Questions for ya'll

[prslaughter]

A lot of the photos I see are quite close, especially of the smaller species, & I've been wondering....what are you using to photograph your mantises? Right now the only 'camera' I have is my iphone, & it certainly doesn't get as up-close-n-personal as many of the pix I see. Some of your photos are professional quality! I love how the zooms can make a hydei look like it's the size of your fist. I would love to get some quality mantis pix like those, but I'm afraid the iphone camera just ain't gonna do it. Anyone?

 

[mantisman 230]

Typically one would use a Macro lens for such an endeavor, I have a Nokia Windows phone, but the camera is excellent.

 

[soundspawn]

You need something with a macro lens, you can find point and shoot cameras as well as add-on lenses for point and shoots to do macro, but the higher quality way is DSLR which is the kind of camera where the whole lens comes off (see Sony Alpha for example). Low end for decent quality you're probably looking at $400 and up to infinity. Some people can pull off good results with those small flat powershot type cameras but that's more a testament to their skill than an endorsement of the camera.

 

[Crazy4mantis]

you can actually get a macro lens for your phone. They're not incredible, but I heard they work very well for $50. Personally, I use a Nikon D90 DSLR. I can get acceptably close with the kit lens that comes with it, though a macro lens will help get mega close to small nymphs.

 

[soundspawn]

you can actually get a macro lens for your phone. They're not incredible, but I heard they work very well for $50. Personally, I use a Nikon D90 DSLR. I can get acceptably close with the kit lens that comes with it, though a macro lens will help get mega close to small nymphs.

Yea forgot about those, although if I was trying to get by for ~$50 I'd bump it to $80 and buy an Olympus - it's well regarded for macro photography on a budget: http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-VG-160-Digital-Optical-Red/dp/B006ZAHOEO