Sunday, May 12, 2013

What camera is best for my situation?

Q. My husband and I are missionaries going to the Congo in Africa (jungle) for the next few years. I am looking for a water resistant, shock resistant camera (very humid environment). I need one that will focus on close ups of items without it blurring or making the objects further away in focus. My current camera is a standard digital camera but it does not focus on close objects and it is not water resistant. The camera will also need to be able to use a memory card so I can email pictures of my daughter back home to the states. Bonus points if it records videos as well.

A. I don't know why Jim A continues to tell people that there's no such thing as a shock resistant camera. Just search for "shockproof camera" on Amazon. There's dozens of them!

Try the Panasonic DMC-FT4 or DMC-TS4 as it's called in the USA. It's waterproof to 12 meters, shockproof for a 2 meter fall, freezeproof to -10 celcius and dustproof. It's got the macro closeup facility you want and uses standard SDHC memory cards. And it records full HD 1080p video. Even underwater!

Review here with a few other waterproof cameras: http://www.lenstip.com/134.5-article-Waterproof_cameras_test_2012_-_part_I_Panasonic_Lumix_DMC-FT4.html

I would advise buying and testing it well before you leave. The biggest recurring complaint I see with waterproof cameras is that they have quality control problems, meaning you don't always get a good waterproof one. It's not the easiest piece of equipment to make because the rubber waterproof seals are quite difficult to design install in a way that guarantees that water can't get in. Usually if they work then they do continue to work well for several years, but it's easy to end up with a duff one.



The problem with closeup macro work is that when you are very close to an object, your depth of field (the amount in focus) is not very great, so things behind the subject do tend to be out of focus. That's just part of the physics of photography.

You can compensate a bit by setting the camera into aperture-priority mode and setting a small aperture, but that in turn means using slower shutter speeds, so you are more likely to introduce blur through camera shake (unless you use a tripod) or through the object moving.

You can compensate for slow shutter speeds a bit by increasing the ISO setting, but that tends to add more "noise" to the image.

This balance of shutter speed, aperture size and ISO setting is at the core of all photography. To get a lot in focus with macro pictures you need a lot of light, a lens which stops down to very small apertures and which focuses close up and a good tripod. That's only really achievable with a Digital SLR camera with dedicated macro lens - and that isn't cheap.

Often the best macro shots are obtained by deliberately throwing everything completely out of focus except for the main object.


What is a good hd recording video camera thats around 100 to 150?
Q. It has to be from the year 2011 or preferably 2012 but either works so yeah thanks in advanced

A. There really isn't anything "good" for that money. You'll get adequate but not good. Good is more in the $500 range and up.


How can I record my answering machine messages to another device?
Q. Not for me, but regardless: Somebody I know is looking to get a new house phone. However, his wife doesn't want a new phone because of messages from loved ones who have recently passed. I was wondering- with 2012 approaching- if there's any such device by now that could record these sentimental messages from the answering machine and be kept on another device or stored onto a computer. I'd appreciate the help.
Please and thank you.

A. If it has an earphone jack then it could be run into a audio IN on an audio or video recording camera or recorder.

Or, take any smart phone, video camera or still camera that also shoot video and get it real close to the answering machine, put the camera/recorder into record mode and play back the messages.





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