What Camera?
 

I have been a deer hunter most of my life, now my son and I enjoy hunting together. This year my 12 yo daughter expressed an interest in going out with us but doesn't want to shoot a deer right now. What I thought I would do is try and buy a good quality camera and let her hunt with it during the post-season and pre-season scouting. We will camo out, sit in a blind, all the stuff we would do if we were hunting with a gun, but with a camera. I would like to have a camera that is high enough quality that we could enlarge them and frame them, enter them in the county fair etc.

What digital camera would you guys suggest. I would like for it to be in the $500 range if possible. If there is one less expensive that will do the job I would sure welcome those suggestions too. I don't have much of a clue about still cameras so I appreciate any and all input. Thanks in advance.

RE: What Camera?
 

Nikon!!!

RE: What Camera?
 

xkmorris, thanks for the input. Any suggestions on a particular model. Like I said I am not very well versed in digital photography. What about other equipment to go along with it. Zoom lenses, tripods, etc.

RE: What Camera?
 

NIkon d40 - seems so get some better reviews than the d40x and sells for about 400

old
 

removed by RD

RE: What Camera?
 

This picture was taken with a Nikon 70-300 VRlens at about 75yds with fulll zoom. Just to give you an example have big of a lens you need. The 70-300 would be the smallest lens you would want for wildlife IMO. The D40 would be a good choice.

RE: What Camera?
 

There is no doubt that your pic is very clear that is for sure.. I am currently using a Kodak Z650 and have taken some decent pics and print them out on my docking station.. It's not up there in the line of cameras some of you have that is for sure but works OK for me.. Here is a pic of a yearling taken 2 days ago...

RE: What Camera?
 

I appreciate everybody's input. One thing I have found out though is that picking "best" camera is even more complicated than picking the "best" gun, "best" ammo or "best" caliber, etc. I value all of your opinions and I am realizing that how good a camera is will probably be in direct proportion to what I can afford. I think I will probably start with a less expensive setup (but still decent quality) and then if we really get into it we can upgrade in a year or two. I have looked at some used cameras that I have found to be fairly affordable. I may go that route.

I do have a couple of questions to some of you:

AR Bowunter-the picture you posted is awesome but seems pixelated around the deer. Is that just because you reduced the size for the net? I assume it is.

Phil-I really like your pic too. Approximately how close were you when you shot it? Does the camera you were using have interchangeble lenses?

Also, I have a 500 gb external drive that I will use for storage. I assume I can keep a lot of pics in that ammount of space, would that be an accurate assumption?

Thanks again to all of you.

RE: What Camera?
 

I could have focused the back groundwith a different setting. I chose on thatpic for all the focus to be on the deer animmediate surroundings. If you get a midrange camerayou will realize quick that there is a lot you can do with one.

RE: What Camera?
 

First of all thank you, -- I do have a lens that I add to my camera they are not interchangeble. I can add it or leave it off. The camera I am using is a 6.1 mega pixel with a 10 power zoom. The lens I add to it is a Xenar Telephoto1.4 x 55 mm. The picture above was taken at around 100 yards.. But trying to get the right settings as AR Bowhunter stated is important. Here is a photo of a deer laying down where the trees show better than the deer does..