Digital Camera for web site posting

[PhoebeG]

My friend (really) owns a small business and she has a web site that she uses to sell products as well as from her "brick and mortar" location. I know very little about digital cameras or web posting, but since she knows I do phototgrphy, she asked that I help in selecting a digital camera for her (so at least I know to come here for help).

The camera would be used for product shots of health aids (vitamins, herbal stuff, oils, etc.- small items mostly). The idea would be something simple to operate, and something that can easily upload to her web site via PC. Budget around $300.

Suggestions please?

Thanks,

pg

[trog100]

i think the trick with photographing individual small objects and groups of smallish things is to get the lighting right... which really means some kind of bounce flash or addition lighting of some kind plus clever use of white carboard reflectors....

yes.. this is more about lighting than the camera..

lets say what u dont need..

u dont need lots of mega pixels.. two or three mega pixels would do..

u dont need a fast action camera..

u dont need that much optical zoom thow the ability to stand back a little might make life easier..

basically any digicam round about your price will do the job u require..

but we come back to the lighting thing.. assuming good daylight u might get away with just the camera and nothing else..

with poorer lighting a camera fitted with a hotshoe is really needed.. bounce flash plus reflective card will produce good results..

the problem here is that cheaper cameras dont tend to have them.. hmmm..

so where does that leave us.. an older more expensive camera thats dropped in price because its been replaced by a later model is one option.. used or refurbished is another..

Ebay springs to mind.. look for something a couple of years old in your price range that is fitted with a hotshoe that takes any old common or garden bounce flash unit..

the uploading thing isnt a problem.. i would use a cardreader to transfer to your images to your pc.. resize and edit on the pc before uploading..


trog100

[PhoebeG]

i think the trick with photographing individual small objects and groups of smallish things is to get the lighting right... which really means some kind of bounce flash or addition lighting of some kind plus clever use of white carboard reflectors....

yes.. this is more about lighting than the camera..

lets say what u dont need..

u dont need lots of mega pixels.. two or three mega pixels would do..

u dont need a fast action camera..

u dont need that much optical zoom thow the ability to stand back a little might make life easier..

basically any digicam round about your price will do the job u require..

but we come back to the lighting thing.. assuming good daylight u might get away with just the camera and nothing else..

with poorer lighting a camera fitted with a hotshoe is really needed.. bounce flash plus reflective card will produce good results..

the problem here is that cheaper cameras dont tend to have them.. hmmm..

so where does that leave us.. an older more expensive camera thats dropped in price because its been replaced by a later model is one option.. used or refurbished is another..

Ebay springs to mind.. look for something a couple of years old in your price range that is fitted with a hotshoe that takes any old common or garden bounce flash unit..

the uploading thing isnt a problem.. i would use a cardreader to transfer to your images to your pc.. resize and edit on the pc before uploading..


trog100

Trog100

Thanks for advice.

pg