[Damhna]

I'm in the market for a new digital camera (gift for my sister) . It's primary function is going to be close up work , specifically makeup shots for a portfolio.

I have a Nikon D70 which is total overkill for this task and I have a PowerShot A 75 and while it is a great camera I find it a little tricky for close up work. I will freely admit I do not use either camera to anything like their full capabilities.

There is so much information out there that I am confused as to which type I need.
I reckon my budget is about $400

I've found these three possibles for under that price.

HP Photosmart 935XI Digital Camera
Canon PowerShot SD500 7.1MP
NIKON COOLPIX 5900 5.1MP

Any words of advice ?
I know that the larger megapixel sizes are a desirable and that optical zoom is going to be of more use than digital but what other features do I need to be looking out for for a camera tasked this way ? Shoudl I look at something like the Ricoh R1V with the macro function ?

Any recommendations ? It's bewildering out there.

[StudioJ]

Hi Damhna,

If you're looking for something specifically for portfolio make-up work I have a couple of suggestions. Primarily getting something that uses a ring flash or a decent shoe mounted flash would be a big advantage, it isn't just the camera that is the consideration for this kind of work unless your sister is just going to take example 'snaps' of her work and obtain proper shots from elsewhere.

Camera wise I'd suggest at least 6mp for prints that will look crisp with facial details and a macro mode isn't really required, anyone going in that close to facial features is best to do so with studio lights unless they want to be scared!

Cheers,

Jamie

[Petographer]

Totally agree with J on this. Put the money into that D70. I do not understand it being overkill. I've never heard anyone refer to a camera in that way. Anyway, welcome to shuttertalk. Hope to see some images soon.

[shuttertalk]

Me three - I think with a SLR you would have more flexibility with lighting options, which is critical for portrait and portfolio work. Not that you can't get good shots with a compact - in a hands of a good photographer, you'll definitely get some decent shots. However, as they say, it's about getting the right tool for the job.

The other thing to consider is that for closeup work, using the onboard flash gives very poor results...

Welcome to Shuttertalk, Damhna!

[EnglishBob]

The DSLR is obviously way over budget at $400, my wife produces many acceptable macro's with very rich color from here Olympus Stylus 410.

Welcome to the forum

[shuttertalk]

True true, Craig.

There is so much information out there that I am confused as to which type I need.
I reckon my budget is about $400

I've found these three possibles for under that price.

HP Photosmart 935XI Digital Camera
Canon PowerShot SD500 7.1MP
NIKON COOLPIX 5900 5.1MP

Any words of advice ?

Of the three above, I think you should stick to the Canon or Nikon. In terms of features, most consumer point and shoot cameras at that level are identical. They're all auto everything and it's much of a muchness really.

The one that seems to set itself apart is the the Canon A series (A75, 85, 95 or even A510, 520) and I think would be a better buy because (1) they have aperture/shutter priority and manual exposure modes, (2) have a great quality lens, and (3) have a lens holder thing which allows you to attach accessories on, which might be useful if your sister is feeling a bit creative.

[Damhna]

Excellent advice , many thanks folks.

I'll ponder all this and read up on the suggestions.

Thanks

[Kombisaurus]

Hi Damhna,

I'm yet to see a camera I like from HP, but I'm not familiar with that model.
If it were me, I'd go with a camera company, not a computer company... so out of the choice of those three you suggest, it would be between Canon and Nikon for me.. and I doubt you could go wrong either way.

Having said that, I'm not trying to suggest Canon and Nikon are the only two companies that make decent digital cameras, but I would tend to buy a digicam from a company that specialises in cameras (Pentax, Olympus, Fuji, Nikon, Canon, etc). But I wouldn't advise Kodak.. they seem to have lost the plot a bit with Digicams if you ask me (personal opinion - no flames please).

Cheers
Adrian

[shuttertalk]

Hey Kombi - I agree totally - buy a camera from a camera company... although Panasonic and Sony are making good headway..

Regarding Kodak - the seem to be trying target those who want to press a button and get good pictures, who don't want to deal with all the bells and whistles. From what I've read, the pictures appear very pleasant straight out of the camera. Perhaps there's a target audience there...