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[broken water]

Hello there.
I am most likely in need of, a good, lets just say magazine quality photo taking camera.
Any suggestions on brands, that will not cost me my life's savings?
Right now I am operating on a manual Nikon. Tis a great camera, but I don't know if the quality of picture it produces would be enough for commercial printing.
Advice welcome.

[jtnishi]

I seriously recommend you go ask on a general photography board for this one. Even if this question was related to, say, a cosplay publication, the fact is that the requirements for shooting for magazine quality vary, and that it will pay to get a lot of opinions from professionals.

(If this question isn't about a cosplay publication, it'd probably not belong here anyway.)

I will say this: if you're using a Nikon 35mm camera [I presume by manual, you mean not a digital point-and-shoot or digital SLR], you might be well to stick with it. Otherwise, if you have an investment in Nikon lenses, and you're planning to go digital, Nikon makes some decent D-SLRs. However, if 35mm isn't good enough, you might be stuck having to go the route of medium format, which means big money irregardless of digital or film. I think most magazines are going to be fine with 35mm resolution or equivalent (except, of course, for magazines with large print formats, or such as high end nature mags, which require medium format negatives).

I've seen newspapers use 3MP crops of images, so keep in mind it's publicatoin dependant.

[Efecss]

Just to expand on this a bit.

Most photographers who work with models do use an SLR camera, but, they use 4x5 inch film. Bigger film, greater resolution. But in general, it's exactly like working with a 35mm camera. (Except for film size.). But in general, from the information I got from my photography instructor, you want to use slide film. For work in studio, I love the good old 65asa ektachrome. But for general purpose, you want to use 200 to 400 asa.

Ofcourse, there is the old saying: Try everything until you find what works for you.

Ofcourse, if you want to do this for publication, or just sale, you have a lot more to think about....

[JadeCat]

Originally Posted by broken water

Hello there.
I am most likely in need of, a good, lets just say magazine quality photo taking camera.
Any suggestions on brands, that will not cost me my life's savings?
Right now I am operating on a manual Nikon. Tis a great camera, but I don't know if the quality of picture it produces would be enough for commercial printing.
Advice welcome.

No offense, but I suggest learning how to actually use your camera to the best of its ability, because buying a "new" camera isn't going to guarantee that you take better photos -- quality wise or not.

Manual SLR cameras using film or slide film can take great commercial quality photographs. Esp. considering that film is only a new advent of technology.

What type of "commercial printing" are you planning on doing? There are many labs that will still print using film negatives and many stock companies still will accept film.

[tfcreate]

Actually, most news photographers use either 35mm or it's digital counterpart. I've never known Nikon to make a bad camera. Odds are, it's just a matter of practice. The purchase of a large format camera is a huge cash outlay, and unless you plan to do professional work, it wouldn't be worth it. For something to photograph cosplay, even a Nikon 35mm may even be overkill.
Also, in photography, the little things DO matter. 1/2 an F-stop could ruin a picture. Be as maticulous as you can and always practice.
Good Luck.

TFC

[Efecss]

Originally Posted by tfcreate

Actually, most news photographers use either 35mm or it's digital counterpart. I've never known Nikon to make a bad camera. Odds are, it's just a matter of practice. The purchase of a large format camera is a huge cash outlay, and unless you plan to do professional work, it wouldn't be worth it. For something to photograph cosplay, even a Nikon 35mm may even be overkill.
Also, in photography, the little things DO matter. 1/2 an F-stop could ruin a picture. Be as maticulous as you can and always practice.
Good Luck.

TFC

I don't think 35mm is overkill. I would say it's rather the bare minimum requirements. When I was talking about 4x5 film, I was going to the upper plateau. (I would love a 4x5, even an 8x10 camera to do some really good/odd shots) And the only thing I really hate about digital is that you basically have to put in new batteries every 15 minutes

And for the last statement. WHile it is the little things that do make the shot, I've made some really bad goofs that turned out to be some of the best pictures I have.

But, the last sentance, I highly endorce. "Be as maticulous as you can and always practice."

[tfcreate]

Originally Posted by Efecss

I don't think 35mm is overkill. I would say it's rather the bare minimum requirements. When I was talking about 4x5 film, I was going to the upper plateau. [/i][/b]

For most cosplay work a simple 35mm Point-and-shoot can produce good to very good results. Nikon, considered by most as one of the best of the best, is alittle more than many hobbyist need.

Originally Posted by Efecss

And for the last statement. WHile it is the little things that do make the shot, I've made some really bad goofs that turned out to be some of the best pictures I have.

Sounds like your instincts as a photographer kicked in rather than a goof.
They serve us well when we let them.

TFC

[shiroin]

watch out for your shutter speeds, and focus. I have ruined hundreds of pictured from tokyo because of these two damn things, especially the first one.

[Efecss]

Originally Posted by shiroin

watch out for your shutter speeds, and focus. I have ruined hundreds of pictured from tokyo because of these two damn things, especially the first one.

Oh, I hear that.

Right now focusing is a real chore for me, because I got this condition a couple of years ago called Bell's Palsey, which basically deadened all the expressive muscles on one side of my face (I got it on both sides at the same time which is unheard of.) So now I can't get my eye to completely focus while looking through a lense. So I have to hold my eye farther from the viewfinder than usual.

Kind of makes me work harder.