Cameras
My Advice on what you'll need.
Some folks already have a camera, and don't even know this can be done. Others don't have, and finding the right camera is an important step. You don't need to spend much for animation at this level. I take all my pictures at my cameras lowest resolution setting (640x480), and I don't use a flash because it ruins the 3D effect by killing all the shadows. Good cameras are available to do this for well under $100.00. Look for things other than high resolution numbers. Look for a glass lens, (some are plastic) and good color reproduction. Great online comparisons of brands and models can be made at CNET. You don't need to buy online, but it's a great place for consumer research. I chose to buy locally because I wanted the extended service plan.
You may want a tripod mountable camera for doing animation. The first Sammy clip was made before I had a tripod, and I got by with a box and creative use of masking tape. You're probably safer with a tripod. I use a small, table-top tripod. I picked it up at Best Buy for $11.00. You could probably get a nice one for $20.00 at a camera shop.
- Update: I just purchased a much nicer tripod. I went to a good camera shop, and paid $21.00 for a Glottos Q-Pod mini. It will let me take a picture from a height of only 1.5" inches. For it is important to be able to take pictures from very low. I'll add some pictures here by the end of today.
Nice little tripod! Very small, and the legs expand if you need a little more height.
My camera, luckily enough, came with some software that
allows me to operate every feature of the camera from my laptop. When I
first tried the 
software, I uninstalled it and shelved the CD because I was sure
I'd never have a use for it. Conversely, I have found it to be invaluable
since getting into stop-motion. The less you touch the camera the smoother
the scene will be. Any small movement of the camera will make the whole
scene shift in your movie... Maybe a handy effect for that tense
earthquake sequence! I don't know how you could tell if a given camera has
this feature before buying it, but it might be worth asking about..
Exposure lock is another nice feature. This will prevent the auto exposure circuitry from reacting to subtle changes in light. This helps eliminate the strobe-light effect. For comparison, I didn't have the exposure locked for Sammy1.mpg, and I did for Sammy2.mpg.
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