Which Cameras and with What Settings do people use to photograph gun parts?

[phil441]

A discussion has re-emerged as to what cameras and settings seem to be best for posting pics of small gun parts. What say you?

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Tired Retired]

Attachment 14155Phil,

One of the keys I am trying to master is proper lighting. I do use the micro setting, but I turn the flash completely off. This will usually decrease the shudder speed and make it stay open longer (My digital cameras all have an auto f-stop fuction) so I have to be concerned with shaking the camera. I have started using a small tripod from an old sighting scope for the small work and a standard tripod for larger items. I also use the auto timer - push the shudder release, move may hands off the camera and 9 seconds later the shudder clicks. This keeps me from shaking the picture.

I also take a billion pics and I usually move the lights around just a tab between shots. One of these days I'm going to actually learn how to set the lights up the best way to begin with.

Once I take all the pics I want, I down load them onto the computer and then use photoshop to adjust the light and crop the photos. I have taken alot of closeup pics just in case something happens and I have to make an insurance claim.

[Harlan (Deceased)]

I think the two simplest and best things you can do to get good close-ups is to use a tripod and also a three second delay, so you aren't actually touching the camera as it takes the photo.

There's tons of things you can do with different camera settings and lighting, but keeping the camera still is the most important aspect with close-up photos, regardless of pixels used, lens quality, ect. - If the camera moves very little at such a close distance, it will mess up the image.

[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

I use a Canon 40D with a 18-55 IS USM lens, 10 megapixels, in Macro. It's my wife's camera. She knows all the buttons, I don't. I just point, it auto focues, and then shoot. My 2 megapixel Olympus was easier and the photos came out just as good. But it was stolen out of the car.

Background and lighting seems to make a difference for auto focus cameras. I some times put down a colored towel for a neutral back drop so it focuses on the item. Sometimes take photos inside with the flash, sometimes outside with natural light. If outdoors angle can make shadows. I haven't tried a tripod, sounds like a good idea, a bit steadier then older hands.

I load it to my desktop. Canon gave us a program with the camera, kind of like photo shop. I can then crop out the excess background, adj size, color, brightness.

Then it can be sent to a file or Photobucket and used as needed.

Seems to take clear pictures. Usually shows more then my eyes see, sample.

[Mikey51]

I use a Sony Digital Mavica (MVC FD73). It's big and square and is, I think, one of the fiirst digitals ever invented ! A relic. Although not a macro camera, it's what I use for gun parts. Seems to work better than anything else I have tried. Here's an overstamp.

[Aragorn243]

I have a Nikon D50 and it's really hard to take a bad photo with it. I generally just use all the automatic settings and experiment with and without flash on close up metal parts. Some show better with flash but most tend to do better without.

[Johnny Peppers]

All good advice. Most any digital camera is capable of taking really good macro shots if you do your part. As mentioned by others, a tripod is probably the most important part in getting sharp pictures. It doesn't matter how high the megapixel if there is camera movement the picture will be blurry. Also use a neutral colored background. Depending on the light meter setting, your camera will normally average the scene and if a large area of the picture is a white background, the object being photographed will be on the dark side. I use my old Canon A80 on manual setting and set the ISO as low as it will go. The ISO lets you shoot in lower light, but at the expense of less sharp pictures.
Download your pictures to a desktop and crop out all the unneeded area. Your pictures will look better and you aren't using up valuable space on the site.

[Rustship]

I use a SONY DSC-P51 2.0 megapixels I know I have had for 10+ years, I cant find my instruction book. Do any of you have experience with this type. I am old school, pull it out of the box and take pictures until they come out. I dont like the little menu's, too many options. What should I be looking for? In a close-up more or less pixels? and if someone has used this type camara, it sure would be easier to just read this post, than to look over over my house for the instruction book.

[Ramboueille]

Phil,

Canon, Sony, Nikon. You don't need an expensive camera for good photos but you do need a top-of-the-line tripod. There are no two ways about it. Digital cameras are very forgiving, if your photos are bad, you see them right away, erase them and take more. It takes some practice, that's all. $200-$300 will easily buy what you need today for your casual needs.

[gunner]

I am using a Kodak Easy Share C140 with Auto Focus for $ 84. Works good.

Regards

Gunner