Camera & Lens Recommendations in the $300 to $450 range...

jmski52

After reading a few threads, it's not clear whether I will need a macro lens in addition to the camera, but I am guessing that it depends on the camera.

Do I need a white-balancing card and proprietary software, or is there a camera with these built-in features?

Thanks in advance.

notwilight

In that price range you won't get a camera with interchangeable lenses. Buy one with a nice macro function built in. Not all macros are the same. I've had nikons that wouldn't focus close enough to be fully effective on coins. I've had some that were just great. Go by other's experience but make sure you get the same model as each one is different. I would look at the slightly bigger cameras--used to be called "prosumer" in that price range. --Jerry

mgoodm3

In that range your dealing with a higher-grade point and shoot. The add-on macro lens can be useful for most as they allow you to get the camera a little farther away. You just gotta make sure your camera has the ability to add one on. (filter threads are nice but not seen a lot anymore on non-SLR cameras).

White balance cards are cheap and do the best job. White paper is slightly less effective but generally good enough.. Most cameras, especially in that price range will have a way to directly measure the white balance (preset or custom WB).

JapanJohn

I don't know for $450 you might be able to find a used Nikon D40. They sell around $400 new here in Japan (body only) according to a web page I just hit. The kit lens has got to be good enough for coin photography although you'd probably prefer a macro lens.

The big kicker with the Nikon D40 is there is no autofocus motor in the body, meaning you buy specific lenses with a motor in them or slap a manual focus lens in there.

If you walk around with a DSLR and take pictures you're not going to want a manual focus lens at little Johnny's soccer game. If you're doing straight up coin photography you'll probably prefer a manual focus lens. I personally can get much sharper focus through a manual focus lens than autofocus, although all that being said you can turn the autofocus off as well.

John

JapanJohn

Voila' Nikon D40 with a kit lens for $439 at B&H. Demo camera.

John


D40 Demo Camera

JapanJohn

Regarding white balance. If you buy a point and shoot style camera that shoots in JPG you have to get the white balance right the first time. While you can tweak a JPG images color its very labor intensive and time consuming.

Another great thing about DSLR or an "advanced" point and shoot is that they shoot in RAW mode. Basically that's an uncompressed image or just the raw data the camera sees. Don't like the white balance on a RAW shot? Move the white balance slider until it matches what you have sitting in front of you. Easy. Painless.

You can buy a whole lot of camera or a whole little but they all perform good enough if you ask me. If you're building a web site or writing a book dedicated to showing VAM's of Morgan dollars you're going to need a pretty good amount of expensive camera gear.

If you want to shoot circulated Lincoln cents to sell on ebay you're probably going to get satisfaction with just about any camera you buy.

For shooting coins I think you really need a tripod or copy stand. That it can be done in good light hand held, there's no doubt but it ain't easy. Also many cameras can be tethered to a computer and controlled by the computer. I believe the D40 fits that bill. Set up your camera, slide a coin under it and sit at the computer. Take a shot. Don't like it? Delete it and change the light, focus, aperture whatever you want to change and shoot again. Almost all the camera shooting parameters can be controlled by the software (which is going to cost you extra).

John

Broadstruck