I currently have a kodak DC260 and use it for photographing jewellery for my business.

I am looking to buy a better camera as I find the images from my Kodak are just not good enough.

I would welcome anyones comments and suggestions as to the best camera to buy. My budget is up to US$2500.

Thanks.

-- Duncan Walton (wdlondon@aol.com), October 28, 1999

Answers

I'm wondering what the image quality shortcomings are. Too grainy for big prints, too dark, inadequate macro, too dark? Are these pics for glossy catalogs or the web? I think most of the prosumer stuff out now is only incrementally better, not orders of magnitude better.

The nikon D1 is dramatically better, but it costs something like $4500 and isn't out just yet. The Oly 2500 is a true SLR, 2.5 megapixels, especially good flash integration, good manual control. I guess if you'd have to buy now I'd point you at the Oly 2500 with their specially matched flash. I don't think there are any other true SLR digicams out there if it matters.

For bigger printouts, a camera would more pixels would help some, like a 290 has 2.3 megapixels compared to 1.5 on your 260. If you're wanting more manual control, the 290 won't really help much though. I think the 290 can take external lenses, perhaps they'll come out with a macro attachment.

An often overlooked way to give your photos way more impact is lighting, I think your 260 takes external flash, maybe you try that. Make sure whatever you buy can take external flash.

-- benoit (foo@bar.com), October 28, 1999.

Duncan,

I must beg to differ with the previous answer. I owned a Kodak D260 and got rid of it for the exact same reason you are seeking to get rid of yours. I found that the Oly 450Z actually took sharper pictures and the macro is demonstrably better - even though it's a 1.3 vs 1.5 megapixels. I have since moved on to the Oly 2000z which, in my opinion, is not quite as good as the 450Z for taking macro pictures. I recently bought a wide angle macro lens for it and it now performs superbly. I can get as close as 1" to my subject! Also, the Nikon CP950 takes excellent macro pics right out the box. So, you do have options that cost less than your budget. If you opted for the 2500 or the 2000 you could buy another lens and still be under $2500.00. From what I've seen, the 2.5 megapixel 2500 takes noticeably better resolution pictures.

Good luck!

Ron

-- Ron (2good2b1@prodigy.net), October 28, 1999.