Tips for candles, LED lights, electric, batteries, bulbs and beyond.
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By pagemaster1993
#64189
I want to get a new camera. I do not know if you noticed but a lot of my most recent pictures have been on the blurry side as opposed to past ones that were crisper and cleaner. Well that is mainly due to the fact that I used to use a friends camera and eventually got tired of borrowing his that I got my own. The one I got was super cheap and the photo proves it. What am I looking for? One that takes good pictures both in light and sort of darkness, has the ability to turn flash of, and is cheap but not so cheap that it is worthless. Please help me.
By Ajax
#64190
Can't go wrong with anything by Canon and if your looking at saving money just get something with 7 mega pixels they should be on clearance since it goes up much higher then that now 12 and 15 probably even higher i haven't looked for a while. With 7 mega pixels you should be good unless your blowing things up to poster size. I have a canon elph 300.
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By Zombie Pumpkins!
#64197
I agree with Ajax. All my cameras have been Canons. I'm used to their features and I've always been happy with the results, so it's a brand I trust. Another big name is Nikon, but I've never personally owned one. I currently use a Canon Rebel XSi and a Canon PowerShot SX210 IS.

If we're talking about taking Halloween/pumpkin pictures in low light, you're going to want to make sure you get a camera that has different shooting modes. My Canon cameras have modes such as:

- Auto (self explanatory, it chooses all settings for you, including flash)

- Program (lets you change some settings like white balance, ISO and flash)

- Aperture Priority (lets you change the size of the aperture opening to let more/less light in)

- Shutter Priority (lets you change the length of time the shutter is open)

- Manual (lets you choose all settings, including both aperture and shutter speed)

To get good pumpkin photos in low light, you'll likely be using longer exposure times or wider apertures. Photos taken this way will be blurry if you're holding the camera in your hand. So it's best to use a timer so you can remove your shaky human fingers before the shutter snaps. You can get a cheap tripod or just prop the camera up on some flat surface.

Another option to look for is a camera with a nice range of ISO sensitivity settings. ISO is the measurement of how sensitive a digital camera's sensor is to light. A very high ISO setting can capture the light faster (less chance for blur) but the down side is that the image can be grainy if the ISO is set too high.

Anyway, back to the shopping advice...

Since you probably want something affordable, I assume you'll want to look at compact, point-and-shoot cameras. To see what the current product lines look like for Canon and Nikon, check out these links:

:arrow: Canon compact cameras (Powershot series)
:arrow: Nikon compact cameras (Coolpix series)

These sites are hyping their own products of course, but these pages are still good for comparing the prices and spec lists for various models. With both sites you can select a few cameras at a time, and view a comparison chart. That should help you narrow it down. Look at the lists and think about which features are important to you. Start weeding out the models that have too much, or not enough. And of course, you can target your search by looking just at the ones within your desired budget.

Once you've narrowed it down, I'd hit a couple of the big digital camera review websites. Their reviews will walk you through everything from the how the controls work, what the camera body is like, what the menus are like, and what the image quality is like (with examples).

Some camera review websites I like are:

:arrow: http://www.steves-digicams.com/
:arrow: http://www.dpreview.com/
:arrow: http://www.imaging-resource.com/

One final tip: if you think you know what camera you might want, I find that it's always helpful to go to an electronics store and try it, hands on. The way the camera feels and operates in your hand is important, and sometimes that can be the final deciding factor.

Hope that helps!
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By Kayo
#64203
im a nikon person. but I've only used the D60 DSLR. but cannon are good cameras too. its a matter of preference. find a good camera store that lets you poke at each of them so you find the one you like best.
#65371
To update you I did get a new camera and I love it. It is a Canon Power Shot A2300. It has 16 mega pixels, 2.7" LCD screen, and has 5x optic zoom. I also bought a tri-pod, but it has one leg that is shorter then the others, but I can work around that.
#65378
Glad to hear this update, pagemaster. Those are some great specs, especially in such a compact camera. I predict you'll be really happy with it. And with that tripod too, you'll be all set for some stellar pumpkin shots this year!
#65382
For point and shoots I've always liked my Lumix. It's pretty much idiot proof and I've never had one break and they're pretty cheap. It's got some great idiot proof settings and I personally use the 'candlelight' setting for photographing pumpkins. For really simple photo editing I use Picasa.

That said, if I were to buy a nice and more expensive camera then I would buy a Canon.
#65388
Oh, I do love it. The only problem I had was how to operate the flash, but figured it out. It only cost $119.99(I think) and then I had to get a memory card which was another $19.99.
By Ajax
#65479
Sounds like a good deal I think you'll be happy with it. I take most of my pictures on night time setting with a tripod and i'm usually happy with them. Can't wait to see your photos this year.
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By SuperSonic
#65482
I use This Nikon Coolpix.

Pretty good for its price range, takes crystal clear pictures, and does a good job at adjusting apperature settings. Lighting is usually a problem for this model however, along with shutter speed.

For carving pictures its pretty good, it just needs enough surrounding light to get the picture you want. I can't adjust shutter speed at ALL! Which is sucky, because if I had a faster shutter speed (or a Tri-pod) I'd get much better close up pictures since I have shaky hands when it comes to cameras.

With the shaky hands problem I usually re-take the same picture several times before it looks good enough for me to warrant keeping (it also doesn't help that I'm a perfectionist).

I like it anyway. Like others have said, its a preference matter. I plan to upgrade to a DSLR for the 2013 or 2014 season.
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By Chewy
#65659
OOOH! I can't sit back and NOT wade into a Nikon vs Canon discussion! LOL

I'm in the Nikon DSLR camp, which largely was caused by having a bunch of film SLR Nikon glass. Invest in good lenses & swap out bodies when they wear out / you get the urge to upgrade technology.

Ive got a Nikon D80 that i've pretty much worn out (>50k actuations) and have a D7000 that's nearly two years old now - and just crossed the 20k actuation mark. Lenses on the other hand, i've got 10 year old lenses that I still use heavily - and see no reason to stop.

That said though, I have a PHD also -(push here dummy) - it's a waterproof Canon - Powershot D10. Handy go anywhere (literally) camera.

The thing about cameras & pumpkins isnt the camera, well, within reason it isnt. Getting 80% better is all about basic settings - and a tripod / self timer / lighting.

Have fun experimenting!
By knittergeek
#86938
Ajax wrote:Can't go wrong with anything by Canon and if your looking at saving money just get something with 7 mega pixels they should be on clearance since it goes up much higher then that now 12 and 15 probably even higher i haven't looked for a while. With 7 mega pixels you should be good unless your blowing things up to poster size. I have a canon elph 300.
I have the Canon t3i, which puts out an 18 mp image. And it looks like it was just discontinued by Canon, so the price has dropped to $599.99 at Amazon.
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By Bravo020
#102190
Reviving this post!

I've been using Canon for the past 14 years, prior to that Pentax.

I'm currently using a Canon 1Ds Mk III, for the past 5 years and prior to that I was using a 1Ds Mk II, which are the old Pro top of the line models, not that I would even consider buying them when they first hit the shelves as they are way too expensive for me, and photography is a hobby rather than a profession.

Second hand prices for these old pro cameras are considerably less than the prices for the current top of the range models, and I've a variety of different lenses that I use. I've also rented lenses in the past, for example I was in Sydney on business and was able to rent some suitable lenses for a very reasonable daily rate, in some cases I've been so happy with a particular lens, that I have then purchased the lens as a result of that experience.

Couldn't resist sharing some photos of Sydney, what an absolutely incredible city this is, unfortunately my trip there was during Halloween 2014, and was the reason I missed out on carving pumpkins that year!!

ImageImageImageImage
#102191
Thanks for popping in here to share your camera knowledge. Your Sydney pictures look amazing. I can definitely appreciate those nighttime shots with the well captured light.

I'm big into photography, but I don't do it frequently enough. Whenever I have the opportunity for a true photo shoot, I have to reeducate myself a bit.
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