Newbie Question: Which Camera Features for Photographing Jewelry

[zetaphine]

I've decided to start taking photos of my jewelry and posting them online. I know my current camera (a Kodak Easy Share) probably won't create the professional pictures I need, so I'm here for advice.

I have a light box/cube.

When looking for a camera, which features should I look for?

Is my budget of $200 realistic?

Thanks in advance for any and all comments.

Cynthia

[inkista]

Just my thoughts but I'd want a camera with a) macro capability [to get little objects in focus], b) RAW [to correct for white balance issues from the lighting], and c) a flash hotshoe [to light], and d) full manual mode where you can set the iso, aperture, and shutter speed to what you want [to light]. And I'd probably be looking at post-processing software that can correct for lens distortion and white balance.

But $200 isn't going to get a camera with those features, new. It might be able to get one used if you're looking at really old Canon G-series cameras. But that's me. I have flash units and remote triggers. To me it's not so much the camera, as it is the staging and lighting.


Canon XT/350D, EF-S 60mm f/2.8 USM Macro,
Ikea Sortera recycling bin used as light tent; pillowcase background. Lit with 580EX & 430EX triggered with ST-E2.

You might be able to do this for $200 if you're not too worried about the reliability of your gear and your current P&S camera doesn't emit more than one pre-flash. Get two YN-560s off Amazon (@$65 apiece). They have two optical slave modes that might be able to be triggered by the pop-up flash on your P&S camera. Then read the Strobist like mad.

[jdepould]

If you get something with a hot shoe, you can probably trip the lights with a cable, though I can't say for sure without knowing more about your setup.

With shiny objects, lighting is really the most critical part.