Camera Recommendation 2022

[Snoopdog]

I notice most of the camera recommendation threads are dating back a long time ago. I have a point and shoot Nikon that is really not that old, the camera is incredible for taking shots at a long distance, hell I can see the craters of the moon but it sucks shooting my reef tank. I am really getting into making frags now so I need a camera to take shots to sell them. How is the supply chain on cameras and lenses these days? I deal mainly with computers and servers, the supply chain right now sucks and not looking to get any better this year. I am probably going to have a range of $2k - 3k on a camera and lens, I may be able to push further on the cost if it is worth it. I definitely want something to shoot raw images, my current Nikon cannot do that and my GF's phone takes better pictures than that camera, no way to adjust white balance good enough nor focus well. I want a camera that will take incredible shots, I see so many people on here that have incredible macro shots, that is what I want.

 

[ninjamyst]

So many options now.

- invest in a new phone with a great camera and slap on a macro lens. The newest Google Pixel or Apple iPhone
- get an older Nikon DSLR like the D750 or even D610 and get a 105mm macro lens.
- invest in mirrorless like the Nikon Z5 and get a macro lens

While the camera matters, a lot of the magic happens in post processing.

 

[Snoopdog]

When I see full frame, does that just mean a bigger body? If I leave on a trip I would take the other Nikon, it does well for traveling. I do not see a big body camera being a big deal to me. On mirrorless versus non-mirrorless is there a consensus on what is better for reef photography. I am definitely not doing a cell camera on this, sorry but no thanks.

I am just looking for recommendations here. People seem to recommend the 90mm Tamron for macros, that may be a good solution and the price is right. I am going to start a spreadsheet on this purchase and weight out the options but since people here take some incredible shots, I would be dumb to not consider what others are doing. I just do not really see a cell phone competing with a Digital SLR

 

[ninjamyst]

Yes full frame generally means bigger body. Mirrorless is the new technology. Everyone is moving to mirrorless. Mirrorless also has smaller body. But if you are only using this for reef photography, you can go old and cheap. Get a Nikon D3500, slap on a 90mm Tamron lens for less than $1k.

You will be surprised how a lot of photos on Instagram are taken with a cell phone...they have cell phone lens now that remove the blue glare from photos.

I own a mirrorless Z5 so that's my primary camera for reef photos.

 

[maroun.c]

Many moving to mirorless, and newer lenses made for mirorless seem to be sharper than their dslr lenses but doubt you'll notice that difference in reefing shots. Its not clear if nikon is going to continue producing dslrs (no successor for the D750-D850) nikon is also behind Canon and other manufacturers in mirorless. I'm considering the move to mirorless especially as I will be investing in more pro lenses so want to get those in mirorless version as they seem to be better and also as we're not sure how long newer mirorless cameras will continue to use non mirorless lenses with the adaptor. Would be stupid of manufacturers to kill older lenses but then again many lenses without internal focusing motors stopped working on newer DSLRs ....
In my case as I have many lenses and nikon flashes... I prefer not to switch but as nikon is a bit late I'd rather secure my investment by going with a Z7ii vs a z5 or z6 as I went with a D750 2 years back and believe if I had gone D850 at the time I wouldn't be feeling the urge to upgrade.

 

[kiran]

Honestly if you can afford it I would get a Sony A7 series camera. I know with me I kept buying new cameras as my experience grew and in the end I wish I just bought a full-frame because I ended up spending so much in the end upgrading from camera to camera.

Sony and Canon are leading the show right now with their mirrorless models. Don't get me wrong Nikon is a solid company too but they kind of fell behind when it came to new technology.

Whatever camera you go with look up the macro lenses that can go with it and make sure it's a combination you want.

I have a Sony A7RII with their 90mm macro lens that I bought a few years ago and haven't felt the need to upgrade since. Sony is a solid choice. I've had Nikons and Canons and I ended up landing on Sony in the end.

 

[Snoopdog]

Honestly if you can afford it I would get a Sony A7 series camera. I know with me I kept buying new cameras as my experience grew and in the end I wish I just bought a full-frame because I ended up spending so much in the end upgrading from camera to camera.

Sony and Canon are leading the show right now with their mirrorless models. Don't get me wrong Nikon is a solid company too but they kind of fell behind when it came to new technology.

Whatever camera you go with look up the macro lenses that can go with it and make sure it's a combination you want.

I have a Sony A7RII with their 90mm macro lens that I bought a few years ago and haven't felt the need to upgrade since. Sony is a solid choice. I've had Nikons and Canons and I ended up landing on Sony in the end.

Yeah I need to weight it out, it would only take saving one more paycheck to get a way better camera. But I also do not want to overspend.

 

[Jedi1199]

I got myself a bundle package from Amazon with the Cannon t7 rebel.

For my needs, it has worked well so far. I can get incredible macro shots with the simple wide angle lens. The photos are detailed enough that you can achieve the macro look with simple post editing.

Here are a couple examples:

These photos are all taken with my Cannon using the wide angle lens. I shoot in RAW format, using a tripod and the remote shutter release to eliminate any possibility of camera shake. All flow turned off to elimintae shimmer and drift.

The magic happens in the editing. I use the basic editing software that comes with Windows photos.

 

[Jedi1199]

Here is the bundle I got. Looks like they don't offer the exact same one now, but you can get an idea...

 

[afrokobe]

You can get a lot done with less. I bought a sony A6000 with the kit lens for $400 on ebay. Here are some of my shots with some extension tubes and the kit lens.
DSC03521
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DSC03414

 

[Snoopdog]

What do the extension tubes do for you?

 

[afrokobe]

What do the extension tubes do for you?

they allow you to get closer to your subject without losing focus. Basically a cheap way to take macro lenses. I bought a set of tubes for $20 on amazon

 

[Snoopdog]

they allow you to get closer to your subject without losing focus. Basically a cheap way to take macro lenses. I bought a set of tubes for $20 on amazon

All of this is pretty encouraging to be able to get along on less money but still be able to take decent pictures.

 

[afrokobe]

All of this is pretty encouraging to be able to get along on less money but still be able to take decent pictures.

yea i would definitely buy something cheaper/older to get used to it. and if you have a newer phone, try taking pictures using that. For some people it might not be worth it to upgrade to a dedicated camera. Here are some shots from my pixel 6 pro.

The camera has definitely been an upgrade over the phone, but it might not always be the case

 

[Snoopdog]

yea i would definitely buy something cheaper/older to get used to it. and if you have a newer phone, try taking pictures using that. For some people it might not be worth it to upgrade to a dedicated camera. Here are some shots from my pixel 6 pro.

The camera has definitely been an upgrade over the phone, but it might not always be the case

I would rather have the images in raw format, that way I can do more corrections.

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

iany old dlsr with a high quality macro lens if shoppign on a budget for just reef photos,, with the mirrorless dlsr's nowadays you can find great deals on older camera bodies. the new cameras are so much lighter is the reason for the availibility.

 

[afrokobe]

I would rather have the images in raw format, that way I can do more corrections.

most new phones will let you shoot in raw

 

[Jeffcb]

What do the extension tubes do for you?

I have a Canon 100mm macro and am thinking about an extension tube. Which one will magnify more? A 12 or 25mm extension tube?

 

[adittam]

@Snoopdog, I'm a professional photographer as a side gig. I don't own a macro lens, but I know what I'm doing with a camera (a lot more than I know about reefing, that's for sure).

Knowledge and practice in making photos with a camera in manual mode (NOT manual focusing...I'm talking about adjusting the exposure settings for low light, how to freeze fast action, and how the aperture you choose affects depth of field) matters infinitely more than the camera you buy. Honestly, the lens matters more than the camera too. Anyone telling you that Sony/Nikon/Canon is the best and/or any of them are garbage is either ignorant or blindly loyal to whatever brand they're used to. They are the Big Three manufacturers pros use, and they all make fantastic gear. The nuances of what makes one brand better than the the others are just that - nuances. I am most familiar with Canon, so I can make the best recommendations for that manufacturer, but any dSLR or mirrorless interchangeable lens camera body manufactured in the last 3-5 years or so will be capable of taking amazing coral and fish pictures...with enough practice. If you still want recommendations on cameras or lenses, feel free to ask. I'm happy to give advice. But the camera doesn't matter as much as the lens or photographer.

Feel free to take a look at my build thread if you want to see a few examples of what a modern camera can do even with a non-macro lens WITH PRACTICE. All of the photos WITH my name in the bottom corner were taken with my Canon R5 and non-macro zoom lens (the ones without my watermark in the bottom corner were taken with my old crappy iPhone). They could be a noticeable step better if I bought a dedicated macro lens. The R5 was Canon's brand new $3900 flagship mirrorless camera in July 2020 (only the R3 is newer and more advanced than it in Canon's lineup now). I guarantee I could make better coral photos with a much cheaper, older camera and a nice macro lens.

 

[Grimmj]

Like stated above you don't have to spend a fortune for good pictures. Mirrorless or mirrored isn't going to make a huge difference it really comes down to lens quality. A good piece of glass can produce great images on a less than ideal camera body. The most import things are knowledge of the equipment you are using and how to adjust exposure. If you are not locked into the nikon mount Id suggest a canon and get a used L series macro lens.