Digital Camera Jewelry
Any tips on using a digital camera for ebay pictures. I’m using a samsung s760.?
There are alot of functions on this camera which makes me pretty confuse which is best for ebay pictures. I’m selling jewelry so I need good closeup shots. I’m a newb at this and I don’t really know the significance of many functions like the megapixels.
I don’t understand how to use the macro function is it automatic when you turn on it?
Just turn on the macro function and it automaticallt lets you get closer to take the pictures.
For objects photographed from a distance of 3-4 feet, absolutely any digital camera and any “digital photographer” can get a suitable image. Don’t forget that the largest picture eBay will display (unless you are hosting your own images) is 800 x 800 pixels or less than 1 megapixel. For jewelery or other small items, you have to learn macro technique. You can also do this with almost any digital camera, but here’s an article that I wrote about jewelery in specific. I am sure that you will find it helpful.
The best way to take photos of jewelery for a web site is with a digital SLR and a macro lens. If you are not going to go with a DSLR, almost any point and shoot with a macro mode will serve you well. The thing is, I feel that you need to use the flash to force the aperture to close while still having enough light for an exposure. Many here will tell you different, but follow this advice and see what you think.
Use your macro setting and experiment. Let’s say you have a point and shoot camera with macro and a flash on the camera. You might have to go to a manual mode to do this, but…
Put your item on a nice background surface. I like to just put it in a ring box or on some velour. Zoom out at least half-way so that you will be working about a foot away from the ring. Be sure that you get focus confirmation. Shoot a picture USING flash. Check the LCD for the result. If you have overexposed the item, use the EV adjustment to reduce the exposure. For small items, I often find that I need to reduce the exposure by about 1.0 EV. (That’s -1.0 EV.) It is better to have the item properly exposed and the background underexposed, so just worry about the jewelery for now. Using a deliberate underexposure will cure the “too shiny” appearance of the stones and metal.
If you know how, you can use either full manual exposure or just Aperture Priority and choose a smaller aperture (larger number) to make the ring show up in better focus.
If you have a DSLR, post your question again stating the kind of camera that you have and the lens that you are using and we will give more details.
If you are doing any image processing at all, such with Photoshop or it’s cousins, you can crop the image to 800 pixels by 800 pixels and use Supersize images on eBay. I always use the Picture Pack when I am selling anything of any value.
Check out http://www.members.aol.com/swf08302/heartring.jpg which I did a while ago using a Nikon Coolpix 5400 exactly as described above. I do NOT think this is acceptable, but we decided not to sell the ring anyhow, so I didn’t bother to do a better job. It’s still better than some I’ve seen. I don’t keep old photos of sold items around, so I don’t have much to show you, but at least you know that it’s possible to get an acceptable result even without spending huge dollars on your equipment.
The key things to remember are:
-Macro setting
-Zoom out to get about a foot away from your subject
-Use flash
-Try different EV settings and expect that you will end up with a negative EV setting, such as -1.0 EV.
I happen to have some photos from old auctions on an FTP site. I think that these were all taken with a 3 MP Nikon Coolpix 885.
http://members.aol.com/swf08302/carvina.jpg
http://members.aol.com/swf08302/skullfront.jpg
http://members.aol.com/swf08302/konkontu.jpg
(The patch is about 4 inches long.)
Here are a couple of coin photos done exactly as described, but using a D200:
I did these with my Nikon Coolpix 4600, just to show you what a really inexpensive camera can do. It’s a 4 MP camera that I paid about $150 for a couple of years ago.
Here are a couple more auction photos done as described, using a 60 mm macro lens on a DSLR:
800 x 800 http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/2540152660/ (Yorkie)
800 x 800 http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/1296244675/ (light box)
800 x 800 http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/1296276707/ (light box)
800 x 800 http://www.flickr.com/photos/7189769@N04/412244168/ (light box)
800 x 800 http://www.flickr.com/photos/7189769@N04/412244164/
This is a coin shot with a DSLR and a telephoto lens, which lets you use the flash without washing everything out:
If you are interested in a full description of an SLR set-up, post a new question and ask specifically for that information. I’m gathering from the nature of your question that you might be in the point and shoot market.
This question is a link to a serious site about jewelery photography:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AkfJEz_.Vs2Q_gpBMuJVfb3ty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071220191859AAKtCUo
|
|
Hamilton Beach 48464 Brewstation Summit 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker $44.99 This BrewStation coffeemaker has stainless steel on its control panel for added style. It also has everything the BrewStation brand is famous for: one-hand dispensing for quick fill-ups and an insulated tank with gentle heater to keep coffee tasting fresh for hours. Your last cup tastes as fresh as the first. Product Specifications: One-hand dispensing – no carafe, no pouring, no spills Us… |
|
|
Oregon Scientific AW129 Wireless BBQ Thermometer with Probe Thermometer and Remote $39.99 - Oregon Scientific wireless BBQ thermometer – Know when thefood is fully ready to eat even from up to 100′ away- No need to have to wait by the grill to find out when dinner is ready; this wireless thermometer alerts you when the meat has reached the perfect temperature even if you’re in another room entertaining guests- Digital LCD screen- Remote wireless probe to identify temperature/read… |
|
|
Hamilton Beach 33966 Set ‘n Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker $59.99 Hamilton Beach 6 Quart Slow Cookers make dinnertime a breeze. You can cook hot, mouth-watering meals as you go about your day, with no stirring needed. These oval, 6 Quart Slow Cookers take up little space but yet have all the room you need to prepare a large chicken, pot roast, or ham. Hamilton Beach 6 Quart Slow Cookers work well for family dinners, parties or other large gatherings. And they in… |
|
|
Trash to Cash-Episode 1-A Garage Sale Adventure w/Lynn Dralle (Your guide to buying & selling at online auctions like ebay & Yahoo.) [VHS] $2.99 Lynn Dralle is a 3rd generation antiques dealer. She is an eBay Power Seller who sells up to $20,000 a month at online auction. She is an award winning author and her books I Buy and I Sell will help you keep track of what you buy and what you sell at online auction. In this episode, follow Lynn Dralle from Garage Sale to Garage Sale as she buys a carload full of stuff. Some of these finds are… |
|
|
(10 Items Combo) Tool Repair Kit Precision Screw Driver Set Torx + Flat Head + Safe Plying Prying Pry Tool for Motorola Verizon Sprint Att Cingular Razr Razorand More $10.90 Item 1 – 7 : Magnetized tips precision torx screw driver. Sizes : T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, T8, T10. Durable with precision cut sizes to ensure you can get the job right like a professional. Support end (blue color ends) give you the ability to turn the screw driver and holding it still, and magnetized tips to hold the screws to avoid dropping the tiny parts. Use this kit to repair cell phones, laptops,… |
|
|
Baraka $11.89 The word Baraka means “blessing” in several languages; watching this film, the viewer is blessed with a dazzling barrage of images that transcend language. Filmed in 24 countries and set to an ever-changing global soundtrack, the movie draws some surprising connections between various peoples and the spaces they inhabit, whether that space is a lonely mountaintop or a crowded cigarette factory… |
|
|
Trash to Cash Volumes 1 & 2 – with Lynn Dralle – A Garage Sale Adventure & An Online Auction Adventure (Your guide to buying & selling at online auctions like eBay and Yahoo) $9.95 Spend a day with Lynn Dralle, The Queen of Auctions, as she visits garage sales for items to sell on eBay. Then come along as she lists her items on eBay. You will learn as you watch someone who has spent years making finds and multiplying her money on eBay.In Episode One, A Garage Sale Adventure, follow Lynn from Garage Sale to Garage Sale as she buys a carload full of stuff. Some of these … |
|
|
(50) AG2 397 396 LR726 SR726 SR726SW G2 BATTERY $4.75 These batteries are the perfect replacment for: Watches Clocks Calculators Computers Digital Cameras PDAs Remote Controls Camcorders Electronic instruments MP3 players Digital Voice Recorders Blood Glucose, Cholesterol testing meters. Electronic toys Flashing body jewelry Thousands of other electronic products!… |
|
|
(10) AG2 397 396 LR726 SR726 SR726SW G2 BATTERY $4.70 These batteries are the perfect replacment for: Watches Clocks Calculators Computers Digital Cameras PDAs Remote Controls Camcorders Electronic instruments MP3 players Digital Voice Recorders Blood Glucose, Cholesterol testing meters. Electronic toys Flashing body jewelry Thousands of other electronic products!… |
|
|
(20) AG2 397 396 LR726 SR726 SR726SW G2 BATTERY $7.75 These batteries are the perfect replacment for: Watches Clocks Calculators Computers Digital Cameras PDAs Remote Controls Camcorders Electronic instruments MP3 players Digital Voice Recorders Blood Glucose, Cholesterol testing meters. Electronic toys Flashing body jewelry Thousands of other electronic products!… |
|
|
digital camera $59.99 LifeWorks – Digital camera – compact |
|
|
Vivitar – digital camera $102.99 Vivitar – Digital camera – compact |
|
|
SLIM DIGITAL CAMERA CASE $12.99 SLIM DIGITAL CAMERA CASE |
|
|
Digital Camera Battery Panasonic $33.99 DIGITAL CAMERA BATTERY PANASONIC |
