Need recommendation for camera for closeup work

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Mark Fineman - 23 Mar 2005 21:35 GMT

I have been using Sony DCR-PC100 in still mode for taking pictures
of circuit boards and components.

I wanted to get digital camera with higher resolution and more
storage capacity, with a high zoom ratio, so I got a
Fujifilm FinePix S5100,
which has 4 (or 4/3) megapixels. The camera works reasonably well
in general, but it good for close focusing or manual focusing.

It also doesn't seem to be able to allow exposure compensation
in AUTO. I.e., I can't tell it I like a picture to be lighter
or darker unless I also give up some of the automation.

Therefore, I am once again in the market for a camera:
. 4 (i.e., 4/3) megapixels or more
. 8x zoom or more
. takes 512 MB or more memory thingies
. good manual focus control
. storage of raw images or lossless compression
. a way of telling the camera that it can do whatever
it would do full auto mode, except increase or
or decrease the exposure by some amount.
. should take polarizing filter so that I can get rid
of reflections.
. the bigger the available memory thingies the better.

I expect the price will be in the $500 to $1000 range excluding
memory thingies.

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Rolf Egil Sølvik - 23 Mar 2005 22:38 GMT

>I have been using Sony DCR-PC100 in still mode for taking pictures
>of circuit boards and components.
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>in AUTO. I.e., I can't tell it I like a picture to be lighter
>or darker unless I also give up some of the automation.

Doesn't it have a semi-automatic mode like P allowing for such
compensations? P mode is pretty much AUTO with some possibilities of
adjusting ISO, WB, etc - at least on my Canon PowerShot A60.

Auto /is/ really Auto and it may or may not be correct for your
subjects (i.e. circuit boards and components) - You have the
possibility of manual modes (P/S/A/M) and could really utilize them
to your advantage and/or manually bracket your shots - ± 2 EV in 0.3
EV increments is possible according to the reviews...

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ZepDawg® - 12 Apr 2005 01:15 GMT

Olympus C-70

> >I have been using Sony DCR-PC100 in still mode for taking pictures
> >of circuit boards and components.
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> to your advantage and/or manually bracket your shots - ± 2 EV in 0.3
> EV increments is possible according to the reviews...

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Lin Chung - 23 Mar 2005 23:07 GMT

> ...in the market for a camera:
> . 4 (i.e., 4/3) megapixels or more
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> . the bigger the available memory thingies the better.
> ...in the $500 to $1000 range

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicfz20/
It satisfies all your requirements.

In fact, your requirements are quite prosaic. There are many that fit the
bill but I'd recommend this camera because it has attracted a string of
awards. I have yet to come across a comparative review
where this model did not come top. The latest accolade is from the
respected and trusted PCMagazine: it was awarded, together with its sister
model FZ15, the "Editor's Choice". The jewel in the crown is of course the
Leica lens, to which there is still *no* answer from the traditional big
camera houses, viz. Nikon and Canon. It looks like this is going to be a
re-run of the story of the Trinitron tube from the early 1970s pushing the
then run-of-the-mill Sony into the giant conglomerate it is today.
(Panasonic -- or National in Japan -- is very big but not in camera)

To satisfy your curiosity, you may like to play around with the filter here:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare.asp

Signature

Lin Chung.
[The Water Margins of Liang Shan Po were at the time of the Sung dynasty.
Replace that with "ntlworld" for emails.]

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nospam@hitmail.com - 24 Mar 2005 02:13 GMT

adjust your ev rating, or choose autobracket and do a +/- 1 or 1.5 ev
on the brackets

>I have been using Sony DCR-PC100 in still mode for taking pictures
>of circuit boards and components.
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
>http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
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Gìmmìe Bobbie - 24 Mar 2005 02:23 GMT

Pentax Optio line focuses to 0.5 inches from the lens.

> I have been using Sony DCR-PC100 in still mode for taking pictures
> of circuit boards and components.
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
> http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
> ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

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