looking for a digital camera that will take high quality pictures of coins to be uploaded...I do not want to spend more than $200-$300. Suggestions?
If you get one that specializes in macro...you could have a great one at that price. Your main concern will be how many Megapixels. I'll look around and reply again later.
I know that a lot of the "budget" digital cameras in that price range do not have a macro mode. If you spend some time looking around, you might be able to find a camera that you can get a macro lens for it, but otherwise those with a macro mode built in are tough to have under $400. My personal opinion on this is to get terrific pictures of your coins in general, you can get away with a Nikon Coolpix 2200 (2Mpx, no macro) and a tripod. Use the timer to take the shots via remote, and don't get the lens any closer than 6 inches from the coin. If you are looking for errors, high res tight shots of coins, etc, you are looking at a little more money. I just picked up the Nikon 5400 with the built in macro and a 5Mpx resolution. A bit more than the 2200, but well worth it for the VAM searching I am planning for the tool. Hope this helps. Cris
I looked around and there are too many to list or pick. It all depends on how detailed you want your pictures to be. I've taken a lot of pictures with 2 different cameras..... The first was a 3.3 Megapixel and they came out great.....if taking a picture of a quarter....the quarter itself was 1/5th the size of the picture The 2nd...my mom's is a 6.3 Megapixel camera. It cost $1100 and the picture would be a little smaller than a quarter if you zoomed in all of the way. The best part about that camera is after you take a picture....you can zoom in on the computer and have the entire date (still clear) the size of your monitor. For more info...check out this site... http://www.techtv.com/callforhelp/products/jump/0,24331,3401786,00.html
Take a look at ebay or the used camera shops - bargains can be found. I know of several folks on the various forums that have purchased cameras for $200 or less and their pics are great. Get a brand name. But the macro function is a must and I would not recommend anything with less than 2 meagapixels.
i recommend the canon s400, it's a wee bit over your price limit but please consider it or another canon anyway. i'm a complete noob with a camera but i feel comfy with my s400 and i'm using it to (slowly) make a photographic record of my collection. the instructions are clear and easy to understand. i'm just tickled pink with it! i'm including the best pic i've taken with my s400...
My recommendation, up your budget just a little ;-) I may be a little biased here, given that I am a Canon Authorized Reseller, but I would recommend the Canon PowerShot A80 as a good all around camera that comes close to your budget and will provide the kind of quality results you are looking for. I like the A80 for the following reasons: 1. Price point is reasonable at $349. 2. It has a macro feature for close up shots. 3. At 4MP you will have the resolution you need. 4. The camera also has potrait mode, landscape mode, action mode, etc. so it will serve as more than just a coin camera. 5. It has a swivel LCD that can be immensely useful.
I use a Nikon Coolpix 4300 and love it. I think I saw that Amazon had them for $279 after a 50 dollar rebate and with free shipping. Here is a sample picture that I took last night. It was just a quick freehand shot of a coin I just received: http://www.coinpeople.com/croc.jpg The coin is shot through a plastic holder and I reduced the picture significantly in size. and here is a freehand shot of (what's left of) Liberty on a Barber Half: http://www.coinpeople.com/images/auction/1915d3.jpg Circulated Copper: http://www.coinpeople.com/images/grade/2004/gc020704r.jpg
