From Canon Powershot A70 to DSLR ?

[Ibn Saeed]

Hello

I would try to explain my needs by the following template:

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Budget
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* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible.
A. $600



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Size
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* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you?
A. Size does not matter as I will be using it at my small studio



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Features
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How many megapixels will suffice for you?
A. I do not know how much is enough. Since I will be using my Camera for Product Photography for an Ecommerce Website. Maybe 6 to 10 MP


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


* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)
A. Very Important as I need it for selling Products. May around 8 rating


Do you care for manual controls?
A. Yes, certainly as I want better control and power over my shots



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General Usage
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* What will you generally use the camera for?
A. Product Photography for Ecommerce Websites. It includes Perfume Bottles and Glass/Crystal Bottles


* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?
A. Maybe, in the future.But not now.


Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
A. Mostly, indoor in my small Light Tent Studio.


Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
A. No.



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Miscellaneous
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Are there particular brands you like or hate?

A. No.


Are there particular models you already have in mind?

A. Olympus E-510


(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)
A. Image Stabilization is a Must, Live View and Auto Focus. Other features might be needed.

[stever06]

Ibn-
Are you using a tripod? If so, that's the only benefit Live view will really be (IMO)and negating IS (it needs to be turned off when on a tripod).
For product photography, any of the entry level DSLR's will get the job done nicely. If you have specific questions about the E510, I'd be glad to answer.
Purchasing with the 2 kit lenses will get you 28-300mm EFL which will give you about 10 3/4 X zoom.

[Ibn Saeed]

Ibn-
Are you using a tripod? If so, that's the only benefit Live view will really be (IMO)and negating IS (it needs to be turned off when on a tripod).
For product photography, any of the entry level DSLR's will get the job done nicely. If you have specific questions about the E510, I'd be glad to answer.
Purchasing with the 2 kit lenses will get you 28-300mm EFL which will give you about 10 3/4 X zoom.


Thanks for the reply

Yes, I will be using a Tripod on most of the occasions as most of the photos will be taken in my studio.


Moreover, should I even be considering a Digital SLR ? Since I dont need a fast action camera nor do i need to take shots of moving objects.

Should I go with Compact Canon Cameras? for e.g. how about Canon Powershot G9

Also, what are the new models for Canon Powershot A70 as this is the one i have now.

[David Metsky]

The A70 was quite a while back. The corresponding camera today would be either the A590 or the A720. If you are taking pictures in your studio where you can get as close your subject as required, why do you need 10x - 12x zoom? That will be much more expensive for your dSLR.

[Ibn Saeed]

The A70 was quite a while back. The corresponding camera today would be either the A590 or the A720. If you are taking pictures in your studio where you can get as close your subject as required, why do you need 10x - 12x zoom? That will be much more expensive for your dSLR.


Sometimes i have to get some quick photos from Brochures where the pictures are quite small and I have to zoom a lot.

Anyhow, Is it really useful to go for a DSLR for Product Photography (No action photography) or should I just go with a new Compact Camera or a Semi SLR ?

[David Metsky]

Sometimes i have to get some quick photos from Brochures where the pictures are quite small and I have to zoom a lot.
You should be using marco mode and getting close to the image. No need to use a big zoom lens.

Anyhow, Is it really useful to go for a DSLR for Product Photography (No action photography) or should I just go with a new Compact Camera or a Semi SLR ?
There's no such thing as a semi-SLR. Are you talking about an advanced P&S camera with full manual controls? Something like the Canon G9? If your A70 has been sufficient up to now then pretty much anything will work. I'm still not clear on what your needs are.

The biggest advantage of the DSLR will be the shallow DOF that you simply can't create easily with a P&S.

[stever06]

Sometimes i have to get some quick photos from Brochures where the pictures are quite small and I have to zoom a lot.


The macro function on the newer cams can help with this. From what I've seen, the longer zoom cams offer better macro results than standard zooms and also have a lot of additional add on lenses available to get even closer.

Is it really useful to go for a DSLR for Product Photography
Depends on how creative you want to be. The larger sensor will give a greater depth of field control, so you can isolate your product from the background and you'll also have way less noise for cleaner results.
But, a decent bridge cam will give you adequate results in a studio setting since you're controlling all the variables.
Something like the Panasonic FZ-50 might be fine for your needs.

[Ibn Saeed]

This is where I read semi-pro digital SLRs

http://www.cameralabs.com/buyers_guide/semi_pro_DSLRs/best_semi_pro_DSLR.shtml


My requirements are for Product Photography for Website in a controlled environment( Studio )

[bascom]

Why do you need 10x-12x zoom for product photos in a studio? Can't you get close to the products?

"Also, what are the new models for Canon Powershot A70 as this is the one i have now."

Canon A590, A650, and A720 are the current ones.

[Ibn Saeed]

Alright, lets leave off the 10X zoom.

Should I go with DSLR(I am not into action photography) or Compact Camera ?

[raven15]

How about one of those cameras with a flipping rotating LCD screen? That might be useful for you. Like the Canon A650. It takes pictures of Identical quality to the G9 but might be more versatile in use.

If you are using a tripod, IS doesn't do much. You might as well get the Olympus E-410 for less money. However, the E-510 might look more "professional," (the E-410 is mistaken for a large point and shoot).

Of course, if you ever use the camera to take pictures outside of the studio, IS and a telephoto lens might be useful.

[Ibn Saeed]

Hello

I have still not made up my mind either to go with a DSLR or Compact

[David Metsky]

It's still not clear what you need for your ecom websites. Web quality isn't very demanding so it's not clear what the DSLR will gain you. If you're not going to print them most any camera will do for web work.

Can you point us to an example of the quality of image you need?

[AndyfromVA]

The Canon A470 takes very good indoor shots and has an excellent macro mode. It will only set you back $120. It would do a great job with your product photography.