upgrade?

[jonny pallisey]

hi All, iv been using an old Fujifilm finepix 2000hd to take pix outdoors of artwork,usually items 12 x 12 inches max taken from about 3 metres in good light .My question is if i got a DSLR with a standard factory lens set up- would the pix be immediately noticeably better,crisper ? What im trying to find out [as a novice] is that would it be well worth upgrading.Iv taken images with an Iphone not noticing any difference to the Fuji

 

[woof woof]

Probably. An ex of mine went fron a digital compact to a DSLR for taking pictures of products to sell on line including suits. When she got the DSLR she said that for the first time she was seeing detail such as stitching clearly.

Personally I'd skip DSLR's and go for an older used mirrorless camera.

 

[jonny pallisey]

Probably. An ex of mine went fron a digital compact to a DSLR for taking pictures of products to sell on line including suits. When she got the DSLR she said that for the first time she was seeing detail such as stitching clearly.

Personally I'd skip DSLR's and go for an older used mirrorless camera.

thanks for that info. Seeing stitching on a suit is the sort of clarity im hoping to get . Would you say the mirRorless gets the stitching even better than a DSLR or is that a given?

 

[woof woof]

Mirrorless cameras generally have more consistent focus so that's one less thing to worry about and they have evf's with WYSIWYG which should make everything a bit easier.

 

[dans_shutter]

WYSIWYG

Meaning What You See Is What You Get (sorry I don't want to appear condescending but I thought it would be useful to clarify)
This is yet another benefit over the DSLR as the optical viewfinders DSLR have do not cover 100% the area you photograph.

 

[ancient_mariner]

thanks for that info. Seeing stitching on a suit is the sort of clarity im hoping to get . Would you say the mirRorless gets the stitching even better than a DSLR or is that a given?

There's a number of of variables in there which it's worth teasing out. Your presnt camera:
The Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD is a compact DSLR style camera with a 15x optical zoom that gives you a 35mm equivalent of 27.6-414mm.

The artwork you photograph is a MAX of 12"X12" - what is the smallest size, and how far away do you normally stand to photograph it?
How large will you be viewing the images?
What is your budget?

The camera you have at the moment will alow you to stand a long way from your object and still zoom in close. This can be done with a DSLR or Mirrorless camera, but the lenses tend to be bulky and expensive, especially so with larger sensor cameras. OTOH if you can get as close as you like to the artwork then that makes it simpler, and a modest zoom lens should give a boost in image quality provided your object is not too small.

 

[jonny pallisey]

There's a number of of variables in there which it's worth teasing out. Your presnt camera:
The Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD is a compact DSLR style camera with a 15x optical zoom that gives you a 35mm equivalent of 27.6-414mm.

The artwork you photograph is a MAX of 12"X12" - what is the smallest size, and how far away do you normally stand to photograph it?
How large will you be viewing the images?
What is your budget?

The camera you have at the moment will alow you to stand a long way from your object and still zoom in close. This can be done with a DSLR or Mirrorless camera, but the lenses tend to be bulky and expensive, especially so with larger sensor cameras. OTOH if you can get as close as you like to the artwork then that makes it simpler, and a modest zoom lens should give a boost in image quality provided your object is not too small.

smallest art is 6x6 inches and the largest 12x12 inches mostly i stand 2 metres away. I always wait for a day with very good light and Always take my pix on a good light day. I dont ever use the zoom . Im selling my art projects small sculptures/paintings [on etsy and ebay] been doing this 6yrs and all along iv wondered would a better camera be an idea[having said that my photos are clear but not Super clear [as in threads on a suit ] .For a while i tried an iphone,no better and no worse than the Fuji . So im thinking id be better to stand closer than i currently do,close up as poss? ? im really grateful for the info.

 

[jonny pallisey]

i havnt really got an idea of budget , prob be £200 notes tho is that like wanting champagne but only have beer money??

 

[snerkler]

hi All, iv been using an old Fujifilm finepix 2000hd to take pix outdoors of artwork,usually items 12 x 12 inches max taken from about 3 metres in good light .My question is if i got a DSLR with a standard factory lens set up- would the pix be immediately noticeably better,crisper ? What im trying to find out [as a novice] is that would it be well worth upgrading.Iv taken images with an Iphone not noticing any difference to the Fuji

It depends. I would expect the DSLR to have better image quality, BUT not everyone sees it, after all there’s a large number of people who think phones are as good as “proper cameras”

i havnt really got an idea of budget , prob be £200 notes tho is that like wanting champagne but only have beer money??.

It depends, if you want something with the same sort of flexibility/zoom range of your Fuji then yes. But you could get something like a D3200 and f1.8 prime lens and it will give you far superior image quality to what you have.

The kit 18-55mm should give you better IQ too, but don’t expect it to give you the ‘wow’ factor.

 

[LeeRatters]

i havnt really got an idea of budget , prob be £200 notes tho is that like wanting champagne but only have beer money??

I was easily agreeing with Alan about an older, cheaper mirrorless. But then the budget.....

How about something like a used Canon 6D and 50/1.8? Yes, it's DSLR but it's probably a lot of camera & IQ for the cost.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

May I suggest that you first get yourself a solid and rigid tripod?

I think you will find that such a device will increase the sharpness of your results just as well as, if not more than, a different camera. A second hand tripod will do the job as well as a new one, if it is solid. You should be able to find a really solid one for less than £50 because frankly, they seldom hold their price.

 

[woof woof]

i havnt really got an idea of budget , prob be £200 notes tho is that like wanting champagne but only have beer money??

A used mirrorless camera could be used with a manual focus film era macro lens via a cheap dumb adapter or you could stick with a cheap auto focusv"kit" zoom or a cheap prime. You could do this for £200. The non macro options could mean cropping the picture post capture but you'd likely still end up with a final pucture big enough for your needs.

 

[snerkler]

May I suggest that you first get yourself a solid and rigid tripod?

I think you will find that such a device will increase the sharpness of your results just as well as, if not more than, a different camera. A second hand tripod will do the job as well as a new one, if it is solid. You should be able to find a really solid one for less than £50 because frankly, they seldom hold their price.

I was recommended a tripod when I first started out, I’ve used one for about 1% of my photography.

 

[jonny pallisey]

I was easily agreeing with Alan about an older, cheaper mirrorless. But then the budget.....

How about something like a used Canon 6D and 50/1.8? Yes, it's DSLR but it's probably a lot of camera & IQ for the cost.

would i see the threads on a suit with a DSLR with the standard zoom lens? altho i have no idea what advantage a prime lens offers,would having that on instead of the usual really give it the edge on clarity?

 

[woof woof]

May I suggest that you first get yourself a solid and rigid tripod?

I think you will find that such a device will increase the sharpness of your results just as well as, if not more than, a different camera. A second hand tripod will do the job as well as a new one, if it is solid. You should be able to find a really solid one for less than £50 because frankly, they seldom hold their price.

If taking pictures in good light a tripod might not be needed. I only use one for long exposures.

 

[jonny pallisey]

I was recommended a tripod when I first started out, I’ve used one for about 1% of my photography.

why havnt you bothered with one?

 

[woof woof]

I was easily agreeing with Alan about an older, cheaper mirrorless. But then the budget.....

How about something like a used Canon 6D and 50/1.8? Yes, it's DSLR but it's probably a lot of camera & IQ for the cost.

I'd rather go for an early MFT for either consistant AF or accurate MF plus I don't know how good that lens is.

 

[woof woof]

why havnt you bothered with one?

Shutter speed?

You only need a tripod for longer exposures than can be done hand held or for fixing the camera into position for whatever reason.

 

[Eucris]

hi All, iv been using an old Fujifilm finepix 2000hd to take pix outdoors of artwork,usually items 12 x 12 inches max taken from about 3 metres in good light .My question is if i got a DSLR with a standard factory lens set up- would the pix be immediately noticeably better,crisper ? What im trying to find out [as a novice] is that would it be well worth upgrading.Iv taken images with an Iphone not noticing any difference to the Fuji

What shutter speed are you using to take the pictures?

 

[jonny pallisey]

time to time iv browsed ebay for DSLR but iv no idea on them so iv never gone further.

What shutter speed are you using to take the pictures?

iv only ever used the Auto setting , im the sort who starts going into the menu looking for an improvement ,gets nowhere AND then finds iv lost the original setting that was working ok. Dyou think if i used the manual settings itd be like night and day [regarding clarity] ? if you say yes then i might try that [going manual]

 

[ancient_mariner]

why havnt you bothered with one?

Tripods are useful if you need a shutter speed slow enought to show movement in the image. Many of us use shutter speeds fastenough that it's not a problem, and your reference to bright light suggests an awareness of this too. Tripods can help with image sharpness, but only if shake is a problem.

How would you feel about posting a couple of example pictures that you would like to see improved? That way we can assess what it is that could be done better and whether gear or something else is the answer.

 

[ancient_mariner]

Dyou think if i used the manual settings itd be like night and day [regarding clarity] ? if you say yes then i might try that [going manual]

Manual is only needed when auto exposure won't work. It won't affect clarity unless the camera is selecting slow shutter speeds (unlikely) or excessively high ISO settings (which you will need anyway).

 

[jonny pallisey]

Tripods are useful if you need a shutter speed slow enought to show movement in the image. Many of us use shutter speeds fastenough that it's not a problem, and your reference to bright light suggests an awareness of this too. Tripods can help with image sharpness, but only if shake is a problem.

How would you feel about posting a couple of example pictures that you would like to see improved? That way we can assess what it is that could be done better and whether gear or something else is the answer.

 

[ancient_mariner]

Is that typical of the size they would be shown at?

 

[jonny pallisey]

Is that typical of the size they would be shown at?

theyre typical yes.To my mind they just look ok,and nothing more . Is that your first impression?

 

[Ed Sutton]

The first thing I'd ask is, are your photos hindering sales? If your works are selling then your photos are good enough.

JMO based on personal experience as over the last 20 odd years I improved the quality of my product shots, but sales haven't increased because of it.

 

[jonny pallisey]

The first thing I'd ask is, are your photos hindering sales? If your works are selling then your photos are good enough.

JMO based on personal experience as over the last 20 odd years I improved the quality of my product shots, but sales haven't increased because of it.

not hindering sales -altho iv had one or 2 buyer comments like "looks better than in the photo s " - sales have always been good i just wonder occasionally that " if i was writing on quality paper rather than that cheap copypaper itd give a better impression?" you get my drift

 

[Ed Sutton]

not hindering sales -altho iv had one or 2 buyer comments like "looks better than in the photo s " - sales have always been good i just wonder occasionally that " if i was writing on quality paper rather than that cheap copypaper itd give a better impression?" you get my drift

I know what you mean. You have pride in your works and want to present them as best you can.

I'd suggest that what upgrading the photographic gear will do most is enable your photos to be enlarged to better show fine detail.

 

[Erty]

I've compared my (inexpensive)phone to the output of an early DSLR (D40) and the DSLR was a lot better.

I'd suggest a Nikon D90 with a 18-70 zoom lens. Plus an external flash like a SB-600 and a tripod.

That is 15-20 year old kit but it is cheap and no one will be able to tell the difference in the pictures. Any 3 dimensional work will look better if you concentrate on lighting. Check out the lighting section of this website.

 

[jonny pallisey]

Thanks all .The gist of it is im getting the vibe from you all that id defo notice a difference so i will look out for a decent dslr. im also going to look into making a small portable backdrop for my tiny garden area.Currently i just head outside in my local area and take my pix wherever has best light such as the beach but sometimes find folk get snarley "what the fark are you doing??" im thinking that with a DSLR lens jutting out , that could be even more of a problem,not that long ago early one morning i saw a fellow on the pier with a big lens set up i noticed him and he wouldnt have likely dared be using it once the day got busy with peeps. Yes im going to make a backdrop like a shelf prob from wood painted white or possibly black

 

[ancient_mariner]

Personally at the size presented here, I don't think you would see a difference, but as suggested, that would change as the image size increased.

 

[snerkler]

why havnt you bothered with one?

As others have said, you only really need them if you're using a shutter speed slower than what you can hand hold at. I go through phases of taking landscapes photos and if I'm shooting at sunrise/sunset, and/or want to get the soft silky water I'll use a tripod, otherwise they're too much faff and don't add any benefit. People used to say to get the absolute sharpest images you must manually focus and use a tripod, but it's not true anymore.

time to time iv browsed ebay for DSLR but iv no idea on them so iv never gone further.

iv only ever used the Auto setting , im the sort who starts going into the menu looking for an improvement ,gets nowhere AND then finds iv lost the original setting that was working ok. Dyou think if i used the manual settings itd be like night and day [regarding clarity] ? if you say yes then i might try that [going manual]

I would strongly urge you to at least learn the basics of exposure and get out of using auto mode, I'm sure you'll see a big improvement just doing this. The book understanding exposure by Bryan Peterson is a great book to teach you the basics of photography, it's written in an easy to understand way.

Personally at the size presented here, I don't think you would see a difference, but as suggested, that would change as the image size increased.

I agree, however the image quality when uploaded to this site isn't the best so it might not be a true represenation

 

[woof woof]

Thanks all .The gist of it is im getting the vibe from you all that id defo notice a difference so i will look out for a decent dslr. im also going to look into making a small portable backdrop for my tiny garden area.Currently i just head outside in my local area and take my pix wherever has best light such as the beach but sometimes find folk get snarley "what the fark are you doing??" im thinking that with a DSLR lens jutting out , that could be even more of a problem,not that long ago early one morning i saw a fellow on the pier with a big lens set up i noticed him and he wouldnt have likely dared be using it once the day got busy with peeps. Yes im going to make a backdrop like a shelf prob from wood painted white or possibly black

I've had unfriendly comments and confrontations and some funny ones too along the lines of "Are you from the council?" Maybe just keep calm and friendly and explain? This is one of the reasons I like kit to be as compact and unobtrusive as possible.

On settings, I use aperture priority until the light drops and causes the shutter speed to drop too low and then I switch to manual and dial in appropriate settings.

This is an early Panasonic MFT camera and kit lens... Note that these links are for indication only! If actually buying one I'd want to read the ads more carefully!

CeX

uk.webuy.com

I had the earlier G1.

CeX

uk.webuy.com

You should also maybe think about getting a spare battery and a charger and a bag too if you haven't already got one. You don't need an expensive camera bag, my most used "camera bag" is a cheap man bag I got for £10.

Whichever way you go, good luck with this.

 

[Eucris]

@jonny pallisey I have had a look at the images on Etsy and they look alright to me.

 

[jonny pallisey]

@jonny pallisey I have had a look at the images on Etsy and they look alright to me.

im glad to hear that. Cheers!

 

[jonny pallisey]

I've had unfriendly comments and confrontations and some funny ones too along the lines of "Are you from the council?" Maybe just keep calm and friendly and explain? This is one of the reasons I like kit to be as compact and unobtrusive as possible.

On settings, I use aperture priority until the light drops and causes the shutter speed to drop too low and then I switch to manual and dial in appropriate settings.

This is an early Panasonic MFT camera and kit lens... Note that these links are for indication only! If actually buying one I'd want to read the ads more carefully!

CeX

uk.webuy.com

I had the earlier G1.

CeX

uk.webuy.com

You should also maybe think about getting a spare battery and a charger and a bag too if you haven't already got one. You don't need an expensive camera bag, my most used "camera bag" is a cheap man bag I got for £10.
Whichever way you go, good luck with this.

you are so right -shouted comments are unsettling . Back in the day surely things werent so touchy? hell youd be proud to have a giant zoom lens camera on the table as you sipped tea at a street cafe . i used to carry my airgun over my shoulder in a rifle case when out for a walk -and fire at will- as a boy nobody said anything [1980s]