I use a Canon PowerShot SX30 IS and I'm very happy with it. I love the 35X optical zoom which gives a higher magnification than my binoculars. It also uses a rechargeable lithium battery which lasts much, much longer than the rechargeable AA batteries in my old camera.

Canon keeps putting out new models of everything so there's a newer PowerShot and a newer battery charger; probably even better.

I use the camera every day for quick shots of whatever and it goes weeks (many weeks) before I have to recharge. I do keep a spare battery and just alternate. Usually I just switch the battery before I need to if I'm going off some where or am expecting something interesting to happen, and don't want the battery to go dead.

The Canon cameras have a multitude of programs and settings and I use very few of them. You can pick and choose certain situations (landscape, fireworks, snow, beach, etc.) or set your own. I also don't want to be bothered with fiddling with the camera when the photo is out there waiting - particularly if it's a case of a bird parading around. Birds usually don't wait for you to get set up - plants will wait.

I mostly use the P program setting and switch between sunny, cloudy, or several indoor light settings. This is very fast and easy. The Auto and Landscape settings are OK but I want a little more flexibility without much hassle.

The camera has the 35X zoom and a macro setting and you can adjust for poor lighting. The color balance is pretty good although blue is sometimes off a bit.

I used a pre-digital SLR (still in the cellar somewhere), but this camera suits me fine since I'm not really interested in the technicalities of fine digital photography.

One of the tricks to taking good photos is to take lots of them and just throw out the ones that you don't like. Deleting the almost good photos is the hard part - I tend to keep most of them just in case.

I also steady my handheld camera by leaning on whatever is nearby - coffeemaker, tree, car...

Claire

Most of my posted photos are taken with my Fuji S602 zoom. It's an older model, but there are some features I find indispensable. Fuji is one of the few camera lines that generally offer a super macro mode on most models. While regular macro is fine for some things, with super macro I can get within 1/4 inch of my subject. Not many cameras can do that. Here is one example of that setting:

And here's another (The flower was in the desert in Utah, and the blossom was no larger than a dime!):

In addition to fully automatic settings for exposure and white balance, there are many other choices should you want to use them. I also use the "P" (Programmed Auto) mode most of the time. It's still fully automatic, but allows for certain things to be set manually.

As for color reproduction, I find the colors to be exceptionally true to the real thing. The greens are really captured well which is something I've not found in other cameras that I've had or used.

An other tough color for digital cameras is red. I don't know if you saw this one when I posted it, but this Camellia has a great color, and my Fuji nailed it:

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I've got a really good Nikon less than a year old (D5000) and although it has more megapixels and does produce great shots, I still prefer my Fuji. I've used a friend's Canon Rebel often. (She always asks me to take the garden and flower photos for her!) We both agree that the colors are not as accurate as we'd like, a little on the "cool" (i.e. bluish) side and undersaturated.

I've posted a lot of photos here so you have probably seen them.

I hope this helps.

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Thanks to both of you and to those who have sent info via email. The more info from actual users, the better informed I'll be as I start this search.

For anyone else who is considering a similar purchase someone else emailed me this link to Digital Photography Review, which has tools such as side-by-side reviews and the one linked below, a feature selection/search (for example, for an optical viewfinder for situations where one can't easily see the digital screen.)

oops . . . forgot the link.

Here is a link that might be useful: camera feature search

NHBabs,
I forgot to mention the electronic viewfinder. It really is a great feature, because I can switch to it (and generally use it all the time) not only to compose my shots, but to see menu items, settings, etc. Although my LCD screen is easier to see in bright light than my Nikon or the Canon I use sometimes, I find it easier to see it all in the viewfinder.

Reviews are good, but I'd say keep in mind that some of the things the reviewers like or dislike don't always agree with our personal needs or preferences.

Good luck with whatever you buy!

{{gwi:5901}}

I can't add much more to what Bill and Claire already shared. I use some of the same techniques Claire mentioned. I have a point and shoot Canon with one of those LCD screens that pivot and turn. I love that feature about my camera and would find it difficult to do without it now.

Hi Barb,

I think the first question should be 'Do you want to change lenses or not?' - that will draw the line between the point and shoots with one fixed zoomable lens versus having to change lenses. The upper end Canon point and shoots that Claire, PM2, and I use are the last stop before getting into changing lenses. What do you mostly want to photograph? That will greatly determine your need.

I'm with you on the people thing, but I can spend an hour trying to get just the right bird shot or climb a ladder to get a macro on a 5' tall Queen Anne Lace flower. My Canon SX10 is wonderful (fixed lens, runs 28mm-500mm) and I love it. Roughly, 400 pictures to one battery charge. It's a little big, but it fits in my purse. Splurged and bought a Canon T2i (roughly 1850 non-RAW pictures to the charge) and put a 75-300mm lens on it for shooting birds in flight, does not fit in purse or pocket, do not want it slung around my neck for long (weight) but I love it also. Have an older Olympus point and shoot that may take better macros than either Canon, but that's debatable and depends on way too many shooting and viewing factors. Also own a newer pocket size point and shoot Olympus and it takes wonderfully clear, crisp pictures and fits in my jeans pocket. So, I like everything and am not a brand-owned photographer. I'm a hobbyist who has determined that I prefer hand held shooting over tri-pod. For me, this photography hobby began on this forum because Claire could shoot bird pictures through her window in the wintertime and with my old Olympus pocket job, I couldn't. (Yes, I still thank her.)

For me, the camera is a big tactile thing. I shoot nearly everyday and the camera I choose has to feel 'correct' in my hands. I went off to a Best Buy and literally felt every camera within my 'willing to spend $ on' range. It doesn't matter to me which brand the camera is; it has to feel right and the coloration (as best one can see online or printed) has to seem natural to me. Seemingly, we all see things a tad differently. A friend's Sony upper end P&S takes very nice pictures, but did not feel right in my hands. The body was too short. Who would have known that ahead of time?

Been hooked on digital photography for about 4 years now and just realized that I could easily write a 5000 word essay about my explorations. This is not the place for that. Digital photography has forced me to take a much closer look at my world which makes life so very, very pleasant! So, Barb, do you want an all-in-one single lens camera with great near and far capabilities for about $400 or less, or do you want a fancier job with changeable lenses? Whichever camera you choose for your hands and life style, I know we will see great pictures from New Hampshire!

And this morning because of that camera!, on a ladder, in the wind, hand held at 11:30a.m.,full sun, I learned that the stamen in Queen Anne Lace is not black or brown; it's red. (and it's usually the photographer and not the camera that either screws up or nails it. I do both.)

Jane

Jane,
What camera did you use for the Queen Anne Lace?

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Bill,
It was taken with the Rebel T2i fitted with an EF 50mm f/1.8 lens that I bought with my first film Canon EOS in 1987 (electro-optical system). Manual setting, exposure was 1/400 sec at f/7.1, ISO 100. Will have to try this shot with my old Olympus and see what happens. Edited and cropped in Lightroom 3.2.

OK so it was edited. I was wondering about the slightly enhanced and softened look of the white florets. I use a friend's Rebel now and then because she asks me to take flower and garden photos for her, but I'm not sure what model it is. I'll have to check. She got it about a year ago. I have a Nikon D5100, but for my photos of flowers (such as the ones posted above in this thread) I seem to get the best colors, especially the various greens and the often difficult reds, with my Fuji. The ones above were taken with that but there was no post processing. I also like that it can focus down to 1/4 inch, and if I stop down a little, I have to be careful not to have the lens touch the subject, so for tiny things in detail, it works well.

{{gwi:5901}}

Wow! I am so impressed with all of the technical knowledge from you folks, which, of course, explains why your photographs are so marvelous. My own camera is a Power Shot SD750 Canon that I bought just before heading to Europe where two of my daughters (more honestly, my grandchildren) lived. It's lightweight and easy to carry. I use this camera for all my GW photos but it's not that spectacular. Of course, that fact could be due to the photographer and not the camera.

Molie

One more comment: Try not to obsess too much with the technical quality of your photo or you won't post anything. Remember that you're posting something for the enjoyment of the forum members, you're not entering a digital photo contest. People are more interested in the subject of your photos than they are in the technical details.

An excellent photo is always appreciated on its own, and I'm not saying that wonderful photos are unwelcome. I'm just saying that we want to see photos of your garden even if they're not perfect.

Claire (who posts lots of imperfect photos)

Claire you make a good point and people should certainly post photos for all of us to enjoy. Having said that, the original poster was asking pretty much for technical information about cameras and techniques. I agree that we all want to see photos of everyone's gardens so pictures are always most welcome, and most of us here post good photos, but I have seen some that really look bad. Exposure, focus and composition that make it very hard to see what's there. However I'd never make a bad comment about photo quality. NHBabs was seeking some specifics so that's why I offered some details. I hope she got some good information from everyone that will help her.

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Bill, I didn't aim that comment at people like you or Jane who have posted technical information and great photos on this thread. That level of detail is of course very appropriate given the original request for information.

I was just trying to prevent less proficient photographers from getting discouraged and deciding not to post.

Claire

I certainly wouldn't have posted any photos if I were worried about my photo quality. ;>) They are more a type of visual notetaking for me. I would like them to more accurately reflect what I see, however, which is why I'll be camera shopping.

Thanks again to all of you who have weighed in with your experience with various cameras as well as various hints and questions that I need to answer about my use and wishes before buying.

Claire, I never felt that your comment was aimed at me or others not at all. I think we have a nice community here.......a great group of people. I was just trying to say that good quality photos are so much more enjoyable, especially for our garden shots, since accurate color and sharpness can provide that detail that can make a plant seem really appealing. On the other hand, a poor image sometimes hides the beauty of what is really a great addition to a garden. The first time I saw a really great photo of the Himalayan Blue Poppy (Meconopsis) I HAD to have one. When I was lucky enough to see the live plants in flower in England, then I REALLY HAD to have one. Unfortunately, so far, I haven't been able to get one to survive. Oh well......there are always the photos!

{{gwi:5901}}

I use my iPhone 4 a lot for quick shots. I also have a Nikon.

A camera that gives you an electronic screen to look at is often hard to use in full sunlight. I prefer a viewfinder. (The viewfinder may look at a tiny electronic screen inside the camera.)

A viewfinder also makes the camera steadier, as your head is part of the support. And the batteries last longer.

Lots of great information here from people who post some really fine photographs. If you are posting to a site like GW, the level of detail in your photos need not be at a professional level. That's because GW resizes the photos to fit into this forum. As a result the detail is less sharp. However, photos on Flickr or SmugMug can be very large and full sized with great sharpness and detail.

As for me I've been using a Sony DSC HX100v. Basically it's a point and shoot camera (like Claire's Canon Powershot), with a long zoom and a good macro setting. Those two things are helpful for garden photos. The Macro setting (sometimes represented by a flower on the dial) allows you to fill the frame with your subject. Here's an example.

I also use my iPhone a lot because it's in my pocket, and it is often said that the best camera is the one you have with you. So easy to carry is a good characteristic in a garden camera as well.

Having said that I'm trying to get better at my garden photography and recently upgraded to a Nikon d7100 DSLR. It's a great camera that produces super sharp photos and is able to give you what photographers call "bokeh". That means you focus on your subject and then keep the rest of the background out of focus. Like this shot.

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I'll be trying to learn more this Winter (reading, watching videos etc) and hopefully by next Spring I'll be ready to take better photos. Here's my favorite shot with the new camera thus far. It's the road leading to Assawompset Pond in Middleboro, MA

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Steve

All nice, Steve, but that last one is a stunner! Little wonder that it's your favorite.

Babs, did you ever buy a new camera? I'm just starting to think about getting a new one for Christmas this year, and wondered what you chose and how happy you are with it.

I'm a bit puzzled as to why this 2 1/2 year old thread has popped up again, but I do appreciate all the photography expertise that everyone has shared.

PM2, there's a second thread that came after this one if you'd like more info, linked below.

I ended up getting a Nikon Coolpix P600 which has a 60x zoom (a bit longer than the 50x Cannon which I also checked out) which I like for long shots of critters in the field. I followed Jane's advice to go and hold a bunch of cameras and try them out, and found both the Canon and the Nikon comfortable, though the Nikon is a bit larger. The Nikon is also slower processing images to get ready for another shot than the Cannon, I think. I am still just beginning to learn to use it, largely using it on the standard landscape setting, though I have started checking out the different options and menus. I most often use it to take photos of critters and scenes we've spotted when we were inside since that's where it's easily available, though I also take it with me when I am going outside specifically to take photos.

As Steve said above, "I also use my iPhone a lot because it's in my pocket, and it is often said that the best camera is the one you have with you." It doesn't do a great job on distance or small birds, but it has good color and is great to keep in my pocket to catch some of the surprises I see in the garden. I also use it for many of my landscape shots since it's with me and available when I'm working outside. The few times I've taken the Nikon out while I work in the garden, I've either lost track of where I've set it down, or found it in the way, so I usually just stuff the phone in my pocket when I am doing more than wandering around taking photos.

In the birds and mobile features #12 thread, I've posted photos taken with both cameras:
Sat, Nov 22, 14 at 9:05 - iPhone
Sat, Nov 22, 14 at 9:19 - Nikon
Dec 3, 14 at 18:04 - Nikon
Thu, Dec 4, 14 at 7:59 - Nikon

In the summer, more of the photos were phone photos since I was more likely to be out working during warm weather.

Here is a link that might be useful: the second camera question thread

Gee, I don’t know why this thread popped up again either. I didn’t go looking for it, it was close to the top for some reason.

But it was timely for me. :-)

I completely understand and my experiences mirror yours, when it comes to taking the camera out when you are working in the garden. I also only take it out when I am specifically going out to take photos. I don’t have a cell phone, though, so a point and shoot camera has to do the trick.

I still don’t think I am going to be using it for taking photos of birds very often. I might make an attempt to take photos of bees and butterflies though. I also need it to be an all around general use camera, capable of taking indoor candid photos of people that come out well too.

I see on the 2nd thread that you linked to, that I already posted that I was looking to replace my camera. I had forgotten about that and here it is December and I still haven’t replaced it. But it is Christmas time so the timing is now very convenient. [g]

Thanks for posting which photos were recently taken with your new camera, excellent shots! I plan on checking out that Nikon. I’m sure I’ll go with either a Nikon or a Canon.

Thanks very much!