HI,

I really could do with upgrading my camera, I've been using a Fuji A201 for a few years, and although it's a brilliant camera, I am needing to do mroe close up and macro work, and think its' time to buy a new one.

I've been looking at the Nikon Coolpix 4600, or the Canon Powershot A520, does' anyone have any recomendations?

I'm looking at spending around the 100-150 mark, and close-up detailed work is most important to me :)

Thanks for any input you may have.

For macro photography the Nikon coolpix will let you get closer to the subject than the Canon, but the main drawback with both of them will be depth of field. Getting close to a subject lets less light into the lens and so the camera will set the F stop to its smallest setting. This will mean if you focus on the front of a flower, the back will be out of focus. The only way round it is to have a camera with apperture priority and a light source. SLR's are way out of your price range so you could consider a bridging camera, these have the manual controls like SLR's but you cannot change the lens. I wouldn't like to influence your decision by recommending one camera and saying buy this one, your choice of Nikon is a good one, but have a look at something like Fuji S5200 or S5600 before you make your mind up, it would up your budget to about £200 though.
Dave..

I've recently bought a Panasonic Lumiz FZ20 for £200. Although not a major camera manufacturer they use Leica optics and produce excellent results so it may be worth looking for one of those? They are typically prices around the £300 mark but have recently been replaced by the FZ30 so are ideally placed for heavy sales reductions (which is how I got mine!)

Thanks for the advice,

This is the best kind of shot I can get with the A201:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v499/jmb123/crafts/77441a2b.jpg

I'm needing to be able to get in really close to the jewellery, so you can see each bead and it gives you an actual photograph of the true colour, the background doesn't matter, in fact I quite like the shots with the background blurred out.

Will I see a big difference from the A201 (2mp no optical Zoom) going to either one of the afore mentioned?

If you can find a second hand nikon coolpix 3500, it should be really quite cheap as it is years old and virtually 'obsolete'.

This camera is a real point and shoot effort that really only works in bright daylight but the close up (macro) photography setting is properly amazing!

I used this as my main camera for years, and even now that I have a shiny nearly new dSLR, I still use it for extreme close up shots. It allows you to take pictures from an inch and a half away. I use it to photograph bugs: http://netheredge.com/galleries/phans_spiders/

I don't have permission to view your bugs on that server :(

I have however looked at them before, when I was looking at cameras a while ago, and remember how great they were, hmm, I may look into the nikon 3500....

How does it cope with being used indoors? I know you say bright daylight, but what about with indoor lighting?

hmm...

I've found some reviews for the Nikon 3500, and although it's probably really good for the money, I think I can get better for a bit more money, if oyu know what I mean?

Heres the reviews for anyone else interested
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/CP3500/CP35PICS.HTM

http://www.digitalcamera-hq.com/nikon-coolpix-3500-reviews.html

They basically say the same as Phanerothyme, fantastic macro but thats about it.

I don't think it really represents value anymore, as the prices have barely dropped since release. But if you could find a 2nd hand one for about £75 or so, then I think it would be worth it for the macro alone.

I used a 100w halogen desklamp reflected in white card when shooting macro indoors. The flash is right next to the lens, so you always get red-eye, but this is an advantage when shooting objects 5 cm away. Sometimes I would stick a rizla over the flash to diffuse it a bit.

I do have one, but I'm not parting with it :)

(link fixed) this spider is about 6mm long - http://netheredge.com/galleries/phans_spiders/pages/DSCN3989_edited.html

It does look impressive, would the Nikon 5000 have the same macro quality?

The last 3500 that sold on ebay went for £42, but that was on the 11th april, and there hasn't been another one listed since.

Thanks for the fixed link, very nice pet there :)

You could perhaps buy close up filters, depending on whether your camera has a screw fit on the lens(most do for uv filters etc.)
http://www.srbfilm.co.uk/
Or you could make one! If you can get hold of an old set of binoculars and remove the front lens,then a cheapo screw filter,remove the filter bit.Then glue the binocular in it,Jessops or Jacobs some time have them in their junk bins.
It does work,also a 35mm camera lens of around 50mm can be reversed onto the front of your digicam and fastened to the front(I use rubber bands that the postie drops in the street).This will give you ultra close macros.

Thanks for the advice,

This is the best kind of shot I can get with the A201:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v499/jmb123/crafts/77441a2b.jpg

I'm needing to be able to get in really close to the jewellery, so you can see each bead and it gives you an actual photograph of the true colour, the background doesn't matter, in fact I quite like the shots with the background blurred out.

Will I see a big difference from the A201 (2mp no optical Zoom) going to either one of the afore mentioned?

This picture isn't too bad, have you tried putting the subject in a 3 sided box painted white and shine 2 white lights into it from 45% each side then take the picture as you did before. The 2 lights will cancel out the shadow from each other and the camera should give you a wider aperture. If possible don't use flash. Worth a try!
Dave..

HI dave,

Believe it or not, that photo is taken inside a proper light tent, i'm pretty disapointed with that tbh as the material is easily creased, which then shows up in the photo's.

I have got two lights which I have used, i've also put it next to my big window so there is natural light (seen above with no flash)

Other than dangle from the chandelier, i've kinda been as experimental as i'm gonna get :lol: