Digital camera upgrade.......

[Old 97]

Hey folks,

I'm interested in purchasing a newer digital camera so I can take better photos of model trains and such.
I don't know beans about cameras and don't have time for a lengthy study
of them.
My current camera is a Concord 3042 AF with 3.1 Megapixels.
Can anyone point me in the direction of a entry level digital camera capable
of taking clear detailed pictures of 1/87 scale trains,people and automobiles?

Thanks in advance for any input.

Mike

 

[jbaakko]

Sony... or Cannon. I don't to pick a certain size though. If you're looking to get perfect shots, nothing beat a DSLR though.

 

[HaggisKennedy]

Digital Rebel with the supplied kit lens will do. Get a tripod and a cable release as well. Good lighting, a clear area to shoot, and use the long exposure at max f-stop will get you a really clear picture with good depth of field.

Kennedy

 

[JeffShultz]

I've got a Canon PowerShot A520 that I'm very happy with. It's been replaced with the A530 on the low end and the A560 on the high end. Check out http://www.circuitcity.com for prices... they're usually the best combination of price and convenience for me.
I've got a 1GB SD card which has been flat out wonderful!
Some example photos (it's a 4.0 mp):

And for more general photography, this was at Seaside, OR last weekend - hand carried, set to no flash:

 

[Smoke]

Isn't it risky to leave a forklift unattended??

-Smoke

 

[JeffShultz]

Yeah, I need to buy some figures.

 

[Old 97]

How embarrassing !!!!

This is quite embarrassing folks.
After I made my original posting on this topic, I spoke to a friend and he told
me about a "macro" setting.
I looked in my camera's manual and sure enough, there it was.

I just flipped the button and then snapped these pics......

They're not the best, but I'm now on the right track!

Thanks to everyone for the help given.

 

[HaggisKennedy]

Those came out pretty good.

If your camera is flexible and has a zoom, you might want to try and move farther away, using the zoom to zero in on the subject. That might get you better results if the macro setting doesn't (usually longer items which are too wide for the macro setting). You'll probably need a camera support (tripod, but you might be able to cobble something else together) because the exposure may be longer.

Kennedy