This week I want to cover a few different types of cameras, and how they can be useful in the course of your investigations. While there are many different types and styles of cameras, not every one will fulfill your needs in the field. A camera that might be your first choice in the studio, more than likely can be replaced by a lighter, more compact model for field work. With today's photo editing software it is possible to make pictures taken with inexpensive cameras look almost indistinguishable from picture's taken with much more expensive cameras.
With the arrival of cell phones that all have cameras built-in, people everywhere began taking pictures more than any other time in history. As a result, many apps have been developed that help enhance photos as well. The quality of pictures that most people are able to take now is dramatically different than it was even five years ago. Compare the weight of a cell phone that one is likely to be carrying anyway, to the weight of the average DSLR, especially with all the extra lenses that likely accompany it, and it's easy to see why so many people have chosen to use their phones exclusively for photography instead of carrying around unneeded bulky equipment.
Usually in the course of an investigation it is necessary to have some sort of scale present in the photo for measuring. Any other information that can be present in the photo is a bonus as well, which is why I really love the "Theodolite" app, since it can display all the relevant information such as azimuth, angle, and GPS coordinates.
Of course, if you are on a really large investigation scene, your best bet will be the DSLR on a tripod. For a large area that you would like to catch as many of the details as possible of, a tripod mounted camera definitely has it's advantages. I have also noticed that any time you have to use the zoom, that a DSLR with the right lens has a much better focus, depth-of-field, and resolution. Although the results are fantastic with a DSLR, they do require a higher level of knowledge about photography than your average point-and-click camera on the market. It also only used to be possible to take "Panorama" shots by using a tripod, however I have an app on my iPhone that does a better job than I have ever been able to taking my time, and using a tripod, so again, the phone is a great option.
New on the market is the GoPro series of cameras, which depending on your usage, comes with a variety of different waterproof cases and attachments to cover any inventive usage one might come up with. The quality is so good, that again, leaving the bigger DSLR at home seems wise. It also has a time-lapse function that can be very useful if you need see if something was affected over time. Because of it's small size, light weight, and multitude of awesome attachments, the GoPro is worth serious consideration to add to your photo bag.
Again the question arises though; what do you do when in a situation where something, be it natural magnetic fields or effects of a craft of unknown origin, causes all your electronics to fail? Fortunately, Fuji Film still makes single-use disposable cameras, and you can order them on Amazon.com for a very reasonable price. Amazingly, there is still someplace to easily get your film processed. Walgreens still does all kinds of film developing, whether from a disposable single-use camera, or your vintage Minolta!
I hope this weeks installment has given you some more ideas on ways to get that perfect picture...and how to plan for any occurrence in the process!
Please come back next week for the next installment, and don't forget to share with all your friends!
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