Advice on a camera

[cram]

Hi all, I'd like to start taking some photo's of my miniatures to share with everyone on the forum, but do not currently own a camera appart from a crappy one built into my mobile!
Seeing as alot of people on here post up pics of their miniatures, would you be so kind as to let me know what camera you use and if you'd recommend it. I'm looking for something easy to use and affordable but will give a decent picture!
Thanks in advance for any help.

[Thargor]

I currently use my Sony Ericsson Mobile with a 3.2 Mp camera built in.

[Fitz]

In my view, the best bang-for-your-buck available these days is one of the "bridge" cameras from Fuji. They're an SLR form-factor, but use a digital viewfinder or back-screen, and are capable of anything from fully automatic to fully manual focussing and exposure, with excellent macro and optical zoom capabilities.

I use a Fuji FinePix S6500fd; it's about three years old now, and the range has improved markedly since then. I really like the fact that it will shoot RAW images because it makes post-processing a breeze, but for most people its standard JPEG output is just fine.

Highly recommended if you don't want to spend an arm and a leg on a true DSLR, but want something with more flexibility and capability than a point-and-shoot pocket camera.

[Burgundavia]

Lighting is far more important that the camera. You need a good setup, a lightbox for individual miniatures or some good diffuse lamps for a larger scene. Now, if you have the cash and want to go all the way to an SLR, buy a good macro lens, like a Canon 100mm or 50mm prime. I should mention that I have none of these things, due to lack of cash, and my pictures show it.

[AndrewBeasley]

Though a photographer in another hobby I purchased a compact camera as a handy thing to have around and found that it did great close ups:


From my blog www.blog.kings-sleep.me.uk

This is a Sony Cybershot dsc-hx5 and the items are 15mm size minis.

The above picture was taken using a single light - no light box but I manually set the white balnce against a sheet of plain white paper first.

I then cut to size using Picasa and uploaded it using Live Writer

Andrew

edit: corrected link for photo!

[OSHIROmodels]

I use a Fuji FinePix S6500fd; it's about three years old now, and the range has improved markedly since then. I really like the fact that it will shoot RAW images because it makes post-processing a breeze, but for most people its standard JPEG output is just fine.

I've got the S8100fd and it's great. The user isn't though 

I bought it when it first came out (by pure chance) but it was already out of date less than six months later 

cheers

James

[Captain Blood]

Canon Powershot A720 IS. Works a treat.

There is quite a lot of wank talked about miniature photography - sometimes by me 

The critical thing you need, IMHO, is a camera which lets you set the shutter speed manually. This is something you get on pukka SLR type cameras, but not on cheap digital cameras (<£150.00 GBP) as a rule. But many of the Canon Powershot cameras have this feature, so look out for it.

It means that you can adjust the shutter / exposure to a slower speed. Which means that the camera's digital eye gets longer to look at your shot and get everything into focus.
This is particularly important with miniature photography, because if you're taking a pic of several figures in a group, you want them all to be in crisp focus - not just the one in the middle.

The other things you need are much more common on almost all digital cameras - a 'macro' feature (basically a close-up setting for shooting small stuff close-up) and a timed shutter release, so that you can set up the shot and then step away from the camera and let it do its stuff, thus avoiding the wobble which bedevils the pics of the inexperienced miniature photographer.

You hear a lot about 'white balance', but I've never paid the slightest attention to this. Every photoshop programme gives you the option to automatically adjust contrast, exposure and colour balance, so just run your pics through that and you don't need to worry about white balance.

You do need to get them unblurry / wobble-free and in-focus though. So macro, timer and manual shutter speed adjustment are the things you absolutely need.

[cram]

Thanks for the info everyone 

[6milPhil]

Interesting points. I've an old fujipics s5100 which when it was bought was a sharp camera, now it's not as useful as the ones you get on phones.

I'm looking for a new camera, but don't want to go over the ton mark (100 quid), with really good macro - the one I've got at the moment just wibbles out when you need it nice and tight. Any suggestions?