Crime scene photography

I'm new to this forum so forgive me if I make mistakes. I'm fairly new to digital photography and I'm trying to learn as much as I can..

I work as a crime scene investigator and were are planning on switching over to digital. We currently use a Bronica medium format camera. My question is which camera would be the best choice to use? We need to consider price, storage of images, ease of use, night time/bad weather use etc. We would like to get two cameras and we have about $10,000 to get set up with everything camera wise (flash,lens, body, case).

Someone else here had the same question sometime in the last year. Try a search for "Crime" & see what comes up.
My personal suggestion would be to get the 300D or 350XT & put the $s saved into good glass since I don't see where you need more than single shot capability. CSI 5-shot bursts are the scriptwriters "Wet dream"!

i suspect - purely from what I've seen from the television, is possibly some good macro lenses, and possible a some quite wide lenses. Considering the x1.6 crop factor, maybe a full frame camera would be better - eg the forthcoming 5D.

Night and bad weather, says 1D/1Ds to me. Depending on the budget maybe used originals, not the Mk IIs. Then some of the faster prime wides and a macro. 580EX or maybe the ML-24 ringlight. Don't know how much use you'd have for a telephoto - maybe the 70-200 f/4 L.

Most likely any camera will do.
As we all know from the TV (e.g. 'CSI') you crime scene investigators have programs that allow you to do sharp 1200x enlargements from any nearly photo taken with any camera so that you can even use fingerprints as evidence in court that were blown up from wide angle scenery shots

OK ... on a more serious note ... have a look at the 20D as well.
Its main advantage for this job would be the possibility to add the Data verification kit that encrypts the images so you have legal proof that the image was not altered in any form since it was taken. And it's cheaper than the other camera (1DMKII) supporting this image.

Best regards,
Andy

Hire me, and I'll bring my gear along.

I think that kind of work would be almost ideal for the 5D. Full format so wide angles really stay wide angles, plenty of megapixels for big enlargements and (apparently) very little noise at high ISO which will allow clear pictures in bad weather and at night.

Andy's comments about image verification is, I would think, extremely important. If a crime case depended on photographic evidence, and there was any doubt over tampering, then the criminal could walk free on a technicality.

_______________
Steven Wike Photo-Imaging

We are hiring but you need a college degree in either forensic science or a natural science

Remember, he's got a budget of approx. $10,000.00. If he bought from B & H Photo/Video
2 - Canon EOS-20D @ $1,299.95 each(body only)=$2,599.90
2 - 70-200 F2.8 USM A/F lens @ $1,139.95 ea. =$2,279.90
2 - 580EX Speedlite E-TTL Flash @ $379.95 ea. =$ 759.90
2 - DVK-EZ Data Verification Kits @ $699.95 ea. =$1,399.90
for a total cost of $7039.60 which will keep him under budget even with bags, memory cards, and other various accessories. Even if he wants (or needs) another lens for each camera he can still be under his target price. and nowadays costs are important. Wish I had a $10,000.00 budget for my own gear. I'd have a blast!

Don't forget a macro, the 100mm being a good choice. Do you really need much telephoto (I suspect not if you're currently shooting MF). Instead of the 70-200 (which is a great lens), you might get something on the wide and fast side, such as the 16-35.

Think about a good tripod. And bags, memory cards, etc.

My two cents, and I haven't shot a crime scene shot in my life.

Greg

You might give us some information on the Bronica setup you currently have and your requirements...

... would you like to have 2 similar setups or 2 that complete each other?

If you go for the second option, a set of 20D, 5D, 17-40/4.0, 24-70/2.8, 70-200/4.0, 50/1.8, 100/2.8 macro, 2x 580 flash, tripod, bags, CF cards etc. would give you a setup covering 17 mm (17-40 on 5D) to 320 mm (70-200 on 20D) in 35 mm equivalent.

Haven't done the math, but this should run somewhere at 7,000$ ... maybe replace the 20D with a 1DMKII for ruggedness.

I don't think you really need the f/2.8 versions of wide and tele lens, because you most likely don't want to creatively isolate the subject, but rather get a lot in focus

The 50/1.8 (or 50/1.4) would add some low light ability ... if you need that.

Best regards,
Andy

The budget could include a portable computer which, coupled to a cellphone, could transmit the images directly back to HQ

We currently have two Bronica medium format cameras with 50mm and 75mm lens and lumedyne flash system 244 50-200/4. We use Kodak color film 400 for night shots and 160 daytime. When we print photos they are usually 8x10 colr photographs.

I don't know a lot about the technical stuff so I gave the information that is on the camera and flash. The Bronica takes beautiful pictures, but it's an antique. We also have the issues of processing the negatives, printing the pictures, cleaning the machines that do that stuff, storing all the chemicals. Now that the states atty. will accept digital it seems the way to go. I've spoken to other crime labs and thats all they do is digital.

The 70-200 F/4 will allow you to reach 4' into a scene & shoot a 4" wide "close-up" without disturbing anything in between you & the subject. I doubt that you will need f/2.8 as I expect that you'll at least use fill flash for all your shots on location.
Ask the State Attny if you need to spend money on the Data Verification Kits, or if a uneditable RAW file will serve the same purpose.