Any entry-level DSLR will do - Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Olympus, Sony (read reviews here on dpreview.com), with a prime lens, e.g. 1.4/50, or 1.8/28...

Nikon D40, Pentax K100D. Both 6MP, great in low light and cheap. K100D aslo has I.S..

ChirosciroArtist wrote:.

Hello all,.

I am a painter who is looking for a camera that will take goodphotos in low light conditions. I don't need the images to bebright as I am painting in a chirosciro style which means thereneeds to be strong shadows. I am interested in the image beingclear and detailed however so I can paint from the photos. I amlooking to keep the cost under $1000.00 so if anyone know of acamera that will do this please let me know..

Thanks,.

James.

Regards, Ajayhttp://picasaweb.google.com/ajay0612..

Canons are generally acknowledged to have the lowest Noise, from higher ISO's..

Another way to get the most , out of low light situations, is to use a very large aperture. Negative to that though is shallow Depth of Field (Ho w much is in focus).

If shooting flat subjects, Paintings, etc, then a shallow DOF would not be a concern..

Another option is Sony's new DSLR. Sony does a pretty good job at both extremes, Extremely Dark and extremely Dark. (Sony got that technology when they bought out minoltas photo division).Dave PattersonMidwestshutterbug.com'When the light and composition are strong, nobodynotices things like resolution or pincushion distortion'Gary Friedman..

Pentax licensed heIS technology from Minolts, who was bought out by Sony. Stick with Sony, if stirctly looking for in camera body IS..

Pentax is good, but that Older Minolta Glass is superb. Just slow to focus.Dave PattersonMidwestshutterbug.com'When the light and composition are strong, nobodynotices things like resolution or pincushion distortion'Gary Friedman..

As other people have said, any entry-level DSLR from Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus or Sony will do. They are all available below your $1000 price limit and have excellent photo quality. I would also recommend you get a tripod. A sturdy tripod, like an entry-level Manfrotto will do fine with these small and light DSLRs. If you're planning to use heavier lenses, though, a heavier tripod is highly recommended..

The main advantage of using a tripod is that it allows you to photograph WITHOUT a flash. In your case, since you're using it to reproduce paintings, you want to preserve the colour accuracy. Using a typical hotshoe-mounted flash will screw everything up. Your best bet is to shoot with the ambient light..

Many people who reproduce paintings with photos have sophisticated (and expensive!) lighting gear. This may be overkill for now, since you're just starting. But keep in mind that if you intend to do this more often, you may want to investigate special lighting equipment in the future..

Also, are you shooting these paintings in indoor locations? If so, then lens selection is important for you. Luckily, if you're on a tight budget, the kit lenses that come with the cameras are a reasonable start. No, they're not the sharpest, but they're good enough as a cheap wide-angle lens. Just make sure you use an aperture setting around F8 to F11. Outside those ranges, then kit lenses are not at their sharpest (but still very, very usable). Alternately, you may want to consider a dedicated wide-angle lens.



Hope this helps, and good luck!.

ChirosciroArtist wrote:.

Hello all,.

I am a painter who is looking for a camera that will take goodphotos in low light conditions. I don't need the images to bebright as I am painting in a chirosciro style which means thereneeds to be strong shadows. I am interested in the image beingclear and detailed however so I can paint from the photos. I amlooking to keep the cost under $1000.00 so if anyone know of acamera that will do this please let me know..

Thanks,.

James..

Thanks for all the input... I am not sure if I am more confused or less confused now.. 8o).

Well if any DSL-R will work I think I might give the Canon XTi a shot. I do actually want to use the camera for both situations. I want to take photo's of my art work but I do mainly want to use it to take photos with only candle light. I am doing painting in the Caravaggio/Rembrandt style but I don't have the pleasure of using live models for an extended period of time. I have had Nikon, Canon and Sony all recommended to me so I am just going to take a shot at a Canon. Any suggestions on a lense for this use? I want to basically capture as much depth and detaill as I can without flash in a room lit with a candle..

Thanks,.

James..

If you do get the canon, I would suggest you also get a the Canon 50mm 1.8 lens with it..

It's about 80 US dollars, and it will really show you what large apertures can do for a camera..

BTW, large apertures increase how much light comes into the lens, thus allowing it to perform better in low light, and it decreases how much of the photo is in focus (depth of field) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field..

Ok, I picked up the Canon XTi and it comes with EF-S18-55mm lens. Would this link be the 500mm 1.8 you are talking about?.

Http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-1-8-Camera-Lens/dp/B00007E7JU.

I am charging the battery now.. Can't wait to see how it works...

ChirosciroArtist wrote:.

Ok, I picked up the Canon XTi and it comes with EF-S18-55mm lens.Would this link be the 500mm 1.8 you are talking about?.

Http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-1-8-Camera-Lens/dp/B00007E7JU.

I am charging the battery now.. Can't wait to see how it works..

Yes it would. The XTi can use all EF and EF-S lenses from Canon, which is pretty much all canon sells..

About low light photography - I would say there are generally two types of 'low light' photography..

1) Using high-ISO and low f-stop (low f-stop = big aperture) to get the fastest shutter speed possible, to help reduce motion blur. This is popular for indoor sports..

2) Using low-ISO and a tripod to get a clean image of a static scene. These exposures can last seconds to even over an hour. This is popular for landscape/cityscape scenes...

Depending on the size of the artwork your seeking to photograph, the angle of view on the 50mm may be too narrow..

The best way for you to shoot your own artwork, quite frankly, is with your camera mounted on a tripod. Is there any reason you can't shoot the images you mean to reproduce with a tripod mounted camera (most obvious one is if you're shooting in a museum that doesn't allow tripod use)?.

'Nice pen, bet you write good stories with it.'..

Then I'd opt for using a tripod and then shop the cameras in your price range for the image you prefer. All should be able to capture the detail you need. Two thing I always did with low shutter speed exposures of on film slrs was use a cable release (eliminates the shake from the finger touching the camera) and on extreme cases (when photographing a stationary object vs, a person staying still for a 1/8 second exposure) also used the time-delay feature. What happens is the mirror swings out of the way on the initial shutter tap, then the shutter opens at the conclusion of the timer. That reduces shake from the mirror slap..

'Nice pen, bet you write good stories with it.'..

Midwestshutterbug wrote:.

Pentax licensed heIS technology from Minolts, who was bought out bySony. Stick with Sony, if stirctly looking for in camera body IS..

Pentax is good, but that Older Minolta Glass is superb. Just slowto focus..

Wrong. Pentax designed it's own IS..

PS. Pentax ltd. glass blows minolta glass out of the water...