You need a filter for good hps pics.
https://www.methodseven.com/hps-grow-photo-filter.html

First things first, you can have a $5,000 camera and still take shitty pictures. Before you even consider buying a DSLR camera I'd look into aperture, ISO, shutter speed, etc. etc.

There should be a ton of YouTube videos on the "basics".

A shitty camera with a good photographer > a good camera with a shitty photographer

I have a nikkon dslr 3100 and a samsung s6 active cell phone (with upgrade). My cell phone is 18mp, nikkon is 21mp. Both have same featured minus the nikkon can change lenses. I've owned the dslr for 3 yrs now. I've used it 4x. I use my cell for everything. It has the same filters as my nikkon, and I don't mind getting rosin on my cell vs my 900.00 dslr, although my phone was 800.00.

I had the 35mm thing, camera, 50mm f 1.4 lens, 35mm wide angle, 200mm telephoto. Used the wide angle the most. It was a film camera, on someone else's shelf now, donated it. It always took me out of the moment, as someone had to take "the picture". Like Demon I use my phone for most everything now. Not to easy, but not impossible to brighten a shot, but always with you, and you sure don't feel like it's something that has to come with, just so you don't mis something. More difficult to adjust for depth of field, and F stops but composure and lighting/shading is the same, that's where photography is. I take way more pics but that's the digital nature.
If I was going out to get another it would be a small form camera, maybe not with a removable lens, Sony, Canon and others have new ones coming out almost yearly. If I came into a lot of money I'd look at the Leica. Maybe I'll buy a dedicated camera someday...

DemonTrich said:

I have a nikkon dslr 3100 and a samsung s6 active cell phone (with upgrade). My cell phone is 18mp, nikkon is 21mp. Both have same featured minus the nikkon can change lenses. I've owned the dslr for 3 yrs now. I've used it 4x. I use my cell for everything. It has the same filters as my nikkon, and I don't mind getting rosin on my cell vs my 900.00 dslr, although my phone was 800.00.

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Sorry, but I've been into photography for a number of years now. Couple things.

If you know what you're doing a cell phone will never come to even remotely close to the quality you can get out of a DSLR. The D3100 never was and never will be $900.00. MP size is irrelevant to the camera/picture quality.

My s6 can do everything minus lens changes that my 3100 can do.

Your correct, my camera kit was only 600.

DemonTrich said:

My s6 can do everything minus lens changes that my 3100 can do.

Your correct, my camera kit was only 600.

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No it can't. I also own S6 and I also own D7100 with quite the lens repertoire. No phone camera will ever come close to a dslr. Forget about mpx, that'sthe last thing to worry about. It's about the size of the senzor and the quality of the lens.

No smartphone will ever take a photo like this:

juggernaut said:

For plants in flowering and dry bud pics.
I need to be able to take photos of plants under HPS bulbs bulbs. So i need the option to remove the excess yellow.
Also really good closeups. bugs,trichomes etc
All help appreciated

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What's your budget?

I have an S7 Edge. No phone will ever come close to the macro photography a DSLR can pull off with the right lens/filters.

Well, any distance a DSLR wins hands down no matter what. Phones just flat out cannot and will not capture the raw amount of information a DSLR can get. Plus phones images are MUCH more polluted with noise.


But like I said from the very start, if you don't even understand the basics of photography, you may as well use the camera phone, because you won't be getting the most out of your DSLR. If you're going to get a DSLR, learn how to use manual mode. Auto mode just doesn't put out the quality they're capable of.

It may not be a 100% copy, but the s6 with the phone upgrade (this is 1000% important, w/o the upgrade, the camera sucks balls) is nearly as good. I won't even touch my dslr. Wish I never bought the paper weight.

Tbh, and I'm not trying to be rude, but you clearly don't know a lot about photography. A tiny digital camera flat out cannot and will not compete against a DSLR in the hands of someone that knows what they're doing. I know phones can take pictures that are "good enough", but there's leaps and bounds between the two.

Again, it all comes down to who's hands they're in.

Also keep in mind editing can make the world of difference in a photo.

Obviously I don't. I do however know how to use my dslr as well as my phone. But your correct, you know the inner working of my 42yr old brain better than I.

Lol

Toaster79 said:

No it can't. I also own S6 and I also own D7100 with quite the lens repertoire. No phone camera will ever come close to a dslr. Forget about mpx, that'sthe last thing to worry about. It's about the size of the senzor and the quality of the lens.

No smartphone will ever take a photo like this:

View attachment 718820 View attachment 718821 View attachment 718824 View attachment 718825 View attachment 718826 View attachment 718827

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Beautiful shots, props.

DemonTrich said:

Obviously I don't. I do however know how to use my dslr as well as my phone. But your correct, you know the inner working of my 42yr old brain better than I.

Lol

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I never claimed to know your "inner workings". I just have a good understanding of photography.

LoL guys! I agree with toaster, and if this site would allow larger files it would be more evident to the untrained eye.
Dslr's have a larger depth of field making the images look more 3D. No comparison really.

I like when a noob like me can throw in two cents. There is some good advice above. Here are the absolute basics:

- Rule of composition and thirds
- Basics of lighting and don't mess with flash photography
- Get a tripod for your shots (a lot of cameras you can control with an app as a shutter release
- A good phone will never beat a good camera
- The lens is almost everything - glass, glass, glass
- Practice, practice, practice
- Don't save every photo you take and stay organized from the start
- Recommend Enlight as a simple, but powerful phone-based editing app

Here is my single camera recommendation - Panasonic Lumix LX-100. Here's why, it is a Leica. The same exact camera is twice the price at 1200.00. The glass in that camera is fantastic, it takes an absolute beating because it is built to Leica standards. It is small and shoots 4K video. It has multiple aspect ratios and full manual camera controls in the right places, including manual focus, if desired. And the Lumix app lets you tether between phone and camera (albeit a little clunky process), and move pics to your phone, wherever you may be.

There are a ton of other great cameras out there. I've owned Minolta SRTs, Nikon F2, Speed Graphics, Canons, twin lenses. I grew up with a color darkroom in the house as well - cibachrome and ektachrome.

So, take it for what its worth. I did a ton of looking around with many of your mentioned criteria and this is what rose to the top of my list at the sub 500.00 price point.

Had a Galaxy S6, largest aperture I've ever seen on a phone and a real zoom lens. The zoom is loud. It took great pics, for a phone. I was really surprised. I think it might actually hold its own against some decent older point & shoots. Two major drawbacks, crap reception and the whole phone is glass. Pretty though.

That being said, just got my first entry level Pro camera, a Pentax KS-1. Mind blowing close-ups even with the 18mm-55mm lens. I'm already getting great shots of the trichs. Can't imagine what I'll be able to do with a macro.

Cost me a little under $1K, including 55mm-300mm lens, bag, batteries, charger, sd cards, etc...

I looked at the Canon t5 and the Nikon 3*** (can't remember the exact comperable model) but the Pentax won me over with a 51200 ISO, built in lens stabilization, super compact design, and it's a sick ass metallic blue. The Nikon was a very pretty red camera but struck me as seeming a little cheap and gimmicky (I know, I know, that coming from a person who bought a blue camera with backlit buttons). The t5 was neck and neck with the KS-1. I had a hard time deciding. Major benefits of the Canon were a plethora of quality inexpensive lenses, plug for an external mic, and live stream capability. Making it "THE" camera to buy if you plan on doing YouTube videos. The Pentax is a pure photography camera. Even though I bought the Pentax, I would recommend the Canon EOS t5 Rebel to a beginner. Not flashy, but a solid, top rated, hobbyist camera, that scratches at the Pro level.

I'm looking forward to posting my DSLR pics. Need to relearn how to shrink them down for web upload. I was in the middle of searching the forum for a thread dicussung it when I ran across this thread and decided to make a pit stop.



Im planning on investing another $1-$1.5K on lenses. The kit 18mm-55mm lens is absolute sh*t with the AF at it's extremes but I MF most of the time anyway. Drooling over some prime tele and macro lenses. Can't wait.

Will be picking up a Black Magic super 16 equivalent pocket cine camera and a full frame if this is a good year. Cinema prime lenses are badass. Theres this mirrorless that can use them with an adapter. I think it's a Canon but can't remember at the moment. That too.

juggernaut said:

For plants in flowering and dry bud pics.
I need to be able to take photos of plants under HPS bulbs bulbs. So i need the option to remove the excess yellow.
Also really good closeups. bugs,trichomes etc
All help appreciated

Click to expand...

There are mirrorless cameras that are on par with DSLRs. Especially if they have interchangeable lenses. Friendlier for the beginner and with a compact body style like the point & and shoot cameras, the mirrorles are a great option.

Good luck to you.

I'm kind of in the same boat (looking for a camera) used to have a film 35mm camera, shit has changed. Am on the trail of mirrorless specimens, either the Olympus' 10 or the Pen F. Some of the full sized cameras I picked up were unbelievably heavy compared to the Pentax ME I had, easily twice or more the weight. Couldn't imagine shooting with those heavy cameras at all.