Need a camera for only one thing, macro work

[finishingtouchminiatures]

I paint miniatures for wargames, for those who aren't familiar, an average model is about an inch tall, here is a picture to show you the kind of detail I'm looking to capture:

http://finishingtouchminiatures.com/Pics/ebay/BTTermChap/front.jpghttp://finishingtouchminiatures.com/Pics/ebay/BTTermChap/back.jpg
http://finishingtouchminiatures.com/Pics/ebay/BTTermChap/closeup.jpg

My current camera is woefully inadequate, the color is off, I have minimal manual focusing options, I didn't much know what I needed when I got it. I'm looking to get something now that will do what I need it to do, and do it well, but I'm really uninterested in any features not relevent to that one task. I would like to make sure I get something with all the options I will want as I move forward. I've done a lot of reading, but my focus is so specific that it's been to be sure what is best.

Budget

I'm looking to spend not more than 400-450$ or so, but have no problem looking for a used camera or even saving longer if I really should be getting something out of that budget. I'm looking to buy a camera that will serve my needs for at least a few years to come.

Size

* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you?

No concern.

Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you?

I think the miminum would be 5.

* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify)

Since I'm looking solely for macro function, this shouldn't be a concern.

* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)

I'm looking for very high quality shots. All the detail to be captured will be small, with minor variations in color and degrees of shading.

Do you care for manual controls?

I think I'd like something with as much manual contral as possible, but I'm still learning that side of things, I want to make sure I won't buy a camera and realize a really need a feature I don't have as I get more into it.

General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for?

I think that's been covered pretty well.

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?

No, these will be just for web use. Most pictures will be small, but quite a bit larger than the pics I showed for examples, with closeups on detailed sections wanted.

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?

All indoor with a lighting setup.

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?

None

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate?

I've heard that Nikon has the best macro functionality, but from what I've seen, their 5 megapixel cameras don't have a live histogram in record mode.

This is something I would really like to have, so far I've found proper lighting to be quite tricky in photographing these models, but if I'm mistaken and this really isn't needed, I'm happy to be enlightened.

Are there particular models you already have in mind?

I was considering the Nikon Coolpix 8400 and the Olympus C 5060, mainly because both seemed to have the features I think I need and seemed to do well in the macro tests.

That said, the most imortant thing for me is getting the camera that is best at what I need to do, anything not needed for that application isn't a concern for me, so I'm open to any suggestions.

(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)

A rotating lcd would be nice for convenience sake, but isn't critical.

[coldrain]

The Canon powershot A610 and A620 have better image quality to the two you mention.. and are cheaper, and smaller... and offer enough macro capability, very good custom white balance for accurate colours, and manual focus if needed. So, maybe a smaller camera like that may just offer what you want.

[finishingtouchminiatures]

The Canon powershot A610 and A620 have better image quality to the two you mention.. and are cheaper, and smaller... and offer enough macro capability, very good custom white balance for accurate colours, and manual focus if needed. So, maybe a smaller camera like that may just offer what you want.

Thanks for the suggestion.

One thing though, those cameras don't appear to have the ability to view a live histogram in record mode. I'm not certain this is a feature I need, as I haven't had it before, but lighting has been very hard to get just right in the past and it seemed like something I'd want.

Should I keep looking for something that does offer the feature, or is it likely to be something I won't really find myself needing once I have a higher quality camera?

Thanks again

[danielg]

The A620 is indeed a great camera- my sister has one and in macro mode, can go down to 1cm. Another great cam to consider is the Canon S2. It has a super macro mode that is capable of going down as close as 0 cm- that means you can literally take pictures of a speck of dust in front of your lens. :) It also has a 12x zoom and image stabilizer which makes it very useful if ever you want to zoom in on something.

I would love to have this camera to use together with my S80 (another P & S) just for zooming and real up close macro mode. The S80 has a nice macro mode but is nothing compared to ability to get as close as the A620 and S2. But the S80 have a live histogram ;) along with wider angle lens.

I've posted these before in the gallery forum but I'll post it here again :)

S80 Macro shots

http://static.flickr.com/39/85263382_ee2fe64ff3.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/40/85263386_fcc5b6e78f.jpg

Btw, If the photos you posted are miniatures that you painted then WOW! you are doing a great job painting and photographing them. I hope you find the camera you are looking for - Happy hunting. :)

[Norm in Fujino]

I've been told that the Nikon Coolpix 4500 used to be the weapon of choice for many macro photographers; dunno if it's still available.

[finishingtouchminiatures]

Btw, If the photos you posted are miniatures that you painted then WOW! you are doing a great job painting anf photographing them. I hope you find the camera you are looking for - Happy hunting. :)

Thanks. :) The real shame is that it looks a lot better in person, and that's what's finally pushed me into plunking down for a new camera.

[finishingtouchminiatures]

So, it seems that I'm starting to get a good idea of cameras that have a great macro function, does anyone have an opinion on how important a live histogram would be for this kind of shooting?

If it's not something I really need, it looks like I've got a few good options already named, but if it is really something I'll miss not having, I don't want to find out later.

One other question of specifics, since I'm never going to be getting prints of shots made with the camera, would 7 megapixels give me much of an advantage over 5?

Thanks.

[peca]

Oeps, *delete*

[peca]

The new Sony DSC-T9 would be a very good choice.
It's a 6 megapixel cam and has got all the features you'd need for macro shots. The T9 has a 'magnifying glass mode'. It allows you to get really close, 1cm, which gives you the best results and it also has a live histogram.

There's also a review available at dscresource.com (http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/sony/dsc_t9-review/index.shtml)

Some macro shots with the magnifying glass mode

[peca]

To have an idea of how the 'magnifying glass mode' would work on a miniature I took a few macro shots.
Well, it isn't really a wargame miniature, and I sureley didn't paint it myself, but hey, Spongebob also causes a lot of commotion in Bikini Bottom. :)

So time for some examination !

First I measured him. Hm, 3.5 cm (1.38 inch), Plankton must be really small...

[peca]

Now it's time for some eye examination. Everything seems to be ok.

[peca]

Not a great paint job...

[peca]

Now we just have to check your teeth and you're free to go.
Little more brushing wouldn't harm, they're a little bit yellow.

Well, that's all for now.

[finishingtouchminiatures]

Thanks for all the great suggestions, not to mention the intimate adventure with spongebob.

I think I've got all the info I need, I'm off to start shopping.