DSLR and it is an awesome camera. Here's the pertinent info:

1. 14.2 Megapixels
2. 3" LCD (same as higher-end Nikons)
3. Live View with HD 1080p Video w/ Sound & Autofocus (FIRST DSLR EVER WITH FULL-TIME AUTOFOCUS!!!)
4. 11-point Autofocus (same as what is on my D80 - which cost a lot more at the time)
5. 3 Frames per Second Shooting
6. ISO 100 to 3200 (Expand to 12800-Hi2)
7. Self Cleaning Sensor (an awesome feature on this level of camera!)

And it's preselling for $699 WITH the 18-55mm Nikkor lens. I'm planning on buying two of these for our wedding photography business. I'll put the Nikon 10mm f/2.8 Fisheye lens on one for me to carry and our 14mm f/2.8 on the other for my wife to carry (in addition to our two cameras we'll have that have our portrait lenses on them). That way we'll have four great cameras with four great lenses that all shoot HD video as well. Alright, I've got to go take out a loan now...

[TroutTackler]

Oh, here's the link to B&H:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/730210-REG/Nikon_25472_D3100_Digital_SLR_Camera.html

[S.Trutta]

Thanks guys for all the help. I definitely know what will be on my wish list from santa this year! David, that looks like a perfect camera for me!


Rich