Cameras & Miniature Shoppe: I have a 35 mm Yashica Zoom Image 90 camera and I have had good luck with.  It has a special button that you can take pictures within 18 inches and I usually use that to make pictures inside my minis( and most of them are quarter scale).  It tells you if you are too close and that is all you have to do. When I bought it, I was advised that you had to have at least an 80 ft. or higher to take pics of miniatures.

Betty

Digital Cameras: The Sony Mavica FD83 is just the best. I think the cost is worth it when I think of the hours and money I have spent taking 35 mm photos then not knowing what I have till I pick them up after film development, then finding 1 or 2 acceptable photos in 24.   You can see the results immediately, erase and redo right then and there. Then they can be enhanced with the program that comes with it.  It has surely made a difference with the quality of images on my web site.

Lyn T.

Digital camera: We are working with our digi for half a year now and we love it! It is an Olympus C 2000 Zoom. It has a floppy disk, but you can also load with the USB-port. 3x Optical Zoom, 2.5x Digital tele, macro mode, movies on your television set and lots of other extras. You can't see the difference between prints in the highest resolution and normal photo's!

Marjon de Haas

Digital Cameras: My camera was a Christmas gift and it is a Photo Smart C200 Digital by Hewlett Packard.  It has auto focus and red-eye reduction, a self-timer, zoom lens and you can preview your photos.  It uses the micro disk that holds up to 40 pictures then you can down load to PC or I have a Scandisk, which is faster downloading....and can store any way I choose. The LCD screen shows the zoomed image but the viewfinder does not. You can review the photos you have taken....one great advantage for me, for I am NOT the worlds great photographer.

This can even be connected to the TV for viewing with the video cable. I believe the correct name for the disc is compact, not micro.  I have enjoyed using it.

Katherine

Digital cameras: I too recommend the Sony Mavica. I have a different model than others have mentioned. I've got the MVC-FD91. It has a 14x digital/optical zoom lens that will focus as close as one inch from the subject. It is one of the cameras that saves photos to floppy disks and has a built in feature that will copy the disk while it's in the camera, allowing you to share your photos on the spot with someone else. There are two modes of resolution, one high resolution, one "email" mode. In high resolution, one disk holds 16 photos. I haven't tried it in email mode yet. This one also does the MPEG movies and voice memo, but I haven't tried that yet either. I'm very happy with the quality of the photos that this camera takes.

Tere Perry

Digital camera: I too wanted a camera with a floppy disc but read in a consumer survey that it uses battery power too fast so I bought a Nikon Coolpix 800 and the special rechargeable batteries and charger.  The cord is plugged into the back of the computer all the time so it's ready and available when needed. I'm very pleased with the quality of the pictures even though I'm still learning the procedures.

Pat M

Digital cameras: As for digital cameras, I have to disagree that a 35 mm camera is better than a good quality digital, but note, I said 'good quality digital'.  We have such a beast, and I can get 3 inches away from a miniature and take great pictures, and download them directly into the computer and crop, rotate, etc. to my heart's content.  We even took some pictures of lichen  n a fence, which is pretty small stuff, and they came out great.

However, that said, a good quality digital will cost a lot more than a good quality 35 mm camera, and that's not offset by the fact that you no longer have to purchase film and pay for developing.

Karen Isaacson

Photography: I -ZONE Camera - I do have a few hints for anyone new to the camera. They have two kinds of film one is regular and the other has a peel off back so you can make a sticker.

I also found out by trial and error that if you rub the little picture as it is working its magic it will come out better. A friend told me that you can scan them and enlarge and it works pretty good.

They say not to cut the picture because of the chemicals but if you are very careful you can, just make sure you tape the edge asap and keep the edge up until sealed. The price works out to about fifty cents for each picture.

Sandra S.

Photographing Miniatures: Have you ever tried photographing your minis by using your scanner? Find a box that has a white interior. Open the lid of your flat bed scanner. Place your mini face down on the scanner (you can also attach the mini to the bottom inside the box with mini putty, blue tac etc.) Place box over mini and scan. This works great for pieces that will fit in a box.

Mary Ann Farris

Regarding the Sony Mavica Digital, we have one and it has been invaluable for both my husband and doing websites, and myself with pictures of my minis. The battery life is very long, shorter if you do the movies with it of course. But we can get lots of pictures on the floppies, you can carry several floppies with you for extra . We go to Dollywood all the time and take ton's of pictures of our entertainer friends and never once has the battery run down. It also takes great close-ups. You can view the picture immediately and if it doesn't satisfy you delete and take another one. We've also taken some great outdoor scenic photos just to see how they would turn out and then printed them out with our epson printer and some of them you'd be hardpressed to tell they weren't friom a 35 millimeter. Ours' is one of the first to come out and they've improved since then in resolution, so if i'm this pleased with the quality of this one the newer ones would be even better. I'd be happy to send you a couple of the picuters taken with it by email if you'd like, although be patient we're in the middle of a move so may be a few days before I get a chance. These are in higher resolution so may take a little longer to come in. We went to Ruby Falls last year and took a picture with both the 35 and the digital, of the falls, the one with the digital was the best. Had we only had the 35 we wouldn't have known that until we got back and had it developed and then it would have been to late. We seldom use our 35 anymore and it's not a cheap one.

Kathy

Battery life: Don't believe it.  I went to England last year with my Sony Mavica FD7 and took pictures for 13 days without recharging the battery (about 150 pictures).  Don't know how the new FD88 will do, but recharging the lithium battery is quite fast.

16x zoom, 1280x ? resolution, mpeg movie, sound, TV playback, 4x floppy record speed, floppy copy, lots of other good things.

Tom Berkner

Digital Camera:  My son just sent me a new one.  It is a PDC700 Polaroid.  I've only had it a few days but I am delighted with the possibilities.

MaryJo Douglass

Digital: For good information on digital cameras go to http://www.megapixel.net/html/issueindex.html This months issue has an article on Macro and a few good examples back issues are worth a look. Also go to the bottom of the camera reviews and click on the link to steve's digital camera news. Very full information

Don Dickens

Putting people in a scene on your webpage: First you need a picture of the person. If you can get them in different poses you'll have better luck. Take the picture into a graphics program that will let you erase the background around the person. Save this file. Next you need a picture of the room the person will be placed in. Now bring the person photo into the room. I believe this is called layering in some cases. (Think of it like making a collage) where you put lots of pictures on top of each other. Now once the person is in the house, play with the size and adjust accordingly. When you are happy with what you've got, save it as a new file. Works like a charm for me.

Terri Young

Duplicating pictures for mini: On another mini digest a posting for reducing pictures to mini was given. Sounds like you may be interested. Best to do this in sunlight. Place the full size picture on the ground and place a chair or ladder near it. Stand on the chair/ladder and take the photo pointing the camera straight down. Developed photo can be scanned and size adjusted for scale.

Dr. Bob

Medium gray artists paper: I used to use light blue, which is not too bad with a digital camera.  But if you use film, with low light and long exposures, any very light or very colored background can trick the machine that automatically processes the paper.  It can turn out awful.  Could be an averaging thing.

I went to medium gray felt which works pretty well for both miniatures and the gaskets, mechanical seals and o-rings I shoot in B & W for my full scale job.

Felt doesn't wrinkle, but it collects dirt and if you get close enough you can see the weave which is distracting. It needs to drape without any crease between the horizontal floor and the vertical wall.

Pete Boorum

Close up Photography: I took a simple; inexpensive magnifying glass and held it in front of the lens of the digital camera; perhaps a few inches between the lens and the magnifying glass. I then moved the camera and the magnifying lens (while viewing the object & image) until the image on the camera view screen appeared in focus. I then moved the magnifying lens closer and further from the camera lens until I enlarged the object to my satisfaction. It will tke some moving of the camera and the magnifying lens and the distance from the subject until you are satisfied. I took the photo and lo & behold It functioned as imagined. Visit my site and compare the 2 photos of the wind chimes. The flash can be seen in the close-up shot as a bright smudge to the right. The Chimes were over exposed from the flash but the concept works!!!! It works.& cost next to nothing so try it out.

Dr. Bob

Digital Cameras: I have an AGFA CL30, in the $300 range, not the cheapest, not the most expensive. I can't tell you that there is not a better one out there for the same money, but the following is my experience with what I have. I had to purchase 2 additional items, a set of macro lenses-very necessary for sharp close-ups, and an AC cord for the camera. Relying on batteries for use of the camera results in going through a LOT of batteries. Because 99% of my use of it is at home, using the cord is fine (Cost of lenses and cord, another $100). There is a learning curve for getting really good shots, but the beauty of a digital camera is that you can just keep shooting until you get it right. I have taken thousands of shots, and deleted most of them. But I also have a lot of great pictures! I was using a regular (good) camera before the digital, and my pictures of the minis are much better now. Not to mention no longer having to go in and pay to develop a bunch of bad pictures. Some questions to ask when evaluating cameras: Does it come with a macro lens? If not can one be purchased? How long do the batteries last? Does a power cord come with it?

Cyndi

Digital Cameras: I have recently obtained a used digital camera, not of the highest resolution. But if you do not like the photo take another. Regarding close ups. The camera a have does not have any lenses to attach as my film camera has. What I did was I put a $5.00 magnifying glass between the camera lens and the subject and maneuvered the lens and camera until I saw what appeared to be what I wanted, then took the photograph.

Bob

Sizing digital pictures: If your pictures are too large to upload quickly:

1) Some cameras do have a setting for low resolution pictures. Check your owners manual.

2) Most pictures can be "compressed" with picture editing software. There are many different programs to choose from including some free ones that can be downloaded from the Internet. When you compress a picture you lose a tiny bit of quality- but not really that noticeable.

Bonnie in Tucson