Camera for criminal forensics student

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wolfyccfc

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Martin
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Hi all,

Looking for some help for a friend who’s daughter is doing a uni course on criminal forensics. They need a camera for the course capable of macro(closes ups of evidence) and general scene photography. There budget is £500-700. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks
 
I seem to remember Nikon? did have a system that could varify an image (or something similar) so it was easy to tell if an image had been tampered with after.
Cant remember the details now.
Most of the crime scene photos I've seen taken were the good old pentax 6x7 film camaras or Nikon film camera, but thats ging back to the 1990s when I did some work with them.
 
Whilst I am not a forensics person I would have thought any recent DSLR or CSC will do, lens choice is likely to be more of a challenge I would think and am not sure you actually need a macro lens as such. I suspect a decent standard zoom would suffice.
 
GTG said:
Shouldn't she ask the course tutor who is I assume a highly experienced professional with years of experience in the field and should know exactly what is needed.
Click to expand...
:plus1:
 
GTG said:
Shouldn't she ask the course tutor who is I assume a highly experienced professional with years of experience in the field and should know exactly what is needed.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply, unfortunately they cannot make contact with the tutor until just before the course starts in September, they have just been told the type of things they will be photographing I.e hair, small articles, room scenes etc
 
Surely one of the course organisers will know the spec of what camera kit* the student needs to buy? Tell her to contact the Uni and ask them, and don't be fobbed off by the receptionist. It's not 50p she's potentially going to be spending, so tell her to start her forensic training now, by thoroughly investigating exactly what camera kit she'll need to start the course! ;)

*You might even find that the course provides kit for the students to use, in which case she's saved herself some money?
 
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As stated any decent DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) or CSC (Compact System Camera) should be capable...

If you are wanting a more specific recommendation (I was a scientific photographer specialising in macro and high macro for 35yrs);

For this sort of course I would possibly look at a Canon 1300D, it is entry level but more than capable of this sort of photography with the advantage of WiFi so that you can view and control it from a tablet. 18mp will be more than sufficient and you can purchase it with the 'standard' 18 - 55mm lens.

To this I would add the Canon EF-S 35mm macro lens, this is stabilised and includes a built in LED ring light...

Also I would add a speed light, maybe something on the lines of a Godox TT350.

All that should come in within budget.

But... speak to the course tutor before making any purchase as they may have specific requirements that are pertinent to the course as photography will only be a smaller part of the overall forensics course.

Good Luck
 
I would wait until course starts and ask the tutor. you can buy a camera and lens with 24hr delivery if need be.

I once worked with a guy whose son was going to uni on a computer course. He bought him a fancy laptop before he went.
When the course started he discovered nearly all the work was done on uni desktops. The uni may already have equipment the students can use/borrow.
 
I'd wait until the course starts. Apart from anything else students usually get a discount.

I'd think many bridge cameras would do the job perfectly well and save faffing around changing lenses.
 
Ncis use nikon too.

But seriously I would wait and see what is said at the start of the course. I very much doubt in the first week or so much productive work gets done. And I'm sure she won't be only the one who hasn't got anything.
If they was any major requirements I'm sure they would of put it in the syllabus requirements.
Keep us updated thou if you do ever find out as it would be interesting to find out what they say
 
Agree with waiting until the course starts, but I can understand your friend's daughter might want that.

I think it is very remiss of the university not to give at least some guidance, particularly as the range they want the camera to cover is from hair to room scenes, without as far as we know how much detail is requires.

Even if the guidance only said something like, "We do not recommend any particular camera for this course but in the past students have successfully used the following cameras..."

Dave
 
There is no need for anything fancy :)


Their own mobile phone will take more than good enough pictures TBH.
 
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swanseamale47 said:
I seem to remember Nikon? did have a system that could varify an image (or something similar) so it was easy to tell if an image had been tampered with after.
Cant remember the details now.
Most of the crime scene photos I've seen taken were the good old pentax 6x7 film camaras or Nikon film camera, but thats ging back to the 1990s when I did some work with them.
Click to expand...

Canon did but it was proven that it had the possibility to be falsified

Mike
 
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