camera for landscape, help!

Hi,

I have merely no experience in serious photography.

I work for a windfarm project company and we need a camera for photo-simulation. Photo-simulation, sometimes called photomontage, consists of showing the visual impact of a project from different point of vue (pictures).

I have read the threads, but I actually do not know what is good or not for what we want to use it.

Description:

1 - Budget: 700$

2 - Use : Landscape photography with stitching (autopano pro).
____a - Pictures need to be "clear" (not blurred) so that it is easy to work with in photoshop after
____b - Manipulated by non-professionals, cannot be too complicated (dont need manual focus, except if suggested)
____c - Need a good contrast so that the sky is easy to modify (we need blue skies)

3 - battery life not important

4 - Brand not important (would be nice if available in canada, but I guess this is not really an issue)

Could someone suggest me or explain me what I should look for?

Sincerely

I would look into a Nikon D60 kit with 18-55mm lens.
That should keep you well within your budget.

You can set this camera to landscape/ auto focus then all you have to do is turn it on, point and shoot.

hth

If you do get the above which is probably as good a suggestion as there is, be sure to get a circular polarizer for those blue skys.
A circular polarizer will do for the image what putting on a pair of polarized sunglasses do and cannot be duplicated in post processing.

With as basic and simple as you want this to be - I would look into DSLR's with lower megapixel counts, 6-8MPix, they work better with dirt cheap lens (lower pixel density) and they are much easier to photoshop.

On the Sony/Minolta end, you may want to look into a Maxxum 5D, that would run you about $300, then you've got a good amount left to invest in some good lens for your use. The Rebel XT is also a classic also in the ballpark of $300.

All DSLRs have landscape and autofocus modes (sans $3k+ ones).

thank you for your help.

I will be discussing this with our team. I am particulary interested in a polarized lens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photographic_filter), I did not think about it and it seems to be exactly what we are looking for.

Reflexion - You can add a polarizing filter to any lens you get.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by reflexion

Hi,

I have merely no experience in serious photography.

I work for a windfarm project company and we need a camera for photo-simulation. Photo-simulation, sometimes called photomontage, consists of showing the visual impact of a project from different point of vue (pictures).

I have read the threads, but I actually do not know what is good or not for what we want to use it.

Description:

1 - Budget: 700$

2 - Use : Landscape photography with stitching (autopano pro).
____a - Pictures need to be "clear" (not blurred) so that it is easy to work with in photoshop after
____b - Manipulated by non-professionals, cannot be too complicated (dont need manual focus, except if suggested)
____c - Need a good contrast so that the sky is easy to modify (we need blue skies)

3 - battery life not important

4 - Brand not important (would be nice if available in canada, but I guess this is not really an issue)

Could someone suggest me or explain me what I should look for?

Sincerely

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The Canon EOS 450D is a great all rounder for under £500 - it is a Digital SLR Camera and from my experience is fairly easy to use even for a beginner. Straight forward enough to follow it is of a high quality and should stand the test of time. Prints will be sharp and Canon is a good brand. Parts are widely available online if not in Canada (sorry I am unsure as live in UK). There is a great image of it here: http://www.okobe.co.uk/ws/product/Ca...LCD/1000009342Good luck with your searching, I hope that you find exactly what you are looking for!

Have you looked at the Nikon P80? It's a compact camera with an 18x zoom. I own one and it creates great pictures. Everything is automatic, I love it. Plus, the price is 250-300... so you will have some left over for a tripod :-)