I have a few recommendations for Digital Cameras. Note that I am assuming you want something good, and not just a cheap Japanese toy. You are probably going on vacation and want to take some pretty photos, right? This is a topic I care about deeply, so here is some good information for you.
You’ll see some sample photos here on the page. You can do this too! In addition to camera recommendations, I also recommend a very nice piece of software that you can read about in my Photomatix Review. If you decide to order it, be sure to use the Photomatix Coupon Code of “STUCKINCUSTOMS” to save 15%.
Also please note that I link most everything here to B&H Photo, the greatest camera store in the world so you can buy your own. I’ve been to their Valhalla-like store a few times in New York and I always come away happy. They ARE a sponsor of the site, but I would say the same thing about them even if they were not a sponsor! Regular readers to this blog know I am Honest Abe about this…
Also, in addition to this page I have a My Reviews part of the site, where I talk about many of these things in more detail.
Hardware I recommend:
- Recommended Entry-Level Camera: Nikon D40 with 18-55mm Lens
- Note: I can’t fully recommend this entry level camera because it does not do autobracketing. It DOES take shots in RAW format, and you can use that for making HDRs (a method mentioned in my HDR Tutorial), but I believe it is better to have a camera that does have autobracketing built in.
- Recommended Mid Range Camera: Nikon D5000 with the 18-105mm Lens
- This is a great camera. It will treat you well and it will last you a lifetime of great shots. That lens that it comes with will be good enough for 90% of your photos!
- Recommended High End Camera: Nikon D700
- It is an amazing camera with a professional-grade photo sensor.
- Recommended Extreme-Stuck-in-Customs-Throw-Reason-To-The-Wind Camera: Nikon D3X – See my Nikon D3X review for more
- This is my camera and it is the ultimate. I can say no more. However, being realistic, I can tell you that it is only 10-20% (depending on the features you dig) better than the D700. That extra 10-20% will cost you a pretty penny, so my advice is to only do it if you have the extra cash, or this is a love where you have little willpower.
- Lenses:
- These are the lenses that I use the most along with links to short reviews I wrote on them:
- Nikon 14-24 Review (Lens) – A great wide-angle lens that I use for 80% of my landscapes
- Nikon 24-70 Review (Lens) – Perfect for mid-range stuff like birthdays, families, close-up sports, events, holiday cheer, swinger parties
- Nikon 50mm Review (Lens) – Ideal for cute children, close-up objects where you like a blurry background, friends, interventions
- Nikon 70-200 Review (Lens) – A great lens for things that are kinda far away, like animals or sports or that girl you are stalking
- These are the lenses that I use the most along with links to short reviews I wrote on them:
Software I recommend:
- Photomatix Review – the software I use most for the “look” of my photos
- Photoshop CS4 – Just get the basic without all that extra junk… for PC or Mac.
- Lightroom 2 (for PC and Mac) – used for organizing all my unprocessed and processed photos.
- Topaz Adjust Review – an amazing plugin to give very nice effects
- Noiseware Review – great for reducing the “noise” in photos
- Nik Review – a wide variety of post-processing filter options that are fun!
- Lucis Review – wonderful for adding sharp detail and pop
- Portraiture Review – used for making people and portraits look amazing
- Backblaze – a very easy-to-use online backup system for all your computer
- Last, if you are looking to save some money when ordering all this new cool stuff, see my Coupon Codes page.
Backup Hardware:
And last, here is a collection of photos I’ve shot with my Nikon equipment over the years. There are many more examples if you’d like to surf around the site!
December 21st, 2009 19:55 | Yair Yépez
Hi,
Congratulations, great pictures!
About your recomendations for HDR cameras, you own a Casio exilim F1, What do you think? Is this camera good for HDR? Have yyou some sample of the F1 for HDR?
I want to learn about HDR and also like the SSlow motion recording capability of the casio.
Thanks, and merry xmas.
Yair.