Which digicam should I choose?

March 2, 2009 5:18 PM

I need a decent, all-purpose digital camera that would take good pictures of jewelry to sell on Etsy for around $200. Less would be better, and if it's worth it, I would be willing to go higher.

I'm going to use it for everyday purposes, but also need it to take picture of small items, such as earrings and pendants that I will be selling on Etsy. I don't really have much experience with digital cameras and my current one is about to hit the shitter. Need some suggestions, please.

posted by MaryDellamorte to technology (8 comments total)

The Canon SD1100 sells for about $150 on Amazon, has excellent general image quality, and good macro functionality without much fiddling. My sister takes hundreds of fairly close detail-rich taxonomic photos of insects, and she has been perfectly satisfied with hers.
posted by joyceanmachine at 5:26 PM on March 2 [1 favorite]

In addition to whatever camera you end up with, in my experience what makes the biggest difference is the lightbox, which you can DIY for like $15.
posted by DarlingBri at 5:47 PM on March 2 [5 favorites]

Light box? Wow, I never knew that. I guess my next mefi question will be about how to take pictures of jewelry.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 5:51 PM on March 2

I guess my next mefi question will be about how to take pictures of jewelry.

It's pretty easy - the basic process is in that post I linked to. If you want more advanced directions, there's a second post. It's pretty easy - put your stuff in the box, light it up, and then try it in various settings while taking notes - macro setting, zoom, flash, no flash - and see what works consistently for you.

If you're shooting jewellery for Etsy, you can stage inside your box by putting your items on rocks, fabric, books, wooden blocks, etc - browse through loads of Etsy galleries and look at what appeals to you in the product shots you like.

Because you get several (I think up to six?) shots per item on Etsy, its worth making the last one a size shot - shoot the item with a penny or quarter so people have an idea of scale.
posted by DarlingBri at 6:08 PM on March 2 [1 favorite]

This site will give you a grounding on photographing jewelry, etc. you can make a rudimentary light box from a white sheet and coat hangers- all you really need is a translucent white boxed in area with a hole on one side for your camera. The trick is to light the light box from outside, then you have that flat non-specular lighting you need to photograph reflective objects.

It's really one of the more rewarding and easier ways to photograph small things, in that a little experimentation and practice will soon have you taking photographs that rival pro shots with a little care.
posted by pjern at 6:10 PM on March 2

See this previous post about lighting similar objects.
posted by 0xFCAF at 7:27 PM on March 2

Canon SD880IS is what I swear by. Newegg generally has the best prices.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/recommended-cameras.htm

has some really great reviews for cameras. I'd take a look.
posted by derogatorysphinx at 9:31 PM on March 2

Canon's SD770IS is on sale today at amazon for $145.
posted by langeNU at 7:05 AM on March 3