Need a new camera...what are you using?

[Orctrader]

I have a Fuji Finepix S1500.  Had it for years but for a while now the piccies are next to useless 
I'm researching replacements at the moment but interested to know what others are using?

[fred]

My iPhone XR. I own a Canon DSLR (D450) but have used an iPhone for most of my miniature photography for several years now.

[Ragnar]

Olympus E-PL-9.

I am not a natural at photography; every time I learn something clever with photography, I then forget it and have to relearn it.  My previous DSLR was great, I'd learn how to adjust lighting, depth etc. and after a bit of farting around I could take a decent photo of my minis... and then I'd forget it all.

The E-PL-9 is so much easier to use than the previous camera, just point and shoot as it is more forgiving if lighting is less than perfect.  I recently learned how to adjust the depth of field which was quite simple... I have now forgotten it but it was simple.    

[Blackwolf]

If I dare ask,how much have you got to spend Malcolm?
If you can I would get a Canon,either a DSLR or one of their  bridging cameras(almost a DSLR)
For myself I use a Canon full frame  DSLR,various lenses, remote and ,of course a tripod,however all very expensive 

[Dags]

I use a fairly old Canon EOS 50D (which are available fairly cheaply these days - £150 on MPB) and 50mm f2.5 Macro (not so cheap but worth every penny)

[Andrew_McGuire]

I wasn’t planning to pipe in on this as the last time I photographed minis digital was at best a vague concept for the future. I have subsequently  used digicams a little, but not for macro work of any kind and I’m certainly not conversant with the most recent technology. However I feel bound to point out that there is a vast difference between a digital SLR and a bridge camera. While these vaguely resemble SLRs the similarity is purely cosmetic: while a digital SLR - or for that matter a mirror-less camera - has a sensor at least 2/3 the size of a 35 mm film frame (full frame is better, but more expensive) those in bridge cameras are tiny, like the ones in compacts. The only reason the body of a bridge camera is the size it is is in order to accommodate the built-in zoom lens which has an unnecessarily large range in order to trap the unwary.

The key to quality in photography is the size of the original image, which is dependent in the case of digital cameras on the size of the sensor (rather than the pixel count or so-called resolution). The last thing you should use in my opinion is an inflated compact camera. Or rather, by all means use one if you feel you really must have a lens which covers almost all conceivable focal lengths, but don’t expect high quality results, least of all in close-up work.

As for brands, this is far less important. Canon make excellent cameras - and not a few indifferent ones - as do Nikon and Sony, to mention only the best known. You don’t need the latest or best-specified model, but a good lens is essential for best results. Ideally a true macro lens - not so-called macro-zoom - should be used, though I’ve never been able to afford one. (Because of the complex design they are very expensive).

Some may argue with some of my points and it’s true that for any but fairly wealthy amateurs some compromises in terms of quality will be inevitable. I know perfectly acceptable results can be obtained with phone cams, and I’m not suggesting you shouldn’t use one if your phone has a decent camera. I just wanted to point out some of the traps that often mislead people into thinking they’re buying something better than they’re actually getting. I recommend doing some research on photography websites, particularly any specialising in close-up work.

[Belisarius]

An I Pad pro .

[Blackwolf]

If you're going to go down the SLR route and get a macro  lens,make it a fixed focal length (a prime lens),you won't need zoom for miniatures.

[BZ]

I think miniature photography is much more about the lighting then the camera itself. You can make decent photos with a middle class mobile phone, if the lights are good enough. A decent variable color temperature lamp (which is also very good for painting) costs about 30€, a home made lightbox about 10€, and if properly used, it can help more then a 1000€ camera. And maybe a small tripod for comfort and steadyness (again around 10€).
Im using a Panasonix GX9 with 14-140 lens and a macro ring on tripod, because I have it. But honestly,  just for miniature photography, I wouldnt buy anything...
Could you maybe show some pictures you made?

[Blackwolf]

Malcom’s photos are excellent,no trouble there

[Orctrader]

Thanks for the info.   

If I dare ask, how much have you got to spend Malcolm?

As little as possible.     Not because I'm poor or a miser, simply because I only take photos of painted figures, and, more importantly, I didn't need to pay that much before. 

Examples below:

My first camera, virtually point and shoot with very little manual control, A Coolpix 3200.  For me the quality was fine, but eventually the pictures deteriorated.



One of the last decent shots out of my Finepix S1500, but it was showing strange "bubbles" top LH corner - cropped out of the image



Finepix when it was behaving



Finepix recently - after many attempts best image I could get.  (By now I'm thinking, the painting really is much better than the picture shows.)

[BZ]

Those are very good photos! But I still dont think that you need a new camera (assuming that you have a smartphone with a good enough camera)... If you still want to buy, buy a cheap dslr/mirrorless, which has a cheap macro lens available.

[Thargor]

Some handy advice here:

https://www.colesclassroom.com/want-to-know-the-best-dslr-cameras-for-beginners/?vgo_ee=tKiMUXx2U42AztZPcUVRnPlMy%2BOWWuyaZunZiCXh6gI%3D

Plenty of other reviews on the site as well, from Camera Phones to Full Frame DSLRs and Mirrorless Cameras.

[Fitz]

Over the last few years, I've gone through a couple of models of Fuji FinePix, a Lumix DS500 (?), a Canon EOS 50D, and a Nikon D3500.

The EOS is an excellent camera, but it's very big and heavy. I do have a bunch of lenses and accessories for it though. The Nikon is lighter and handier. I'd be struggling to say which one renders the better image quality.

[BZ]

Newer entry level DSLRs are much lighter then the 50D.
Here is a search based on camera features:
https://www.dpreview.com/products/search/cameras#!
And if You are interested in the pure image quality, here is a very good comaprison tool (new and old one):
https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/image-comparison
https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/studio-compare
And DPreview has very good reviews too.