You have 1k budget for a camera....GO!!!!

[LA Reef Addict]

The only catch is you want great quality pics but also the ability to record awesome video of your reef inhabitants....what do you suggest and why? Examples of pic and vid in this thread very much appreciated

 

[Arego]

Any DSLR via canon or Nikon?

 

[ZoWhat]

What's your level of photography skill.... GO!

 

[TxReefer21]

With new phones having such good quality cameras on them I’d say an iPhone 12 pro Max Or a canon DSLR that’ll shoot 4K video as well. Nikon

 

[Dkeller_nc]

I have a bit of expertise in this area from doing semi-professional photography work for a few decades. People ask me this question on a frequent basis: "what kind of camera should I get?", which, in the DSLR world, is actually the wrong question. The correct one would be "what kind of lens should I get for this application?".

I say this because any, and I do mean any newish DSLR camera from Nikon, Canon or Sony will absolutely allow you to take awesome photos and videos of your tank. Or more accurately, I should say that the camera's will have no limitations preventing you from taking awesome photos and videos of your tank.

One aspect of this that may help you narrow your choices is that 1080p versus 4K video is largely irrelevant for this application. For sharing where folks are going to be viewing the video on a typical computer monitor or phone, the extra resolution is completely wasted. 4K really only matters when you're getting into 65" TV/monitor sizes.

From the standpoint of lenses, the most important aspect for your application is the close-focus limit. Many, if not most, DSLR camera lenses that come as a package deal with a camera body will be either barely suitable for your purpose, or unusable for your purpose because of the particular lenses' close focus distance limit. For most of these lenses sold as a kit, that limit is about 3 feet (but it varies greatly depending on the lens). That means that it will be absolutely fine for full-tank shots and video, but not so great for taking images of individual corals.

Nevertheless, if you don't currently own a DSLR, it may make sense to buy one of the packaged kits (DSLR, batteries, lens, sometimes a case), because the lens that comes with it will be useful for everyday photos as well as full tank shot photos. Once you get some experience with the camera/lens, you may wish to buy a separate "macro" lens. These lenses have a close-focal-distance limit measured in (a few) inches, and are ideal for photographing corals - especially the ever-popular individual polyp shots.

 

[rustyreefer]

What DKeller said. and to add on..$1K wont go very far in the DSLR world.
You may consider a Point and Shoot with Macro built in. I had a fantastic cannon P&S about 10 years ago that took great macro shots. Im sure the technology has advanced since then.

 

[LA Reef Addict]

I have a bit of expertise in this area from doing semi-professional photography work for a few decades. People ask me this question on a frequent basis: "what kind of camera should I get?", which, in the DSLR world, is actually the wrong question. The correct one would be "what kind of lens should I get for this application?".

I say this because any, and I do mean any newish DSLR camera from Nikon, Canon or Sony will absolutely allow you to take awesome photos and videos of your tank. Or more accurately, I should say that the camera's will have no limitations preventing you from taking awesome photos and videos of your tank.

One aspect of this that may help you narrow your choices is that 1080p versus 4K video is largely irrelevant for this application. For sharing where folks are going to be viewing the video on a typical computer monitor or phone, the extra resolution is completely wasted. 4K really only matters when you're getting into 65" TV/monitor sizes.

From the standpoint of lenses, the most important aspect for your application is the close-focus limit. Many, if not most, DSLR camera lenses that come as a package deal with a camera body will be either barely suitable for your purpose, or unusable for your purpose because of the particular lenses' close focus distance limit. For most of these lenses sold as a kit, that limit is about 3 feet (but it varies greatly depending on the lens). That means that it will be absolutely fine for full-tank shots and video, but not so great for taking images of individual corals.

Nevertheless, if you don't currently own a DSLR, it may make sense to buy one of the packaged kits (DSLR, batteries, lens, sometimes a case), because the lens that comes with it will be useful for everyday photos as well as full tank shot photos. Once you get some experience with the camera/lens, you may wish to buy a separate "macro" lens. These lenses have a close-focal-distance limit measured in (a few) inches, and are ideal for photographing corals - especially the ever-popular individual polyp shots.

Thank you very much for that detailed answer. It helps immensely. With that said, if you had to pick one of the many DSLR cameras on the market for 1080p and detailed macro shots, which camera and lens combo would be your go to?

 

[LA Reef Addict]

What DKeller said. and to add on..$1K wont go very far in the DSLR world.
You may consider a Point and Shoot with Macro built in. I had a fantastic cannon P&S about 10 years ago that took great macro shots. Im sure the technology has advanced since then.

Another great point. Thank you.
I recently got my old man a 65" tv for his 80th bday and I had told myself the budget was going to be 1k. Ended up buying him an LG 4k smart tv that makes breakfast and drops off your clothes at the cleaners...or at least it should for the $2400 I ended up spending. lol...but seeing my pops face yesterday while watching his favorite sport of choice (soccer) made that purchase 100% worth every single penny.

So I guess my point is, 1k really means anywhere under $2.5k..I hope. lol

 

[Dkeller_nc]

Based on your budget, and noting that I'm familiar with Nikon's DSLR cameras, I'd buy a kit like the D5600 + 18-55mm lens such as this one from B&H Photo Video:

Nikon D5600 DSLR Camera with 18-55mm Lens and Accessories Kit

Buy Nikon D5600 DSLR Camera with 18-55mm Lens and Accessories Kit featuring AF-P DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR Lens, Memory Card, Skylum Luminar 4. Review Nikon D5600

www.bhphotovideo.com

Nikon also make the D3500 for $100 less. Both cameras have very similar specifications - the image chip is identical, so low-light, high ISO shooting will be the same. As nearly as I can make out, what you're getting for the extra $100 is built-in Wi-Fi with the D5600, which makes transferring images to your phone/computer a bit simpler.

The 18-55mm lens that's included will do the trick for full-tank shots/video, and at some point you can add the 40mm macro lens for taking close-ups of coral polyps and other life in your tank. Note - You can save a fair chunk of change by buying used lenses, either from a local camera store if you have one, or a national seller like B & H Photo.

Here's Nikon's Macor lens selections:

Error | Nikon USA

Shop the latest mirrorless & DSLR cameras and NIKKOR lenses from the official Nikon eCommerce site. Explore our innovations and photo equipment!

www.nikonusa.com

One other comment - While I use the Nikon system (so I'm most familiar with their offerings), there's nothing wrong with Canon, either. There's a very, very large number of Canon and Nikon used lenses for sale on fleabay and other sites. The only thing to be careful about is that Canon changed their mounting system in the late 1990s - older lenses will not work with newer cameras. All Nikon lenses no matter what the era are compatible with their newest offerings.

 

[Poof No Eyebrows]

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