What is the best inexpensive point and shoot digital camera for taking pictures

1. 40

   ChristinSposted 10 years ago

   What is the best inexpensive point and shoot digital camera for taking pictures for Etsy?
   
   my camera has bit the dust and finances are tight at the moment due to fixing our boiler. I need a cheap, but decent, point and shoot digital camera specifically for photographing pendants and other small handmade items for my Etsy shop.  I need to do closeups that don't come out grainy or blurry.
   
   For those who photograph your own items, what type of cheaper camera do you recommend until I can afford to upgrade later this year?

   replyreport
2. 70

   lisavollrathposted 10 years ago

   I have a Kodak EasyShare 16MP point and shoot that takes great photos. It cost less than $100. Bonus: it's purple!

   replyreport
   1. 40

      ChristinSposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      can't go wrong with purple my favorite color under a 100 is a bonus too.  Thanks!

      replyreport
3. 60

   missoliveposted 10 years ago

   The Canon Power Shot (ELPH 330) has come in pretty handy. I think it averages about $100 but I've seen it as low as $79 when Target runs a special.
   Note, there is more than one version of the Power Shot.

   replyreport
   1. 40

      ChristinSposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I'll definitely read up on this particular model thank you for answering.  Price point seems right too.

      replyreport
4. 74

   easylearningwebposted 10 years ago

   Hi ChristinS,
   
   I have a Sony Cybershot and it does a good job. Mine is silver and I has good zoom options. It's less than $100 when I just checked on Amazon. Go with the model with the most zoom. I took it to TransSiberean Orchestra Concert and I was sitting all the way in the back on the floor level and I was able to zoom all the way to the stage.
   
   Regards,
   Easylearningweb

   replyreport
   1. 40

      ChristinSposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks I'll look into that model as well.  Good zoom is important, unfortunately on many cameras good zoom also leads to graininess and I have to capture finer details.

      replyreport
5. 70

   HappyTom LMposted 10 years ago

   I think if you do it right you can do great pics with your smartphone. Just use a white black ground and good white light.

   replyreport
   1. 40

      ChristinSposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Unfortunately, the phone doesn't have sufficient quality even on a plain white background because I have to zoom in on small objects. Phone is great for everyday pics though.

      replyreport
6. 81

   junksellerposted 10 years ago

   My opinion is that lighting and a steady tripod are more important than the camera for such work. With nice lighting and a tripod almost any camera you can find should take decent pics. I'd go to a thrift shop and find an old one with at least 4-6 megapixels, a macro mode, and white contrast adjustment for under $15. It wasn't too long ago I was running around with a 1.3MP Fujifilm Finepix A101 and taking some pretty decent photos.
   
   Here is an article where a lady is comparing several cameras taking the same shot, The cameras range from $800 to $15: https://blog.etsy.com/en/2010/etsy-succ … ht-camera/
   
   If you want new, I have seen the Sony W800 at several stores for $70 (Walmart, Best Buy, Target, etc). It is 20 megapixels with 5x zoom and I would think would be more than adequate.
   
   Low-end point-and-shoot cameras are being decimated by smartphones. If you walk in to a camera or electronics store, you might be able to find a very good closeout deal on one.

   replyreport
   1. 40

      ChristinSposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I do have a tripod and I was thinking of rigging something up for better lighting. I haven't checked thrift stores yet good idea.  My husband's phone takes great pics outside, but indoors or zoomed in they are not sufficient quality.

      replyreport
7. 89

   Efficient Adminposted 10 years ago

   I have a Canon Powershot EPH 150 but I have realized that it does not do close-up zooms very well.  It doesn't focus sharply when I have to get real up close to an object (an example would be zooming in on a flower while hiking a trail.  They always come out fuzzy). 
   
   However, I also owned a Kodak Easyshare M341, which got broken so I can't use it anymore.  It would focus sharp and clear when I moved in real close to an object. They don't make the M341 any more but I have seen them recently on Amazon.com for under $100 because I almost bought it just for it's ability to zoom and take clear shots of objects that are up close.
   
   I am still learning to operate the Canon Powershot.  Who knows, it could be operator error why it doesn't focus up close. :-)

   replyreport
   1. 40

      ChristinSposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I've had this problem with zoom functions on a couple of cameras, and I definitely need the sharp, clear images while zoomed. Makes me wonder why that is.

      replyreport