A used Nikon D90 in good order would do all you need and not cost the earth. You can start off with it on auto and get adventurous with the settings at your own pace.

 

The D90 is a great camera. The trick is to find one with low shutter count, as some of these are 10 years old. When you talk to sellers, ask them to shoot a picture of a white wall, not edit it, and send it to me so I can look at the EXIF data and also look for scratches on the sensor. Or buy one from Adorama or B&H, they test it thoroughly.

 

DM sent.

A used Nikon or Canon DSLR with 12-16mp sensor and a decent kit zoom lens is the short answer.

 

You mentioned Amazon has a sale in a few days (Prime) anyway try this experiment grab a iPad and go shoot some bike photos and see what you think, you can tons more but don’t ignore an iPad or even an iPhone first, then if you’re not satisfied “Camera Hunt”. Maybe GoPro has something kicking around as they may already be out of business, but the cameras are still kickin. Digital hi-speed and hi-tech. Good luck with the Publishing firm. As an artist of sorts I almost got snookered in to Harlequin Romance novels to do 12 covers/ the final day I said NO. They offered me a studio and all supplies drop sheets and a healthy food supply kept in a brand new fridge. I still declined; not my cup-o-tea. Plus half the money up front.

 

GoPro is NoGo for stills. Tiny little sensor. IPhone not that much better for publication.

 

It's the lens that makes the picture and the body that records it. Both have to be up to snuff for pictures intended for publication. The 18-105mm kit lens that many D90s were sold with isn't at all bad, and it's quite versatile.

 

I use a Canon M6 for my EDC camera. It is very handy and has most of the features of the higher end Canon DSLRs.

Canon EOS M6 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 15-45mm 1724C011 B&H

 

Also, the beauty of digital is in post-processing, so learn one of the photo-editing programs. Personally, I like the Adobe products, but there are hundreds out there.

 

+1 for Adobe products. There's tons of online information about them that will help you. I found with Photoshop that there are usually several ways to skin the proverbial cat to achieve the result you want.

I jumped ship to Linux several years ago, and Gimp is the bitmap editor I use now, which does many of the same things, but in a slightly different package. Again, there are many ways to achieve what you want.

Whichever path you take, it will need a bit of time, patience and practice - but it's worth it. Even if it's frustrating at first.

 

For anyone shopping for a camera, these guys do the best sensor and lens tests: Best Cameras under $59,200 | DxOMark

Everything else being equal, bigger sensor and higher MP gives you better images.

Because Fuji uses a completely different sensor array, they dont cover that, but generally Fuji (which is what I use) compares to the other major brands at the same price point and their lenses are much better for same price point (or 50% cheaper for same quality).

 

Fuji were making pro cameras way before they got into the amateur market (I'm not for a moment implying that @Meggie's an amateur!). They had some amazing beasts in their stable - the 6 x 17 cm wide camera being a case in point, but there were others.

Mrs d has a relatively cheap Fuji that punches way above it's weight. Her logic in not going for a more expensive camera was that if she needed one, she could always use whichever Nikon I wasn't using.

IIRC, Fuji also got to build Hasselblad's X-Pan cameras. I think the Japanese version was branded as a Fuji.

 

Fuji still makes the Hassy lenses. And the make the best cine lenses in the world.

I'd say that the Fuji XT2 and the XH1 are the best crop-sensor cameras right now. The IQ on the full-frame Nikon and Canon is higher, but they weigh and cost twice as much. The kit lens is very good, and their primes are incredible (especially the 56/1.2). So if anyone is in the market for a professional outfit with a budget of $2,000 inc. a lens, the XT2 is it. If you shoot video, the XH1.

The best camera on the market right now is the Nikon D850.

 

Howdy Folks,
Wow, thanks for all the replies. I want to be able to use a tripod (my hands were never all that steady). If you've ever looked at bike features in the magazines they like clear in focus close-ups, medium range photos that show the whole bike, and sometimes wider focus shots showing the bike against an attractive background. I'd like something that will stand up to the vibration of motorcycle saddlebag transport and will survive being dropped (okay, so I'm clumsy). I'm not all that knowledgeable about F-stops and I don't own a light-meter so ones that will do that stuff automatically would be a plus. I'd like to spend less than $1,000. I don't know much about photo editing but I'm familiar with computers so am sure I could learn. There are no used camera stores anywhere close to me (I live in a ghost town in a remote desert mountain fastness) so what I can get online that will accept a credit card and ship would be best. The shots below were done with my Ipad.

--- Randall

 

Howdy Folks,
Wow, thanks for all the replies. I want to be able to use a tripod (my hands were never all that steady). If you've ever looked at bike features in the magazines they like clear in focus close-ups, medium range photos that show the whole bike, and sometimes wider focus shots showing the bike against an attractive background. I'd like something that will stand up to the vibration of motorcycle saddlebag transport and will survive being dropped (okay, so I'm clumsy). I'm not all that knowledgeable about F-stops and I don't own a light-meter so ones that will do that stuff automatically would be a plus. I'd like to spend less than $1,000. I don't know much about photo editing but I'm familiar with computers so am sure I could learn. There are no used camera stores anywhere close to me (I live in a ghost town in a remote desert mountain fastness) so what I can get online that will accept a credit card and ship would be best. The shots below were done with my Ipad.

View attachment 412512 View attachment 412514 View attachment 412516 View attachment 412518 View attachment 412520 View attachment 412522
--- Randall

Detailed DM sent.

I'd go for a used Fujifilm XT-1 with the 18-55mm lens and a battery grip OR a new Fujifilm XT-20 with the 16-50mm kit lens. SanDisk Extreme Pro SD card and Adobe Photoshop Elements.

 

Hey @Randall . You are asking a great question and I'm unfortunately not going to be much help. Everyone has their favorite methods and brands. I'd say a DSLR is more finicky than you need especially if you want to just throw it in a bag and have it ready to go when you are on short notice. If I were you I'd look into the Sony RX100 V or the Sony RX100 VI. The 2 models fall on either side of a grand. It's point and shoot simple, has options of very advanced settings if you desire, takes great photos under most circumstances, and no extra lenses to keep track of. I traveled to 3 continents with my RX100 II mostly in a jacket pocket or a knapsack and it's held up really well.

 

Howdy Folks,
I am looking for something small, rugged, and reasonably priced (better yet, cheap).
So, my question is, if you were buying an economical camera for the purposes described above, what would it be? --- Randall

Almost any digital camera over $100 will work fine, the key is holding the camera still (on a tripod is best). I will attach some testing I have done that might help.

Digital cameras, Mega/pixels (MP), Mega/Bytes (MB), and image quality
The more Mega/pixels your camera has the better your photos will be, right ! Not so quick Chucko there are many factors to consider so let’s do a little test. I have two cameras to compare using the same shot taken at the same time. Looking at the total image it looks very close but lets crop way in on the yellow label of the room AC in the upper right. What happened, the camera with 20.5mp is not nearly as sharp as the camera with the smaller 16.7mp’s, why ?
Well the small silver camera 20,5mp ($100) has a much smaller image sensor [CCD 7.76mm (1/2.3 type) [6.17mm x 4.55mm] and a simple lens while the larger black camera ($1000 with lens) has a [CCD, APS-C [23.6 x 15.6mm] (Max res 4912 x 3264) sensor almost nine time bigger (see chart) and a very complex and expertly ground lens. As you can see in the chart there are 12 different size sensors out there so you need to understand that, and never forget you are taking the picture through the lens so the glass quality is important
Now carrying around a big heavy DSLR and all your lenses is not fun especially in the heat so I carry the small camera for walking around snapshots and I use the bigger unit for important shots. So if you want to take images that you want to blow way up that little camera is going to disappoint. So that is the quick 411 on cameras. Happy shooting.
Big Camera
Sony a55 (SLT-A55V) 16.7mp
CCD, APS-C [23.6 x 15.6mm] (Max res 4912 x 3264)
Lens Sigma 18-200mm f3.5
Image at max 16mp = 5.66mb

Small silver camera,
Sony DSC-W830/SC, 20.5m/pixels,
CCD 7.76mm (1/2.3 type) [6.17mm x 4.55mm]
Lens – ZEISS Vario-Tessar
Image at max 20mp = 8.85mb

I have been a photographer since 1968

 

If you are going to get a digital SLR also invest in a 50mm fixed focus lens to go with any telephoto lens. That's how people get the best looking depth of field photos where the subject is in focus and the background is all fuzzy. Basically with that you focus with your feet, which I was always taught is the best way to zoom in as well.

 

Can you share a link to a 50mm fixed focus lens. A 50mm fixed focal length or a prime lens I'm familiar with. Can't seem to find any fixed focus 50mm lenses.

 

Just a quick note: It is the F stop that determines the depth of field (DOF). F 1.4 wide open narrow DOF, F 22 closed down Long DOF. Think of your eyes, when it is very bright your iris closes down to a very small circle, in dim light your iris is wide open and very large.

 

With "Auto ISO" on digital cameras it's not as important as it used to be. I once had a Canon F 0.95 that was thousands of dollars and weighed several pounds, but was the bomb for fashion work. [pompus]

 

As important today as it ever was. High ISO introduces noise, and reduces both DR and IQ. My go-to is still a 56/1.2 (85 equiv). But you are right, that's quite a bit of glass, and heavy.

 

I use a Sony A6000. It's a crop sensor camera which means a slightly smaller sensor but it's smallish and light, and with 24 mega pixels is gives great results. They make two higher spec models but I don't need 4K video or in-camera stabilization which is what the higher spec models offer.

 

Thanks Folks,
This is all very informative and has given me several things to research. I appreciate y'all taking time to make suggestions.
--- Randall

 

Meggie, thank you for translating what I meant to say into the actual what I meant. I dabbled in photography for a hot minute a log time ago and have forgotten most of what I learned.

 

Howdy Folks,
I want to thank everyone who took time to reply for all of the useful suggestions offered. @Meggie has been especially helpful in offering detailed suggestions and advice. I placed an order for the below today and am looking forward to getting started. I'll be sure to post some of the results of my efforts here and will continue to participate in the on-going discussion.
--- Randall

• Adobe Photoshop Elements 2018 [PC Download] - No Subscription Required $69.99

1

• Zomei Q555 Lightweight Alluminum Alloy Camera Tripod with 360 Degree Ball Head + 1/4" Quick Release Plate For Canon Nikon Sony Samsung Panasonic Olympus Fuji DSLR And Camcorders $69.99

1

• JJC Ultra-Light Neoprene Camera Case Pouch Bag for Fuji Fujifilm X-T20/X-T10/X-E3/X-M1/X-A3 + XF 18-55mm/XF 23mm/XF 35mm f1.4/XC 16-50mm Lens And Other Camera & Lens Below 5.0 x 3.3 x 5.1"(W x H x D) $15.99

1

• Fujifilm MHG-XT10 Metal Hand Grip for X-T10 and X-T20(Black) $123.32

1

• SanDisk Extreme Pro 64GB SDXC UHS-I Memory Card (SDSDXXG-064G-GN4IN) $34.50

1

• Fujifilm X-T20 Mirrorless Digital Camera w/XC16-50mmF3.5-5.6 OISII Lens - Silver
• Refurbished $799.00

1

Subtotal (6 items): $1,112.79

 

@Randall, I'll certainly look forward to seeing some pictures. Meggie's pointed you in the right direction, I think.

 

Is that Photoshop Elements your basic photo editing to after you've got a raw or jpeg picture? Wondering because I get some editing from my Mac but it's rather limited in nature but is on the automatic side. So I've been thinking about yet another app.

 

Photo editing program is the oil-thread equivalent on photography forums. So this is just my opinion...

Photoshop Elements is somewhere between the program that came on the Mac and the full-featured Adobe Photoshop. That's the one I recommend for most beginners. I think I saw some YouTube posts comparing the two.

On the top end, two programs pretty much dominate the field - Phoroshop and Lightroom.

On your mobile device, the Snapseed app is very good.

 

@ndncowboy brings up another important point. Most cameras give you the option of shooting JPEG and RAW. Which to choose?

For most applications JPEG is fine. It's a compressed file, so it doesnt hog your disk and processes easily and quickly on your phone. If you're shooting stuff that might need to be heavily edited for publication or display, shoot RAW. What many do is save both, which is one of the settings on your camera. Use the JPEGs for everything, but I'd there is a special frame you really love and want to spend more time on, find the RAW version.

If you know you will be using Adobe Lightroom to post-process your roll, and your regular workflow includs downloading the images from the camera or card using Lightroom, don't bother with JPEG.

 

When I jumped back into photography, I looked long and hard at Sony, Canon and Nikon. I ended up with Canon because of the lenses. There are so many out there and the full frame glass works wonderfully on the crop sensor bodies. Sony is a nice camera but the glass is expensive and I don't care for the layout of the Nikon buttons.

I have a 7D Mark II which is probably overkill, but the 10 frames per second is a blast to shoot at sporting events. Word on the street is that Canon and Nikon are getting ready to release a new group of mirrorless cameras that will put the hurt on Sony because of the glass offerings from Canon and Nikon.

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk

 

When I jumped back into photography, I looked long and hard at Sony, Canon and Nikon. I ended up with Canon because of the lenses. There are so many out there and the full frame glass works wonderfully on the crop sensor bodies. Sony is a nice camera but the glass is expensive and I don't care for the layout of the Nikon buttons.

I have a 7D Mark II which is probably overkill, but the 10 frames per second is a blast to shoot at sporting events. Word on the street is that Canon and Nikon are getting ready to release a new group of mirrorless cameras that will put the hurt on Sony because of the glass offerings from Canon and Nikon.

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk

Sony now has 50% of the DSLR market. The next 30% is Nikon and Canon. The rest is everyone else. In five years non-mirrorless will be gone. The big question is whether professionals and prosumers would stay with Canon and Nikon if their mirrorless models require new glass, which is almost certainly will.

We dumped our Nikon f/f and switched to Fuji.

 

@ndncowboy brings up another important point. Most cameras give you the option of shooting JPEG and RAW. Which to choose?

For most applications JPEG is fine. It's a compressed file, so it doesnt hog your disk and processes easily and quickly on your phone. If you're shooting stuff that might need to be heavily edited for publication or display, shoot RAW. What many do is save both, which is one of the settings on your camera. Use the JPEGs for everything, but I'd there is a special frame you really love and want to spend more time on, find the RAW version.

If you know you will be using Adobe Lightroom to post-process your roll, and your regular workflow includs downloading the images from the camera or card using Lightroom, don't bother with JPEG.

I don't suppose Photoshop Elements has the ability to create and add a watermark does it? Been looking for a cheap way to do just that and the cheap ways all lack a lot to be desired.

 

It does. Google "photoshop elements watermark" and a YouTube tutorial would appear.

 

Thanks Meggie.