What is the best digital camera for self portraits?
Posted on 08 March 2010
I am looking to purhcase a digital camera so I can specfically take self portraits. I know many cameras offer timers but my photos will be heavily posed and such so I need to have the maximum amount of control from a distance.
I will not be purchasing a $500 camera so please keep a low budget in mind or at least bracket the information like under $200 or under $300 so I can understand the price points and what the additional price has to offer. I am expecting a camera at no less than 5 mp but at such a low budget I am not expecting a whole lot else….
The photos will range from studio photos, head shots, candids and such.
Is a digital SLR the only way to go or can this be done with a cheap digital point and shoot? Are there any with remote options?
If you have any technical tips for self portraiture please give them.
I am looking for specific makes and models of cameras that have remote capabilitiy.
10 seconds is not enough time- I need to have actual control of when teh photo is taken- not just a timing mechanism.
I have already looked around to find information about good self portraiture cameras but all the sights list cameras with too simplisitc timers and don’t give any useful information.
I have a pentax SLR film camera so I already know how to run manual settings. I am specifically looking for digital cameras that can be used from a distance.
6 responses to What is the best digital camera for self portraits?
You should get a Canon Powershot camera. I have one. the pics come out awesome. it costs $250 to $299.
when i bought off the internet(from Best Buy) it costs $219
one that either has a rotating LCD or a remote… or use your self timer set at 10 seconds (plenty of time)
Try getting a camera that allows you to adjuest the aperature, shutter speed, and ISO. that way you’ll be able to have some creative control over the photo. The problem that I’ve noticed with cheap digital cameras is that the lens tends to be wide angle. Wide angle lenses often distort the image which may not be desierable. One quick fix is to use the zoom on the camera if it has one. The problem with zooming is that you might (probally not) get a depth of feild effect. anyway check craigslist.com and epinions.com
From what you are telling us, you really need a digital SLR. You also need to buy at least two extra flash units. One to mount on your camera (the supplied flash on most dslrs usually has a double flash and cannot be used to trigger a second light). For quality portraits you absolutely need at least two lights. You would also need a camera that has a remote control. You could probably not get a used dslr on ebay for your budget. I would wonder about the price. At your price I would have questions about the quality of anything you could get. For a bit more you could get maybe a Nikon D40 (new) for about 500. You could get a couple of used flashes pretty cheap. Photo electric triggers for your second flash are less than $20. Better to wait and save your money until you have enough to get what you need. You will not be satisfied by spending $300.
For your budget you could get a used film camera and the flashes you need for less than 300.
Best wishes,
Christine J
I don’t fully understand how it works, but check out the Canon Powershot SD430, which has WiFi. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=8612&A=details&Q=&sku=418128&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation
I saw somewhere that the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 has a remote control, but if you were going to spend that kind of money, you could choose from any number of DSLR’s that seem to all have remote control capabilities.
I also read that the Panasonic DMC-FZ50 has a remote control, but can not confirm this. Same for the Olympus Evolt series.
I have never seen a digital camera with a very flexible timer system…I have seen Canon model with an intervalometer that you set at specific intervals…you might want to look into using something like that.