Good camera for T pics?

MissHarlen

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I think I want to start a YouTube for my tarantulas because I believe there needs to be more women tarantula keepers on YouTube and I want to know what a good camera/camcorder would be for that? I don't necessarily NEED a video camera, just a digital that takes video. My budget is $600 and I also want to get a good macro lens. Any suggestions are appreciated.
 

basin79

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I use a Nikon D5500 for my pics and my iPhone to record footage.
 

The Grym Reaper

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I use a Sony DSC W830 for my pics, it's not great for pics of tiny slings or for making vids though as there's some annoying background noise going on (I usually do away with the audio and put music to it but I've only made feeding vids so far), looking to get a phone with a decent camera so I can make some other vids.
 

Haemus

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DPReview is my arachnoboards for camera gear :)

Looking at this chart the Canons definitely stick out to me, the EOS has been a great beginner camera for a long time...which is tough to say as a Nikon guy lol. I would do research into the Sony A6000, the price point for the quality looks good for a mirrorless body.
 

nicodimus22

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A couple of ways you could go here for 600 smackers...You could get an all-in-one camera like the Panasonic FZ1000 that is going to produce "good enough" image and video quality for the majority of users. There's a lot of bang for the buck with that camera...I still own and use it occasionally in situations where I'd like decent image quality without the weight and noise of a DSLR. Or, you could get a budget and/or used crop body DSLR and an older gen macro lens to keep it on the cheaper side. I recently got a macro lens by Nikon (60mm f2.8D version) that was manufactured between 1993 and 2008, and it is incredible. Only cost $250. All but two of the photos in this topic (http://arachnoboards.com/threads/nicos-small-collection-of-nw-tarantulas.296678/) were taken with it, if want to get an idea of what it looks like...bear in mind I can only show up to 1440 pixels-wide mages on this forum, and that there is a lot more detail in the original images.
 
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Walker253

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If it's a DSLR, it's more about the lens than the camera. Something with a lower f stop is important and will give you a lot of flexibility. An external flash has big benefits too. DPReview is a great site.

But reall the camera that is ready is the best camera. Also, I've taken some great shots with my iPhone and some bad ones with my Nikon D7100.

I have a friend that takes phenomenal shots with her Samsung S7.
 

EulersK

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For recording video on YouTube, I use the Logitech C920 webcam and for audio I use Blue Yeti microphone. Note that this microphone is stunning when used correctly. It's certainly good enough to record live music on, so it's more than good enough for spoken audio.

For shooting pictures I use a Canon SX160 IS. It takes decent enough macro photographs, but note that it does not have interchangeable lenses. It is a "point and shoot", but you do have full control over ISO, shutter speed, and exposure. Very, very easy to use for those of us who can't figure out how to use a proper DSLR.

You could pick up all of that gear, brand new, for around $400 including tax.
 

Ghost56

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I'd personally recommend something like a used canon t3i or t4i with the kit lens for video, and pick up a used canon ef 100mm f/2.8 usm macro lens for the macro shots. You may have to go down to something like a t2i to make your budget, but as @Walker253 said, the lens is the most important aspect when it comes to dslr's.

You'd have to search hard to get close to your budget, and that^ would really just be good for macro shots. Not sure about the t3i/t4i's video capabilities, but the t2i isn't good at all for point n shoot type of videos.
 
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Haemus

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Do you have a tripod? If not, I'd consider it as it won't break the bank. Here's the one I use, I find the low profile is perfect for shooting Ts and the flexible legs allow you to get those difficult angles.
 

basin79

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Do you have a tripod? If not, I'd consider it as it won't break the bank. Here's the one I use, I find the low profile is perfect for shooting Ts and the flexible legs allow you to get those difficult angles.
I've never been able to use a tripod to get T shots. I have used mine once though to snap a few pics of my female Gandanameno sp.

Had my camera set up, upstairs and I had my ipad downstairs connected as the lcd screen. Just a case of waiting for the gorgeous gal to appear. (I'll dig out the video).



The pics. Worth mentioning these aren't big spiders.


 

pocock1899

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A good macro, less expensive than the Nikon/Canon/Sigma/Tamron equivalents is the Tokina 100. It's around $300 on Amazon. It's image quality is just as good as any of them (they are all excellent). It can be found with mounts for Canon or Nikon.
Any of the DSLR's of those manufacturers will produce spectacular video. Better than you can use on Youtube.
You can pick up a used Nikon D5500, a kit lens and the macro and probably still stay within your budget.
 

Haemus

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I've never been able to use a tripod to get T shots. I have used mine once though to snap a few pics of my female Gandanameno sp.

Had my camera set up, upstairs and I had my ipad downstairs connected as the lcd screen. Just a case of waiting for the gorgeous gal to appear. (I'll dig out the video).



The pics. Worth mentioning these aren't big spiders.


Interesting, nearly all my shots are taken with a tripod. I like having my hands free except to push the trigger, but maybe it's because I still get uneasy when the enclosures are open lol

BTW great shots and solution to shooting an elusive subject :)
 

basin79

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Interesting, nearly all my shots are taken with a tripod. I like having my hands free except to push the trigger, but maybe it's because I still get uneasy when the enclosures are open lol

BTW great shots and solution to shooting an elusive subject :)
I just have to be opportunistic with most of my inverts so grab my camera and just start snapping. I've done the very thing earlier this morning. Woke up and as always wander into my animal room. My Poecilotheria subfusca lowland was on her cork bark tube. Snap, snap, snap.

Was dark and my battery died so I don't know how they'll have come out yet.

I've also found my centipedes and jumping spiders rarely stay still in the same place for very long so I'm constantly chasing them for shots.

I do know the importance of a tripod but I'm yet to utilise mine yet fully.
 

Ungoliant

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I uses a Canon PowerShot SX50 HS for still photos. It doesn't (as far as I know) support interchangeable lenses, but it does have a lot of customizable settings, including manual focus and exposure. This camera meets my needs as someone who wants better results and more options than a cell phone or compact point-and-shoot camera but doesn't know what to do with more complex DSLR cameras. (The newer SX60 model sells for about $450. I think I paid somewhere around $350-400 when my SX50 was new in May 2014.)

Here are some macro shots I took with this camera while holding it in my hands (click to enlarge):






I don't really use my Canon for videos. Video quality is nothing to write home about, though with good lighting and a tripod, it's probably adequate for YouTube videos.

While a tripod isn't always an option for still photos, when watching videos, I greatly appreciate a stable camera. As a result of an ear infection I had 12 years ago, videos with shaky/jerky cameras often make me queasy. (This is the same reason I can't play a lot of modern video games. Something about that first-person angle with the camera in constant motion.)
 

viper69

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I think I want to start a YouTube for my tarantulas because I believe there needs to be more women tarantula keepers on YouTube and I want to know what a good camera/camcorder would be for that? I don't necessarily NEED a video camera, just a digital that takes video. My budget is $600 and I also want to get a good macro lens. Any suggestions are appreciated.
This is the best macro lens on the market now based on the opinion of many macro shooters. I'll eventually get it. it gives true 1:1.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/393446-REG/Tokina_ATXAF100PRON_100mm_f_2_8_AT_X_M100.html
 

EulersK

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Aren't most quality items stunning when used correctly as opposed to incorrectly? ;) Is this one particularly difficult, your qualifier threw me off on the Yeti.
As a perfect example, watch my first episode on YouTube versus the most recent one :rofl: They were both shot using that microphone. It has to be set up correctly and exported correctly to get good audio quality, but I think the same can be said about any microphone.
 

Vanessa

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Like already mentioned - it isn't the body, it's the lenses that are most important. There really isn't much difference in what a body can do overall nowadays, but what type of lens you have determines the quality of the photos.
One of the first things that people sell when they are hard up for cash is camera equipment. I bought my first camera off Kijiji (Canadian equivalent of Craigslist) and it was a great deal and came with extra lenses. I don't regret buying it used at all. I have also purchased about 1/3 of my lenses that way too.
If I added up all my lenses, they would be worth ten times the amount that the body is worth, but I have some specialized lenses. I also don't usually buy zoom lenses. Quality is always sacrificed with zoom lenses - they are more designed for convenience. The sharpest photos come from fixed lenses, especially those with large apertures. My favourite lens of all time is my 50mm f/1.4 - nothing gives me a sharper photo - but it was not cheap.
I have a Sony A57. I have two macro lenses - a Sony 50mm and a Tamron 100mm. I use the 50mm with the tarantulas because the 100mm is very heavy in comparison and I do not use a tripod. I reserve the 100mm when I am taking macro shots of insects outside and I might not be able to get as close to them... or might not want to! :)
 

AphonopelmaTX

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Speaking of lenses, I could swear I read somewhere that one has to make sure they are using a lens built for the size of the image sensor in the camera body. Meaning if you have an entry level DSLR with an APS-C sensor (crop sensor) and you don't use a lens built specifically for that type of sensor, you will lose image quality. Can someone confirm or deny that?
 
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