Camera Upgrade

[Anonymous]

Hey All,

I'm coming back to selling full time and dropping the diecast cars and going to hardgoods.

I've been taking pics with my phone and looking to upgrade to a digital SLR type camera.

I'm looking to spend about $300 or so, maybe a little more for a camera that will give me more professional pics. 

I have set up a dedicated photography area with white backdrop that is well lit......just need a good camera to raise my game a few notches.

I will most likely purchase it here, just need suggestions on what camera to get.

Thanks !

[mam98031]

There are so many cameras that it is hard to say.  I used a Fuji for years and loved it.  Before that it was a Kodak.  Now I just use my phone.  The cameras on phones have come a long ways over the years, so I haven't found the need to spend the money on a separate camera.  But that is just me.  You need to do whatever works best for you.

[katzrul15]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Hey All,

I'm coming back to selling full time and dropping the diecast cars and going to hardgoods.

I've been taking pics with my phone and looking to upgrade to a digital SLR type camera.

I'm looking to spend about $300 or so, maybe a little more for a camera that will give me more professional pics. 

I have set up a dedicated photography area with white backdrop that is well lit......just need a good camera to raise my game a few notches.

I will most likely purchase it here, just need suggestions on what camera to get.

Thanks !

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Nikon Z-50 or a Canon Rebel - we have both and I love them both - Rebel is cheaper - the Nikon is one of the best we have ever used.

[mam98031]

My husband likes to take pictures as a hobby.  I should have remembered that he uses Nikons.  He has a couple with all kinds of lenses.  And he loves them too.  They were expensive though.

[simply-the-best-for-you]

I have a  Nikon, Canon & old Kodak, a couple of Rollei's & a few nice SLR's laying around here (one of which I bought for eBay), plus my phone camera.  Hands down, the winner is my old Kodak Easyshare every time!   It's only 5MP, but I think my photos are pretty darn amazing.  I like Kodak b/c I'm very sensitive to color & the others all interpret color incorrectly or are too cumbersome for me.   

All that to say, quality photos aren't about the camera for the most part.  They're about the lighting & the operator.   If you want a new camera, go for it, but it is absolutely NOT a requirement.  I didn't look at your photos, but I can tell you that the #1 secret to good photos is natural light, whenever possible. 

ETA:  Also remember that eBay & any other venue will degrade your photo quality for publication.  Which is likely why my 5MP pics look so good.  Truly, if you want a new camera, you should get one, but don't expect to giant changes in your eBay biz. 

[mam98031]

@Anonymous 

@simply-the-best-for-you brings up a good point.  Looking at your current listings.  I have looked at some of your listings and IMHO your pics are terrific.  Lighting is good, clarity is wonderful and the colors are vibrant on my computer screen.  Were these pics taken with your phone camera or something else?

[chapeau-noir]

I used a Nikon DSLR for some years - I tried the cell phone route after my Nikon Coolpix bit the dust, but was never happy with the product photos I've taken with my phone.  Nikon in my estimation has the best optics, but I don't see getting a new Nikon DSLR for $300 - my entry level one was $450.  I do think the backdrop and better lighting you've invested in will help your photos, though, and would optimize this as much as possible and see how well things improve with your existing photo equipment.

[Anonymous]

Phone camera. Some in a light box, some with product sitting on my laptop under fluorescent lights.

Maybe my new photography set up will make my pics better with my phone. I now have a ring light and a white base set up. Haven't tried them yet.

[simply-the-best-for-you]

@mam98031  got me curious, so I took a look & @Anonymous  your pics are great!  You do have some shadow issues, but they are minor & are just not noticeable to the average user.  I think your pics are def in the top 10% on eBay!  So, it becomes a question of how important is to improve & is it really worth the cost, both financially & time-wise.   I suspect you're using a light box & I do not know anything about how to minimize shadows in a lightbox, but I know there have been multiple threads where it's been discussed, so you may want to do a search on the boards.  

Also, IDK what you feel the issue is with your pics, but if it's at all background related, there are a million editors out there, but for background replacement, I've been using the one linked below & it's the best background remover I've ever tried & that's in the free version. 

https://www.photoroom.com/background-remover/

But if you are are trying to justify buying a new camera...yes, your pics are awful, you absolutely NEED a new camera /s 😂  

[mam98031]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Phone camera. Some in a light box, some with product sitting on my laptop under fluorescent lights.

Maybe my new photography set up will make my pics better with my phone. I now have a ring light and a white base set up. Haven't tried them yet.

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Personally I think you are doing great.  I don't know that you need to spend the money on a more complex camera at this time.  

[chapeau-noir]

I agree I don't think you need another camera - your photos are fine, but if you want to polish your presentation a bit, I'd work on lighting and clarity, and that could be accomplished just with your new setup.  I speak as one who has struggled for years with lighting issues (live in a dark climate, in the woods) - in the deepest winter here I may have all of two hours of natural light to work with, if that, and I've seen the startling changes just working with light.

[Anonymous]

Well, one issue is that I am going from just selling diecast cars to selling bigger hardgoods that won't fit in my little light box. 

I think I got that whooped with the new photography set up.

I'll check out the background remover you suggested and see how that works for me.

I'm sure it will make a big difference when I stop photographing under fluorescent light and use the light ring.

The light ring has 4 brightness levels, as well as blue-hued light and yellow-hued light modes. I need to find which works best with my phone and I think I'll be set.

[earthdreamer]

Thanks for starting this thread. 

I am also looking to upgrade from my phone camera. Even though it is reasonably good, the major drawback is that it does not represent the colours accurately, and I spend ages in photo edits trying to get the colour just right, most of the time unsuccessfully.

My worry is that I will be subject to an INAD claim because the colour of the item does not match the photos.

Anyway, will look into all suggestions on this thread. 

[johnrj1226]

Cannon or Nikon

I prefer the Cannon Power Shot - the are available in that  price range at  Walmart $349 to $378 + tax.  Have  had one for many years w/o issue.  A camera  is all about the lens - at one time Nikon used to  make  lenses for Cannon, Minolta etc.

Make certain your close-up range is adequate for your needs.

[inhawaii]

Now days camera phones can take some pretty awesome pictures.

Personally I wouldn't spend money on a digital camera.

I would stick to the camera phone.