Which camera to get to take pictures of stones?

[beaujolais]

Which camera to get to take pictures of stones?

I'm looking for something easy to use & not too expensive. I think you all had recommended the Cannon Powershot? Which model?
I think I was told to get something with a macro button and SD card (so I can easily download to the computer). Advice? Please.

Oh, and I just saved a draft (by accident) before I had to rewrite this but I don't know where it went to. Where do the saved drafts hang out? Tx.

 

[beaujolais]

No one? Please?

 

[VapidLapid]

I very much like my old cannon powershot950. not sure what the comparable model today is. I received a panasonic lumix for christmas and did not like it. I gave it away to someone who did like it. Recently a friend asked my advice for cameras, I gave her a range but all within her budget. The list included the powershot. She tried them all ( there was a nikon and a samsung, the powershot530 and powershot G12) in the store and bought the G12, which was the most expensive of the choices and top of her budget, and she loves it.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/734743-REG/Canon_4342B001_PowerShot_G12_Digital_Camera.html

 

[kenny]

Here's a link about which point and shoots are best for macro and some clever tips for using them too.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/indepth/photography/tips-solutions/art-and-craft-point-and-shoot-macro-photography

 

[chrono]

Sonoma,
I am the very last person qualified to advise anybody about cameras for photographing gems. My own is nearly 10 years old and find that my iPhone takes sharper images with better colour accuracy. I don't know if it is because my camera is too old that my phone does a better job.

 

[beaujolais]

Thanks so very much, all.

VL, I'm looking at Powershots, as they seem the easiest to use and I've heard that name a lot here. I did look in "search" but found some not so new camera threads so I wanted to check for new info before I bought.

Kenny: Thanks so much for the link ! I'm printing it right now to read. Oh, btw, I don't post too much anymore as life has gotten crazy busy. I stop in every week or so and always am sure to check out your stones. I only have one fancy. It's a medium champagne that does some Wonderful things.

Chrono: Those photos are from your cell phone ? ! Great ! (My cell phone is truly Ancient so that probably would not work.) Btw, the opals are much better out of the box, between the fingers and add some sun. Funny guys, those Welos - give them the right conditions and they are so much fun. Wrong conditions and they are very much "why did I buy this" stones.

---

Simply question that I want to clarify - I need macro to do stone photos? (Does zoom work or that is a different thing?)

OH, some places sell refurbished. Do you think those are good? Sometimes I think it might be a better way to go, as the camera has been checked out and tuned up instead of not knowing if it has any pending issues.

Happy Mother's Day to all.

sonoma

 

[chrono]

I have taken a picture or two using my cell phone but they are not posted here. I shared them with a few friends though. All the pictures here on PS are using my antiquated point and shoot Kodak digital camera. My iPhone 4s comes with macro too which is great.
Yes, you need the macro setting for gemstone photography. Zoom is a little different. You are already far away, so it helps you close up to the stone. With macro, you can photograph the stone from as little as 1 foot away.

I purchased a refurbished camera a long time ago (college days) and it worked fine. It was a great way to get a higher end camera at a lower price.

 

[beaujolais]

Thanks dear Chrono,

Ah, I didn't realize your photos were Kodak. They are very nice. Also, probably because you pick Awesome stones.

----

I'm looking at either of these two Cannon Powershots:

Canon PowerShot SD800 IS 7.1MP Digital Elph Camera with 3.8x Wide Angle Image-Stabilized Optical Zoom

or the

Canon PowerShot G6 7.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom

Anyone like either one of them better? I need a simple camera as I've worn out from a busy life (physical job & young son) & don't have the energy to put into fidgeting with a harder camera right now.

-----

I have to take some pictures to put some stones up for sale, as I've accumulated too many. (Sound familiar to anyone? )

 

[VapidLapid]

I tried to look those models up on the B&H website and neither is there. Are they discontinued models? I did find them on Amazon, each of them over $600!!! but the g6 for only $150 at K and E

http://www.keh.com/Camera/format-Digital/system-Canon-Digital/category-Point-and-Shoots?s=1&bcode=DC&ccode=5&cc=80166&r=WG&f

 

[beaujolais]

Yes, discontinued. You can find them on used camera sites. Thanks for looking, VL.

 

[VapidLapid]

saved draft



I Was investigating your other question about saved drafts. Never tried before. So I made a draft and saved it. There were a few prompts in saving and I went through them pretty straightforwardly. Then tried to recall the draft first navigated back to the thread, scrolled down and clicked "reply" . It took me a minute to find the non intuitive click that brought back the draft.

To access the saved drafts at the bottom of the text window choose "load"



the choice window will open. the large box with small blue letters "load draft" and "saved at" looks like it should have a list in it but doesn't. the blue window under it burns out not to be a window under it but the text one would have expected to find in it. I clicked on
"Re: Which camera to get to take pictures of stones"



Then it took me to



which placed the saved draft in the active reply text window that I am now in as I write this

 

[beaujolais]

Thanks again, so very much, VL.

It also can be found in "my pages", top right of screen. I didn't intend to save that draft, it just happened, then I didn't know how to get to it. Thanks much!

 

[chrono]

Does that mean we'll see your opal pictures soon?

 

[beaujolais]

Does that mean we'll see your opal pictures soon?

Absolutely.

I'm sort of hoping someone will chime in on the Powershots I listed a few posts up so I know which one to get. I haven't' gotten to do that much research on the models yet.

Thanks again, all.

 

[beaujolais]

I just bought this camera, Powershot ELP100 HS from Amazon. I spoke to someone at Cannon and told them I want it to take pictures of gemstones and he recommended that one. It has a macro button. I spend $15 more to get it in pink . I tried buy the less expensive grey but just couldn't do it.

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-ELPH-100-HS/dp/B004J3V828/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1337271365&sr=8-3

 

[cellentani]

I hope you like it - I've always used Canon, first the SD1000, and now the S95. I would have gone for the gray model though, as you'll now have to be careful to avoid a pink reflection in your gemstones. You can try this trick: take a 3x5 index card (or any white cardstock cut to size), cut a hole the size of your lens, and slip the card over when shooting. This should not only reduce any pink reflection, but might also throw some diffused light onto your gems, depending on where your light source is angled. Hope to see some new shots from you soon!

 

[davi_el_mejor]

I hope you like it - I've always used Canon, first the SD1000, and now the S95. I would have gone for the gray model though, as you'll now have to be careful to avoid a pink reflection in your gemstones. You can try this trick: take a 3x5 index card (or any white cardstock cut to size), cut a hole the size of your lens, and slip the card over when shooting. This should not only reduce any pink reflection, but might also throw some diffused light onto your gems, depending on where your light source is angled. Hope to see some new shots from you soon!

I like to use coffee filters LOL

 

[cellentani]

I hope you like it - I've always used Canon, first the SD1000, and now the S95. I would have gone for the gray model though, as you'll now have to be careful to avoid a pink reflection in your gemstones. You can try this trick: take a 3x5 index card (or any white cardstock cut to size), cut a hole the size of your lens, and slip the card over when shooting. This should not only reduce any pink reflection, but might also throw some diffused light onto your gems, depending on where your light source is angled. Hope to see some new shots from you soon!

I like to use coffee filters LOL

Fantastic idea!!

 

[beaujolais]

<I would have gone for the gray model though, as you'll now have to be careful to avoid a pink reflection in your gemstones. You can try this trick: take a 3x5 index card (or any white cardstock cut to size), cut a hole the size of your lens, and slip the card over when shooting. This should not only reduce any pink reflection, but might also throw some diffused light onto your gems, depending on where your light source is angled.>

Ack, darn . . . I didn't think of that at all. OK, so index card or coffee filter. Will do. Thanks so much !

<Hope to see some new shots from you soon!>

Absolutely you will !

Thanks, dear friends, for all your help !

 

[0-0-0]

I use Bounty paper towels. I don't even bother cutting a hole the size of the lens, I just give it 2 snips in the center in an X and stick the lens through it.

 

[PrecisionGem]

This site has excellent reviews of camera's, very detailed, and will get into the macro capabilities.

http://www.dpreview.com/

From my experience, the further away you can get from the stone the better. So you want something that has telephoto macro capabilities. I think you will find a tripod, even a small one very helpful, and also a camera that can do manual focusing and a manual exposure mode. Auto focus in macro mode seems to be a challenge for most lenses.

 

[beaujolais]

Thanks TH.

Thanks so very much, Gene. Great article and thanks for the advice ! I surely have to take photos of my lovely Precision Gem aqua when the camera arrives.

 

[Lee Little]

I use Dino Capture 2.0 version 1.2.7. Cost is about $300.
It is a microscopic camera that requires a USB connection and is only for office use, close up shots only. Vacation pictures require a second camera. Best regards, Lee

 

[RedSpinel]

Which camera to get to take pictures of stones?

I'm looking for something easy to use & not too expensive. I think you all had recommended the Cannon Powershot? Which model?
I think I was told to get something with a macro button and SD card (so I can easily download to the computer). Advice? Please.

Oh, and I just saved a draft (by accident) before I had to rewrite this but I don't know where it went to. Where do the saved drafts hang out? Tx.

I've first got to say that I am disappointed with the state of cameras these days, based on the materials they are now made of. I "might not" need a new camera, but I might as I got mine wet on a kayaking trip up the Loxahatchee river in SE Florida last Saturday, and its got droplets in its zoom lenses.

But it's a Nikon Coolpix 8700. Its in a mid class of digital cameras called "Superzooms". Its kind of in between point-and-shoots and SLRs, but it has a high zoom lens and high resolution. It was about $800 or so when it came out in 2004, but I bought it new in late 2005 for around $500. Its entire body is made of cast, machined magnesium, which I really like the durability of, and it used to have a wonderful macro setting which allowed me to take super-close up pictures, but that suddenly stopped working several years ago, and they get blurry up close now.

So, I'll need to get the water removed and the macro fixed(if possible), but when looking at new cameras recently, I was very disappointed to see that all the major camera names are now making cameras with cheap, thin plastic bodies! They probably have good lenses, and probably good electronics and all, but whats with the almost 100% plastic construction? I wont be buying one of these if I can help it!