close up shots

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MY husband is disable so i cant afford an expensive camera but i need something in an slr that he can operate without too much stress to take photo of his orchid flowers. The pictures need to really show detail of very small flowers some small as quarter.please inform me as to what kind of lense is best and if you have a complete package in a auto focus slr.Thank you for your time and hope to hear form you soon.----jackie---at---ziya3@aol.com

-- jackie (ziya3@aol.com), May 16, 2002

Answers

I like canon manual focus cameras. AE1 or AE1P, average price on ebay $130.00, I got mine cheaper. Also a 100 mm macro lens, canon brand is expensive, about $400. I bought a Kiron 105mm macro lens off of ebay for $100. also vivitar 90mm macro lens are supposed to be very sharp, also about $100 - $150. Hope this helps, David

-- David Presson (davpress@hotmail.com), May 18, 2002.

We really talk about the older manual focus cameras here, so I can't suggest the best autofocus SLR. However I'll give you a rundown of the three cheapest ways to do close-ups. Bear in mind that for proper close-up work you usually have to coarse-focus by moving the camera backwards and forwards as the range of distances over which the lens can focus is extremely limited, so an autofocus camera may not be the best choice anyway (and will probably be more expensive than a second-hand manual focus camera from a reputable dealer). Additionally, at high magnifications you often need to support the camera on something, such as a tripod, otherwise the shake of your hands may blur the picture, so you may need to budget for one of these as well. Anyway, here are the three ways: 1. Most zoom lenses for manual focus cameras have a "macro" setting which allows you to focus on things nearer than normal. This is essentially "free" as you've already bought the lens, however it isn't terribly flexible and I don't know if it also applies to autofocus cameras. 2. You can buy special close-up lenses (like a magnifying glass) that screw into the front of the lens. These are available in several strengths and offer different magnifications depending on the strength of this extra lens and also the focal length of the camera lens you're attaching it to. These close-up lenses vary in price according to their manufacturer, quality etc. 3. The third option is to use extension tubes. These are special tubes that fit between the camera body and the lens. They come either singly or in sets and you get different magnifications by choosing the length of the tube and the lens that you're using. The cheapest of these tends to cost the same as the most expensive close-up lens mentioned in 2. I suggest your next step should be to visit a proper camera shop and try to find a salesperson who can show you the different options, so that you can evaluate them with respect to their cost, magnifying ability and how suitable they are for your husband's disability.

-- Jeremy (bmjb@hotmail.com), May 18, 2002.

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