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Dear MARMAM and ECS subscribers, Once again I apologize for cross-postings. A while ago, I made an inquiry on both lists about the use of digital cameras for photo-id (dolphins in particular). Several list members were interested in hearing the results I would get, so I am summarising my findings here. I hope it will serve as an useful information for other groups. Clearly, there is a preference for certain digital cameras among researchers working with cetaceans. Canon and Nikon are the most extensively used and probably the best. However, there seem to be two groups of cetacean photographers: those that clearly prefer Canon and those that clearly prefer Nikon. The numbers are more or less similar. The quality of both labels is very high and more or less the same. I will not mention other cameras that people used, because they were somehow »underrepresented«. These are the best choices for doing photo-id on cetaceans: Canon EOS 1D mark II Canon EOS 20D Canon EOS 10D Nikon D100 Nikon D70 Here are the lenses that were used (either Canon or Nikon): Canon 100-400 AF Canon EF 70-200 F/2,8 L USM Canon f/4.5-5.6L IA USM Canon EF 70-200/2.8 IS USM (IS is stabilizer, although some people think it is overrated, while others say it’s a must). EF 70-200 EF 100-400 80-200 F.2,8 (Nikon) AF 28-200mm (Nikon) Although resolution is an important factor for chosing a digital camera, the "frames per second" is also as important. The best choice is to get a good combination of both. It is also worth noting that the difference between (for example) 6 and 8 Megapixels is very small. Probably the important factor is also the autofocus speed. However, many people find manual focus the fastest way possible. Sealing of the camera is also something that will afect its price. Some cameras have very good sealings, which prevent any water or salt to get into the camera. People working with cetaceans might want to keep that in mind, as the salt eventually destroys the camera. Especially the connection between the camera and the lens is the weak spot. Concerning storage of photos, most people advised me to store photos in JPEG format and not in TIFF or RAW. It allows you to store more photos and you don't really lose quality. It is wise to buy two 1 Gb cards and not one big one, becasue bigger cards are not stable. In case of bad light conditions, digital cameras have the advantage, because you can pop up the ISO / ASA and get good results (although don't forget the grain!). Probably the main problem with digital cameras is their cost. They tend to be very expensive, although prices are dropping. It is also worth checking why a certain camera is twice as expensive as some other one. It might have very similar resolution and "frames per second", but if it is lighter and/or less robust, the price will jump up. Also, it depends whether it is made of magnesium or plastic (or both). Therefore we advise researchers to pay attention when buying the camera. The most expensive one might not be the best choice. For example, Canon EOS 1D mark II and Canon EOS 20D are quite similar. Canon EOS 20D = 1.500 EUR Canon 1D mark II = 4.300 EUR The resolution is the same (8,2 M) Canon EOS 1D mark II = 8,5 frames per secons Canon 20D = 5 frames per second Canon EOS 1D mark II is made of magnesium, while Canon EOS 20D is made of both magnesium and plastic. Most researchers and photographers recommended the Canon EOS 1D mark II, if money is not a problem. However, most of them also stated that Canon 20D is as good as the 1D mark II, but much cheaper and therefore more cost-effective. The other two best choices would be Nikon D70 and Nikon D100 (D70 being slightly better, especially as it is cheaper, but the quality is the same or even slightly better than D100). All the cameras mentioned above are suitable for photo-id. The choice that the researchers make will largely be affected by the budget. Also, researchers should understand camera's specifications and decide which things are important for research and which are not. It is better to buy a cheaper camera, than a very expensive one, but of the same quality. According to the responses we received, after comparing the camera with the others and after talking to professional photographers, we clearly decided to purchase Canon EOS 20D. It seems to be very cost-effective and it should suit all our needs. We don't have the money to buy Canon EOS 1D mark II, but then again, we don't need it. The 20D is almost the same and it has everything we need. The lens we will buy is most likely Canon EF 70-200 F/2,8 L USM or something similar. So, in our opinion, Canon EOS 20D is the winner! :) If anybody needs more information or some details (perhaps I left out something important), please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have. A big THANK YOU to all of you who kindly responded with your comprehensive messages and explained all the details! Good luck to all of those purchasing a digital camera. I hope this information helps in any way. Best regards, Tilen Genov Morigenos - marine mammal research and conservation society Jarska cesta 36/a 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia phone: +386 1 541 07 45 mobile: +386 70 943 266 e-mail: [log in to unmask] website: www.morigenos.org _________________________________________________________________ Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today it's FREE! http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/