Best digital SLR for herp shots?

Hi All,

Christmas has been kind this year and I'm about to get a Digital SLR, which do you all use or have found to be the best for herp shots? especially Macro....

Cheers Matt

Hi Matt

The SLR is not the point, it's the lens, a more ore less good macro lens is the main thing in shooting macros.

To come back to the SLR, go into a shop which sells some brands (canon, nikon, olympus, sony etc) and try them out, best thing would be to take a "starter" model, it's the best thing to learn it and a good macro lens can be adjustet to de "advanced" SLR everytime.
So choose a SLR which is the best for you "in your hand", just try them out

Greetings
Markus

Hi Matt,

I´m probably not the best person to give you some advice about SLRs because I´m just a beginner. Maybe Guenther can tell you more Wink

I think Canon and Nikon are the most common SLRs like Canon EOS 450D and so on. If you want to make macro shots I guess it´s good to start with 105mm.
(i´ve got http://www.canon-europe.com/For_Home/Product_Finder/Cameras/EF_Lenses/Macro_Lenses/EF_100mm_f28_Macro_USM/ and I´m really happy with it)

Thanks guy's I will have a look around and get the feel of a couple,

Cheers Matt

It does not matter if You choose Canon or Nikon - due to low light situations other SLRs still have some problems there, Canon and Nikon may be the best choice here.

As was pointed out before, the lens is the important thing. Camera bodies will be replaced all 2-3 years, but a good lens is a thing You will have a long time.

Taking into account that, I'd say buy a "cheap" camera body like Canon 500D or 50D and a fine macro lens as Sigma 150/2.8 HSM - but Tamron, Canon, Nikon, Tokina also build excellent macro lenses.

Macro lenses have usually a slow focusing performance in comparison with standard lenses. Therefor HSM (USM) lenses - i. e. hypersonic AF - is a good choice. The point is, that the autofucus needs to be very precise for macro lenses and this reduces the focusing speed.

Another possibility could be to use a good zoom lens (70-200/2.8 ) and add some extension tubes, which are very cheap (about 50-100 EUR) to make a macro lens out of it. I still do use this setup very often.

Conclusion:
Buy cheap cameras, but never buy cheap lenses with low aperture (>= f/4). AF works always best with high apertures (<= 2.8 ). Even if You reduce the stop when taking the picture, the AF will use the open aperture and the camera will set to the selected stop value at the moment the shutter opens.
Of course the combination of a professional camera with a good lens is THE choice but sometimes the money is a strong argument against this Wink

Thank you guenter,

That has helped alot, Money is a factor like you say so I will look into a good lense over here and hope to show you some good shots in the near future Very Happy

Cheers Matt

Guenter is absolutely right. Especially about which cameras to choose. About a year ago I was in your position and I ended up going with a Sony A350 so I could choose between the old Minolta Maxxum lenses and have in-body image stabilization. It is definitely capable of taking good pics but it struggles in low light especially bad. Definitely worse than the Canons or Nikons. There just seems to be much more noise in low light pictures, which makes it really bad because I'm not a fan of using my flash too much either! Not saying it's all bad but it does get a little frustrating at times. -Jamie

Though especially the Sonys are getting better and better at low light recently. But still some way to go I think.

A word to the flashes:
I use 2 flashes if possible. The master on the camera is reduced 2-3 stops. A slave is placed at the side to give the main light and sometimes a reflector on the other side is helpful. If it are Your snakes, You have any possibilities though I understand that people do not want to handle reflectors in a mamba cage to frequently Very Happy

Hi Günter

Have you ever tried a ring-flash ?
I want to get one for spider pics and so on but I don't know how good it works on snakes?

Cheers

I own one, yes.
Usually the light is to flat for my taste but I think it will work quite well with spiders. Maybe with an additional light source from one side to get a bit mor dramatic light?
Cheers,
Guenter

hi I use a canon ef 180mm 3,5L macro usm that is canons absolute best macro lens, super sharp and amazing boquet!! I have a Canon eos 5D mkII
reg
mats

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