Macro Photography - Replacement for Coolpix 995 1

[smpowell]

I'm looking for a camera for documenting materials
problems and failure analysis. I used to use a
Nikon 995 for this kind of work. The ability
to do quick macro photography is important.

Are there any currently made digital cameras with
similar versatility? Looking through reviews, it looks
like a Fuji FinePix E510 or Minolta DiMAGE Z10 might
have similar macro capability.

Anyone have first hand experience?



Stephen Powell

 

[CoryPad]

Macrophotography traditionally has been done with SLR cameras or Polaroid instant film cameras. These systems can cost thousands of dollars (camera plus lenses). An SLR camera with a zoom lens and a macro lens provide the most capability and flexibility, but appears to be outside your means.

If you are looking for a US$200 camera for macro work, I think just about anything will work. Your suggested cameras appear to be capable.

Regards,

Cory

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

 

[SMF1964]

SLR camera is pretty much a requirement, especially if you're going to be taking close-ups or working out of doors in sunlight (which can wash out the LCD screen on most digital cameras). For the failure analysis work I've been doing, I've been using an Olympus E-10 for about 5 years now and the results have been quite acceptable (I'd use more glowing praise, but I don't want this to sound like an advertisement).

To look for (in my order of importance, but all are important):
1. SLR
2. Manual focus capability (the E-10 has a selector switch)
3. Optical Zoom (rather than digital) capability
4. Batteries: If the camera can run on AA's that's great - you can always find them, but not always find the weird camera batteries sometimes needed if you find yourself with a dead battery and off in the middle of nowhere.
5. Option to control aperture - sometimes a depth of feld is more important to you than it is to the computer driving the automatic camera. A smaller aperture will require a slower shutter speed, but this might make the difference between a decent close-up of a fracture surface and one that has part of the area of interest out of focus.

Hope this helps.

 

[Rich2001]

I currently use a Nikon 8700 for this.

I would like to try a Proscope for this.

http://www.theproscope.com/

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