The carefully budgeted Digital SLR Camera Outfit

Hardly a day goes by that someone doesn't phone me (or email me, or commandeer me at a carshow or a track event), seeking advice about which digital camera ("digicam") he or she should get. So below—just for you—is my current roster of recommended digicam gear for the budget-conscious motorcar enthusiast.

Note that I'm recommending only DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) models; with the bargain prices of today's digital SLRs, and factor in that you no longer need to continually pay for expensive film and developing, paying a little more and getting yourself a much-more-capable DSLR digicam is a veritable no-brainer. Comparing the image-capture capabilities of one of today's (properly outfitted) DSLRs to a point-and-shoot-class digicam is akin to comparing an Aston Martin to a Yugo.

There are several significant reasons for opting for a good DSLR (digital single-lens-reflex) camera such as the Nikon D3000:

1) The optical quality and overall lens performance is unmistakably better than than of most low-priced and medium-priced pocket-sized (and larger) consumer digicams. The "standard" 18–55mm zoom lens of most of today's DSLR cameras is perfect for all of your motorcar photography and most of your photography in general. But for portrait and other people shots, you'd be wise to spring for a second zoom lens, say a 55–150 or 55–200. If you purchase that second zoom, try to get one that uses the same filter size as your primary (18-55mm) lens. To avoid folks looking like a chunkier version of Humpty Dumpty, you must (physically) back up a few feet (to a 10–12 ft./3–4 meter distance) and use approximately a 100–120mm zoom setting for your portrait shots. Trust me on that advice.

2) Speaking of filters, two are absolutely indispensable, and you'll read about them below. You'll want to permanently mount an inexpensive (under $20) UV/ultraviolet filter on each of your DSLR's lenses, and you'll want a nice Hoya polarizer filter to use with both lenses. Here's an example of with/without a polarizer filter in midday bright sun:

polarizer filter

above: shot with NO POLARIZER FILTER, this picture was captured in harsh, midday sunlight. Note the complete bleachout of the windshield and the hood (bonnet), as well as the corollary murky shadows in the front of the car.	Above: shot WITH A POLARIZER FILTER, the filter rotated to MAXIMUM polarization.Note that by reducing the glare, the shadow areas miraculously come out lighter. You see, there's roughly the same amount of light on each of these two images... but the light is more evenly distributed with the use of the polarizer filter.

3) The quality and illumination power (IMHO, the factor that should be perhaps your highest priority in choosing a camera) of the flip-up built-in flash on all of today's consumer DSLRs is also significantly better than the little pencil-eraser-sized flash on the little 'pocket' cameras. And because of its 'flip-up' mechanism, it rises much higher above the camera, which means it's that much much lower when turn your camera upside-down (which you'll also read about below and learn to make your standard procedure). If you'd like a brief lesson as to why you need to learn to use your flash outdoors (and why a more powerful 'flip-up' flash (or better yet, a good add-on flash) is so extraordinarily useful for your outdoor photography), take a look:

Lacey & Tori without flash		Lacey & Tori with forced flash
Seriously, any questions?   Moreover, note how much richer the color is in the background when your flash 'brightens up' your closeup subject(s).  Your motorcar photography will benefit in precisely the same manner once you learn to use your flash outdoors. Make sure your next camera has a good 'flip-up' flash. And then take full advantage of it.  One final note regarding flash: I hope to never again hear someone say "My camera has automatic flash; it knows when to engage the flash." Sigh. No it doesn't. Your camera's factory-default (and thoroughly useless) 'automatic flash' does not work outdoors... where you need your flash the most. IMHO, "automatic flash" is the biggest hoax ever perpetrated on camera users. Set your camera to 'forced flash'—the naked-lightning-bolt icon—and leave it there. You'll find the complete set of my recommended digital-camera settings on page 4 of "Cobra Photography Tips for DIPSTICKS."

For over 30 years I've been purchasing my photography gear from B&H Photo, I've dropped their name to anyone who asked whom I recommend for a camera equipment outfitter, and I'm giving those fine folks the 'thumbs up' on this page. Here's a hotlink to a nice nighttime photo of their storefront, located at 420 9th Avenue in Manhattan). My reason being, 1) B&H is the largest supplier of photographic equipment on the planet [if these folks don't carry what you're looking for, you probably wouldn't want to own it], 2) they always give me sound advice (and with no sales pressure), and I've never once encountered a misadventure with them. And they publish a splendid full-color print catalog.

Such high praise cannot be said of many of the bargain-basement-special photo suppliers, especially when they lure you in with one of their "camera kit packaged specials," which are more-often-than-not "padded" with lower-quality stuff and off-brand lenses, filters and other accessories... and they almost never volunteer to tell you that part. You'll see (below) that I've provided a hyperlink to B&H, along with some time-saving search words/search phrases (in red) for you to use on B&H's on-site search utility, and (as time has permitted) I've added direct hotlinks. I set all the remote links to open the B&H page in a new window, so you can refer back & forth to this article and refer to the search words I've provided for you in this text.

Nikon D3000. ±$550 (B&H search phrase: Nikon D3000). It's a splendidly capable SLR (single-lens reflex) camera with lots of well-thought-out features (including a well-designed "flip-up" flash), and it's user friendly. The D-Series "standard" autofocus/zoom lens is Nikon's popular 18–55mm, which translates (in 35mm parlance) to the equivalent of 27mm–83mm... an excellent wide-angle-to-short-telephoto zoom range. You can pick one up (with the 18–55mm zoom lens) for less than $500 from several vendors on the Internet. Many of the Cobras and GT40s you see for sale on CobraCountry were shot with this (or some other member of Nikon's D-Series digicams), and the results speak for themselves. IMHO, the D3000's 10.2 megapixels represents about 6 megapixels more than you'll ever need. IMHO, 99 people out of 100 have no sensible reason to spend an extra dime for more megapixels—advertising spin and marketing hype notwithstanding. The ongoing "megapixel-count" war is all about selling digital cameras, NOT about capturing good photographs. Save your money on pixel overkill and deploy it instead to equip yourself with some wisely-selected accessories that'll contribute significantly more quality to your photographs.

Canon also offers excellent consumer-priced SLR digicams (its 'EOS Rebel' Series, B&H search phrase: Canon Rebel XS), as does Olympus (E-Series, B&H search phrase: Olympus Evolt). But among them all, I'd lunge for the Nikon D3000.

Hotlink to the Nikon D3000 page on B&H's site: Nikon D3000

Here's my permanent roster of recommended accessories—no matter what digital SLR camera you choose:

1. UV/haze filter: ±$20. A Hoya UV filter (in 52mm size) is only $19.35 at B&H; (B&H# HOUVMC52, B&H search phrase: houv52). A certified no-brainer investment. On the one hand it's an effective filter for reducing "haze" (and thereby improving your color saturation), but moreover it's darned cheap insurance to protect your front lens surface from scratches. Every time you clean dust or smudges off the front of your lens, you're risking scratching a $13 filter, NOT a $200 or $300 lens; Get it, screw it onto your lens and leave it there permanently. In fact, I urge you to apply a small drop of Loctite 'Thread Locker Blue' or similar thread adhesive on your UV filter's threads, just to ensure that it'll permanently stay in place.

2. polarizer filter: ±$36. The Hoya 52mm circular polarizer filter is $35.85 at B&H; (B&H# HOCP52, B&H search phrase: hocp52). When you're out in the bright sun and need polarization, just screw the filter on temporarily (in front of your "permanent" UV filter), and rotate it to "dial-in" the amount of polarization you desire (typically you'll want ALL of the glare eradicated). It dials-out glare just like your polarized sunglasses do. Worth forty times its weight in Krugerrands for shooting shiny and/or colorful objects in bright sunlight. Almost every single richly-colored poster or calendar outdoor scene (vintage motorcars, fall colors, snow-covered mountains, blue sky) you've ever marveled over was shot using a polarizer filter. Tiffen also offers a circular polarizer filter; it's $19.95 at BHphoto; B&H# TICP52, B&H search phrase: ticp52). I've used both Hoya and Tiffen polarizers; they're both good products, but you'll get better and more consistent polarization with the Hoya. IMHO, it's worth the extra $16.

3. camera strap: ±$22. Tamrac N-45 padded/quick-release camera strap [available black with black foam-padded suede leather shoulder pad, or with brown padded suede shoulder pad; it's $21.95 at B&H (B&H# TAN45BR, B&H search phrase: tamrac N-45); I've used essentially this same superb (Tamrac) strap on every one of my cameras since I purchased my two Nikon FA's in 1984.] The strap that comes with any camera is always a chintzy excuse for a camera strap, atho' Nikon straps are among the better ones that are included with the camera. Get that Tamrac N-45, and you'll be delighted with it 'til the proverbial cows come home. Keep your strap around your neck all the time you're taking pictures, and never (trust me: NEVER) set your camera down with the strap hanging over the edge of the table; that's a recipe for disaster.

4. Lens shade/lens hood: ±$10. B+W #900 52mm rubber lens shade is probably your best buy, at $9.50. [B&H# BWLHR52, B&H search phrase for ALL their collapsible rubber lens hoods: "rubber lens hood" (and—trust me—be sure to include those quote marks)]. It's designed for a "standard" focusing range (±50mm) lens setting, which will suffice for much of your shooting. It also serves to protect the delicate front rim of your lens from collision damage.

If you want to be able to "flex" your lens hood for everything from wide-angle to telephoto (important if you're at an outdoor event where you're likely to be aiming your camera in all sorts of random directions), consider the Heliopan 52mm screw-in rubber lens hood [$19.69; B&H# HELH52, B&H search phrase: helh52]; it's made of natural rubber and is soft and pliable—you fold it back on itself to use with a wide-angle lens.

5. camera card reader: ±13. My pick of the litter? The Delkin eFilm Reader-38 Card Reader/Writer [B&H# DEMCRW, B&H search phrase: demcrw)] is as good a bargain as you're likely to stumble upon. It provides a universal USB 2.0 fast interface, and thus works equally well with a Windows or Macintosh computer, accommodates 18 card types, and (as of December 2010) it's only $12.95. Get yourself one. Plugs into any USB port on your computer; you slip your camera's memory card into the appropriate slot (just like you'd slip a disk into a disk drive), and voilá, the "disk" icon shows up on your desktop, whence you can promptly copy the files onto your hard disk. Almost everybody makes 'em: Delkin, Hewlett-Packard, iConnection, IOGear, Kingston, Lexar, Lenovo, Microtech, Sandisk, Sony, Verbatim, et al. B&H alone offers over 75 camera card readers made by numerous manufacturers. If, on the B&H site, for some bizarre reason you'd like to see all the card readers they carry, use this keyword strategy (don't type in the brackets): <USB card reader>; then from the drop-down menu that (by default) reads "relevance," select "Price: Low To High" and scroll through the pages until you've viewed all 70 or 80 models. The first page in your search result will display 20 models of card readers ranging from $5.50 to $15.95. You probably won't even need to visit the second page. In the end, I'd still spring for the Delkin. Another no-brainer.

6. camera bag: ±$40. This is where it gets tricky among your "must haves." You see, B&H Photo alone displays (as of today, 29 November, 2010) 629 camera bags (from over two dozen manufacturers, ranging from Billingham to Zing Designs) on their website. There are well over 100 bags made by Tamrac alone! In B&H's search utility, just select "Cameras/Photo Gear" category, then type in "camera bags" and go crazy. Over 600 of them, and they range in price from about $9.95 to $589.95 (no kidding). But I've done my best to keep it simple for you. If you want a well-made, intelligently engineered camera bag that will accommodate and protect 1) your camera, 2) in most cases an extra lens, 3) an auxiliary flash, 4) a few extra filters & accessories, and 5) all your other "stuff" (within reason)—extra memory cards, spare batteries, USB cable, lens-cleaning cloth, etc. etc., below are a few selections (ranging from $31.95 to $47.95) from among the 629 choices on B&H's website, and from only two of the manufacturers—Lowepro and Tamrac.

Each of the camera bag photos below is linked to a larger,
and sometimes alternate view (or alternate color) of that model.
Each of the model names is hotlinked to the B&H web page for that bag.
 

	Tamrac 3340 Aero 40 [B&H search phrase: 3340 aero] accommodates SLR camera with lens attached, flash and accessories Available in black or red Price (December, 2010): $31.95
	Tamrac 601 Expo 1 [B&H search phrase: 601 Expo] accommodates SLR camera, extra lens, flash and accessories available in navy, gray, black or red Price (December, 2010): $47.95
	Lowepro Nova 140 AW [B&H search phrase: Nova 140]  accommodates SLR camera with lens attached, flash and accessories rugged nylon and polyester bag adjustable padded dividers all-weather cover exterior zippered front pocket dual memory card pockets padded grab handle, removable adjustable shoulder strap, belt loop available in black, blue, red, chesnut Price (December, 2010): $39.95
	Lowepro Nova 160 AW [B&H search phrase: Nova 160]  very similar to the Nova 140, but slightly larger dimensions accommodates SLR camera, one extra lens, flash and accessories rugged nylon and polyester bag adjustable padded dividers all-weather cover exterior zippered front pocket dual memory card pockets cushioned grab handle, removable adjustable shoulder strap, belt Loop available in Ultramarine Blue/black trim, Chesnut Brown/black trim, Bordeaux Red/black trim, and solid black) Price (December, 2010): $44.95

I plodded through all 629 of B&H Photo's dossier of camera bags, culled the selection down to about 35 'finalists,' then to 14 or 15, then to these final five. I'm certain that any one of these Lowepro or Tamrac camera bags will serve you well. My pick of the five? Probably the Lowepro Nova 160. But even the lowest-priced Tamrac 3340 is a fine little bag, albeit perhaps a smidgen less spacious than the Lowepro.

Note that if you were to invest in all five of my recommended accessories for your digital SLR camera, you'd spend less than $150. And you'd be well-outfitted for just about photographic challenge—especially motorcar photography and any other sort of outdoor shutter punching.

1. Aerosol "duster/blaster" can—an eminently useful item for you to keep on hand to safely blow any dust particles out of your digital SLR. You can find 'em for between $4 and $10 just about anyplace... electronics stores (including computer stores), camera stores, office supply stores. In megastores they're almost always located in the electronics department.

2. A flash unit. The "flip-up" flash on your digital SLR provides far better illumination than the little cigarette-butt–sized flash on most digicams (trust me on that), but it's still not nearly as effective or as versatile as an auxiliary flash mounted on your camera. And remember, outdoors in the bright sun (and bright daytime shade) is where you need a really good flash mounted on your camera. The superb Nikon SB-600 AF Speedlight (for Nikon's D-Series digicams) zooms along with your zoom lens, plus it rotates and swivels—so you can rotate it or 'bounce it (off the ceiling or off your concrete driveway). The good news: it gets very good reviews from users, performs well and is a no-brainer to use. The bad news: it retails for a somewhat pricey $220. More good news: Nikon's compact SB-400 AF Speedlight (also for Nikon's D-Series digicams) is only $120, also rotates for 'bounce flash,' and is only $120; third-party flash units for the Nikon D-Series and other popular SLR lines (from such established makers as Bower, Phoenix, Sigma, SunPak, Vivitar) start at under $40. On B&H's website, just do a search for (ignore these brackets) <Nikon flash> or <Olympus flash> or <Canon flash> (etc. etc.) and start exploring B&H's resulting selection of flash units. I'd spring for the Nikon SB-600 Speedlight, but I'd sure appreciate some feedback from folks using those third-party units.

3. A tripod or monopod. Or both. Personally I use a monopod about twenty times as often as a tripod, simply because it's much more portable and less cumbersome. Canon's Monopod 100 ($29.95; B&H#CAMP100, B&H search phrase: CAMP100) lightweight, 4-section monopod with a mini ballhead; it extends with convenient "flip-locks." With a monopod (or a tripod), having a swiveling ballhead is a valuable feature. There's also a Davis & Sanford entry (the Davis & Sanford Monopod Duo 60; B&H#DAMSG, B&H search phrase: DAMSG) for $29.95; it also provides a ballhead, flip-locks, and appears to be a nicely-made, lightweight monopod.

4. A digital photo editor—something along the lines of Adobe Photoshop. Every single digital photograph ever shot screams out for "corrective surgery" to one degree or another. Routine items include cropping, color-cast correction, contrast enhancement, removal of unsightly distractions, smoothing wrinkles, sharpening et al. But Photoshop is a megabuck investment and not for the faint-of-heart. Consider the next-best choice: Adobe's own Photoshop Elements is a downscaled version of Photoshop, and will set you back less than $100 (and even less when it's on sale; shop around aggressively). Adobe provides a good tutorial for Elements, and there are aftermarket books and CD-ROM tutorials galore (about Photoshop Elements) to get you up to speed in polishing-up your digital photographs. For the record, B&H offers the several "dummies" books for various versions of "Photoshop Elements... For Dummies," by Barbara Obermeier (B&H search phrase: photoshop elements dummies).

One other suggestion, in case you possess or intend to purchase a D-Series Nikon camera: B&H offers several Wiley Publications books for those models (D40/D40x, D50, D80 and D200) each by David D. Busch, for $19.95, (B&H search phrase: Wiley Nikon Busch).

1. Curt's Cobra Photography Tips for Dipsticks. A direct link to the introductory page of Curt Scott's (recently-completed) Cobra/ Daytona Coupe/GT40 photography how-to manual. It's a generously-illustrated 17-page goldmine for folks who need a really short course in good motorcar photography. Three-hole punch it for your future reference. And here's a hint: if you think you don't need to read Curt's expert tips... you need to read 'em/heed 'em more'n anyone else.

2. Specimens of Superb Serpent Shots: broadside shots, frontal shots, engine shots, cockpit shots. The best of over 12,000 digital camera photos captured by Cobra owners who sold their serpent on CobraCountry.

3. Tips for Selling Your Cobra or GT40. Cobra industry veteran Curt Scott's pearls of wit & wisdom. Well, wit.

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