Digital cameras 101

[Xane79]

Hi everybody!
I am new to photography, I need advice on what camera to purchase along with what kind of lens. I like to shoot close-ups of faces (wrinkles and all) and close-ups of flowers.

[ShutterbugGail]

Hi there Xane79 and welcome to the Q&A Forum,

And welcome to the wonderful world of photography!!

Please give us a bit more information. Are you looking for a digital single lens reflex camera (which takes interchangeable lenses) or an advanced compact camera (which takes converter lenses)? About how much do you want to spend? Digital cameras come in all price ranges and lenses, too.

Take a peek at our Buying Guide area, which provides helpful information about camera types:

http://www.digicamhelp.com/buying-guide/

[Xane79]

I have no clue what you just said about lenses does that give you an idea about how clueless I am?
I see that professional photogs in weddings and the paparazzi in hollywood have cameras with MASSIVE lenses, their cameras seem to capture the people very clearly. What you mentioned about an advanced camera which takes different lenses seems appealing to me. As I mentioned I'm obsessed with close ups, I'm willing to spend around $1000.

[ShutterbugGail]

You have a lot of options with $1000 budget, though keep in mind some of those huge lenses you' mentioned cost thousands of dollars!

You can get an entry level DSLR (or an older one) with a decent macro lens in that price range.  There are also some very fine non-dslr options so you need to do more thinking about the type of camera you want.

A digital single lens reflex camera takes interchangeable lenses. They can be physically removed from a camera.

http://www.digicamhelp.com/accessories/dslr-accessories/lens-quality.php

http://www.digicamhelp.com/accessories/dslr-accessories/lens-types.php

A number of advanced digital cameras have some of the features found on DSLR. The lenses can not be removed from compact digital camera but but by using an adapter, you can add a converter lens (including Macro).

http://www.digicamhelp.com/accessories/lenses/

The author of an article at Digicamhelp uses a compact, zoom camera for his "Extreme Macro" shots. He discussed the type of equipment he uses. I think you'll find the article very helpful, not only in deciding what type of camera may be best for your needs, but for future reference taking close-up shots.

http://www.digicamhelp.com/learn/macro-close/extreme-macro.php

He uses a camera similar to this one:

http://www.digicamhelp.com/buying-guide/camera-types/dslr-like.php

Here are some cameras that fit into this category:

http://astore.amazon.com/digicamhelp-20?_encoding=UTF8&node=45

Here's some additional information that can help you decide the type of camera which best meets your need and budget:

http://www.digicamhelp.com/buying-guide/camera-types/dslr-ps.php

Here are some examples of the type and costs of converter lenses:

http://astore.amazon.com/digicamhelp-20?_encoding=UTF8&node=71

I know I've given you a lot of "stuff" to read but a someone very new into photography, you need to understand a few things before spending $1000.

When you decide on a type of camera, let us know.

[Xane79]

Thank you so much for your detailed and prompt reply. This is one of the best sites out there, I really really appreciate your help.

Of course I'll let you know when I make that choice, I'm excited now!

I will make sure to recommend this site to my friends and co-workers.

X

[ShutterbugGail]

Thank you so much for your detailed and prompt reply. This is one of the best sites out there, I really really appreciate your help.

Thank you for the kind words and we're so glad we could be of help. Digicamhelp is geared specifically to new digital camera users like you, as well as intermediate users.

Of course I'll let you know when I make that choice, I'm excited now!

I will make sure to recommend this site to my friends and co-workers.

If you narrow it down to the type of digital camera that best suits your style, we may be able to help you by suggesting a few cameras that fit into those parameters.

Thank you so much for recommending Digicamhelp to your friends. In the next few days, Digicamhelp will have a new look and format, with a lot easier navigation. We've been working on the site behind the scenes for several months. If all goes as planned, it will be launched within a week. Here's the temporary URL if you care to take a sneak peek.

http://dev.digicamhelp.com/

The forum area will have a facelift too.