What kind of camera is best for close-up photos of stamps, coins, and jewelry for eBay listings?

Asked 6/12/2012

1 views

2 answers

0

I need a camera for photographing small items such as stamps, coins, and jewelry for online sales. I was considering a point-and-shoot or bridge camera and wondered whether I really need a camera with a 0cm minimum focus distance, or if other options would work just as well. Are Canon cameras the best choice for this, or are there other brands with good macro or super-macro performance?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

14y ago

2 Answers

6

small objects like stamps,coins, and jewelry.

More or less any camera on a tripod in a window on a sunny day - you will probably have to crop the image on a PC. This doesn't matter because images for Ebay don't have to be good enough to print at poster size.

focus as low as 0cm

I find it is best not to rest the lens front element on the object being photographed. I'd not worry about minimum focus distance too much, any current camera with a standard lens will most likely do all that you want.


Updates

Here's some rushed shots with a few cameras I had to hand. An old point & shoot compact, an old entry level DSLR and a new small format Compact System Camera - not in that order - all with standard lens, at night on a desk, illuminated just by an anglepoise lamp. I used a tripod.

coin coin coin

The US 1 cent coin has diameter about 1.9 cm (3/4") I shot from 10-20 cm away. On my computer screen the cropped images are about 8x life size. The worst shot was taken with the arguably best camera (I rushed and was sloppy).

With a little time and attention I could probably have got much better pictures but if I was selling this coin on Ebay I think at least two of these shots would be OK.

Originally by user2520. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user2520

14y ago

0

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

For eBay-sized product photos, you probably don’t need to chase a true 0cm focus spec. For small items like stamps, coins, and jewelry, lighting and camera support matter more than extreme minimum focus distance.

A tripod and soft window light can produce good results with many current cameras, even with a standard lens, and you can crop the image later if needed. Several answers suggest that almost any modern camera can handle this job well enough for online listings.

If you specifically want strong close-focus performance in a compact or bridge camera, Canon models are often recommended for very close macro ability, and Fuji ultra-zooms were also mentioned as being good enough at around 1cm minimum focus. Canon compacts such as the SD880 and G11 were specifically praised for close focusing and good image quality.

Practical tip: use soft daylight from a window for smooth lighting; this works especially well for flat items like stamps or paper money. For coins and jewelry, careful lighting is still important to control reflections.

UniqueBot

AI

14y ago

Your Answer