I am in need of a camera to photograph coins. Presently I borrow my son Sean's Canon PowerShot S3 IS. I use it with an adapter and A Ranox M-250 Macro lens mounted on a copy stand and this works very well for me. Well, it's time to get my own camera now. I've felt like a mooch all these years. My budget is $500 dollars tops including tax and in New York State it runs about 8.5% + or - .5%. I would like to get a camera that has an plug in for a dc supply and that limits me greatly. Otherwise I'll have to get a spare rechargeable battery and that can run $50 bucks or more. My main worry is that these high zoom cameras don't or cannot take undistorted pics. They seem to not consider Macro Mode very important. There is no camera in my price range that will let me incorporate an adapter with a macro lens. I've read up on what is most important to have in the camera's specs such as ' white balance' and ' manual focus'. I just read a thread here that the camera he uses is a $25 JVC GC QX3HD 3.3 mp. This camera is five to eight years old but the pics this person gets are stunning which is good enough for me. This camera is almost unattainable now but there must be an equivalent to it now. Well I've rambled on long enough. What I need are suggestions on which camera to purchase. What ones in my price range have you used or are still using? Please help me! zeke
I would try a canon rebel it should run in that range... but the lens is just as important as the body.
Of course a highend digital SLR camera with a macro lens will work great. But we all can't swing such a purchase. Including myself. So, I use a $100 camera, and it works out well, at least I think so. You will find the most important part of the coin photography is the light setup. Here is a thread about my cheapy camera with examples: How to take great pictures on a low budget/ -greg
Not sure what level of quality pics you're aiming for, but this thread has some really good images: My New Source of Coin Photography (lots of photos!!!)
I looking for a camera with 10 -14 megapixels. Otpical and digital zoom about 10x or more. I've looked at most of the Canon Point and Shoots. Also looked at Nikon too. Nikon Coolpix P500 seems like it would fill my bill as well as the Canon PowerShot SX30 IS. Their price range is very close to my limit. I just hope I can get pics like this using my son's Canon PowerShot S3 IS
Technique is more important than the camera. Also optical zoom is good but don't waste your time with digital zoom. Digital zoom works by moving the pixels apart and then using software to "make up" what it thinks the pixel between them would look like. And so on
Thanks Conder101. After all was the info I gathered was digested it all narrowed down to availability at the store I was going to purchase my camera at. The models I mentioned were sold out so I decided on a Nikon Coolpix L120. Ihad serious doubts that this camera would take macro photos without a special macro lens. Well, I was correct. After giving it a real workout it just wouldn't do the the close work I needed. So, I mounted my adapter and macro lens that I was using for my son's Canon Powershot S3 IS using blue painter's tape. This now does what my son's camera does. It does look like much but check out the following photos and please give me your opinions. Thanks zeke.
Here are more macro photos. I meant to include a closeup of the '2' in a photo but must have deleted it somehow. It showed al the fine engraving filigree work.
