Vickylover,

I know that the 3/4 format was not mentioned by you.
I mentioned the format to have a complete list.
Cameras like Limux and Olympus pen use this.
But you need then buy their lenses and those lenses can be expensive.
If it has to be a very small DSLR then these camera's are nice, else better buy Canon or Nikon in my opinion.
I had before this camera a Pentax K1000 and a compact (old Aldi Medion camera 5 mp).
I have now the D90 and a Canon A480. Even that small 95 bucks A480 makes great images (see the photo of the D90), but if it comes to doll photography indoor I prefer the DSLR D90.

I wonder for what you use the 500 mm lens if it comes to doll photography (50 mm could do LOL), or do you have a room as big as a football field? .

Mytime & Helen & Carmen

Hi mytime.

I have only recently taken up photographing Vicky; before I joined TDF I had no reason to take pictures of her That is one of the things that I really like here; I may not be very good at it but I do enjoy it

You are right about the 500mm it is not an indoor lens; I bought it for wildlife photography. I don't have very much room at the moment and sometimes I have to use a shorter lens than I would like when taking pictures of Vicky; I like to use something in the range 50-80mm for portraits. I hope this will improve when I manage to clear out the spare bedroom; I should then have my own office/studio.

I agree with you Canon and Nikon are the market leaders; I always recommend them if anyone asks my advice. I have never used a Canon so I can't comment but I have always been very pleased with all my Nikon equipment

Vickylover.

Hi Vickylover,

Its with me the same, I have no experience with Canon.
I like the rugged bit bigger Nikon models like my D90, keep in mind that I have big hands.
The D40 is like the current D3000 / D5000 a smaller camera.
It feels all very rugged and feels like build to last.

But I see too that Canon photocamera's are often very good in tests.

Both Nikon and Canon did build their vibration reduction or image stabilisation in the lens, this is the best, it makes however the lens bit more expensive.
Sony did build it in the camera. I do not want to say that a Sony camera is bad, but I have heard from a pro that its a lot less convenient to use than a Nikon or a Canon.

DSLR's can do wonders when photographing dolls you get the photo's nice and sharp, you can see the eyes of the doll clear on the photo, compacts are often bit more blurred.
But the camera does not make the photographer, composition and light is key. And for a doll a stand and a ton of accesory for that doll (expensive to buy clothing). I need still to experiment with light for it I need a light set (softbox or an umbrella.)

By the way I saw your doll is a Lolita by Ludix I remember these but today these and almost had bought one about 15 years ago, now they are very rare, be carefull with her.

Mytime & Helen & Carmen

Hi mytime.


Too right; some people just seem to have the gift while the rest of us have to work hard to get a half decent shot.


That must have been just about the time I bought Vicky. Do you recall anything about the fire at the Ludix factory I do try and look after Vicky as well as I can; she seems to be holding up very well at the moment, never had a leak yet and the latex seems to still be in good condition.

I have made my own photographic light and would now like to make a soft box for it; do you know what material they use for the front Can you buy a large sheet of it and cut to fit your own soft box If this first one is a success I might try to make some more.

Vickylover.

Vickylover,

The doll is rare today, most of them are probably not in good condition any more.

Regarding the light, maybe its as simple as buying a white umbrella (as you use to protect yourself against rain lol) and use that upfromt from the lamp.

Mytime & Helen & Carmen

He's got great stuff for us Old Skool (Film) photographers too. I like his digital/film comparisons

Yep, there's no way around it. People who want decent pictures and a camera that won't break the first time you drop it, will have to spend up to a grand
for this kind of quality and durability. It's a shame camera makers can't give us a cheap, reliable, durable camera. I've heard you guys taling about the Nikon D40, D3000, and Canon Rebel line and those are the camera's we should be looking at. Don't waist your time on those "Consumer" brand camera's that fit into your palm, they will only come up short when it comes to sharpness and the ability to transform light into viewable pictures. I have been photographing wildlife and nature for over 10 years now and made the decision to upgrade to a Nikon D50 at the time and it cost me bucks, but I have never been sorry and only happy now to have discovered a new hobby to enjoy into my retirement that I know I will never be tired of. I can't wait for the arrival my my purchase of a Private Island Beauty doll so I can prove it to everyone here of my talents with the camera. I don't want to make people here feel bad about their photography, however as a buyer it's been frustrating to find good pictures to help me make up my mind until finally I came across pictures taken by a member here that were so clear and sharp, it really made me make my descision to by a Private Island Beauty doll. You can see this guys gorgeous photo's as this link. http://www.dollalbum.com/dollgallery/in ... ?cat=11678
He never reveals his camera's model here, however there's no doubt in my mind he has an excellent camera to take these pictures, for sure not one of those point and shoot camera's.

My Nikon FE was about $200 when it was bought used 30 years ago (at the time it cost $350 new, I think). It's the one Sharon was "using" in last month's Photo Challenge, the picture itself was taken by it's "sister" FE, also bought used. The FE was discontinued a couple of decades ago, but there are stuil a few original FEs and FM's floating around that can be bought for under $300. And I can personally vouch for their durability! The FM-10, an improved version is still made, and it is based on the same aluminum bronze frame as the original, I believe.

Well ,I had to buy another pocket camera as my lovely Casio EXILIM exploded into a million pieces on hitting the ground, shame as it had a Pentax lens which made up for the 4 mega pixels.

As I have Fuji SLR's and I like them (uses AA batteries available anywhere in the world ) I now have a Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR, it has some good revues but its heavier and more bulky than the Casio and lacks an optical viewfinder which I greatly miss.
Bought as new on Ebay for a third of the original price!
Not good at the jargon so here's a review for folk who like details, it has some sort of whizzy sensor and a more than adequet 12 mp's.
http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/ ... xr_review/

As usual it has more gadgets than I shall ever need especially as I just keep it on auto but it takes nice pics and goes everywhere with me.

And the sample photo, sharp enuf for you?



Must get round to trying it on the Frankenstien sisters scars and all

A recent purchase was a Pentax Kx DSLR. It does everything that more expensive cameras can do with the added advantage that Pentax lenses are backward compatible. The same lense that made my old Pentax 35mm SLR such a great camera also fits the new Kx. The old lenses may not autofocus but that only means switching to manual focus and everything else is still fully controllable on the camera.



My favourite mode for doll photos is Museum mode which allows full functionality while locking out the flash. Point focus mode also helps with small targets like my Tonner dolls. The camera is very easy to use and comes with a hardcopy manual (not the CD shit that my Olympus has) that is both small enough to stuff in a bag with the camera and is easy to reference.

I looked at Nikon and Canon but kept coming back to the Pentax because I couldn't justify the added expense when the Pentax still did it all (sometimes hundreds of dollars difference). Being able to use my old lense just sealed the deal.

The best thing you can do for yourself when investing in a digital SLR is buy a really good lens. The camera bodies (in comparison to lenses) are six in one hand, half dozen in the other. When looking at camera bodies, you start nit-picking over bells and whistles, half of which you rarely use, if ever. But the lens is always there. Having a poor lens dramatically weakens your investment. And don't be afraid of mixing and matching. Personally, I have always been a Nikon guy, but I'm finding that Canon bodies using Nikon lenses with an adapter usually produces really great results. Of course, if anyone would like to buy me a digi Hasselblad, I wouldn't object.

On the other end of the spectrum, is there a fully manual (as in seperate controls, not menu items) camera with out a $#!tload of bells and whistles?

It doesn't need a bunch of megapixels because all the pics are going to be for are internet postings, I will be carrying my film SLR and a few lenses for "artzy" pics. So it does need to be small, and definitely rugged, as it will be spending 6 months or 6,000 miles in the handlebar bag of a bicycle.

Simplicity is paramount, I need munual focus, manual aperature control, "shutter speed" and a wide angle to moderate telephoto zoom (35mm-135mm, 35mm film equivalent). Additional features should be limited to basic color balance only (daylight, tungsten, B&W, sepia...) IOW, things you would buy a certain type of film or filter for in ye olde days.

Mytime, haven't seen you around in a while. Glad to see you back. I still remember your logo with the airplane.

On the consumer end of the DSLR market (which is where the less expensive models reside), probably not, at least among the current models (and by current, I mean anything within the last three years, maybe longer). Casual photographers, and people who just want a low-end DSLR for family get togethers and vacations, generally like bells and whistles, and lots of programmed modes that decide for them what shutter speed and aperture combination to use for portraits, or sports, or whatever. That said, I don't think there is a DSLR on the market right now that doesn't have a manual focus mode and a full manual mode for shutter speed and aperture (with those controls located near the shutter release). And just because a camera has a lot of bells and whistles, doesn't mean you have to use them.