What is the best camera for really close macro work?

Answer 1

I use a DSLR for really close macro work in my dental practice. I wrote a piece about this for someone else, but you will find it helpful. Just ignore any reference to teeth and consider that ANY macro work would follow the same principles.

I'll tell you what I use and what you might consider. I got a Nikon D70s for personal use, with the thought that I could also get a macro lens and use it in the office. I got myself a new camera for personal use, as I found that I wanted to leave this setup in the office at all times. I would say that a Nikon D40 or D50 would be perfectly adequate for intraoral use, but you might find a good buy on a D70s, as they are being closed out right now. 6 MP is PLENTY for intraoral use. You would not need a huge memory card for limited use, but I'd still suggest a 1 GB card with accelerated write speed, like a Sandisk Ultra or Extreme or a Lexar 80x card.

I am using a Nikon 60 mm Macro lens, which translates into about 90 mm in "35 mm equivalent." This gives plenty of working distance. Nikon also has a 105 Macro and the brand new 105 VR Macro, but they cost quite a bit more money. This lens gives you a true macro 1:1 reproduction.

I use the built-in pop-up flash rather than a $400-600 marco lighting set-up. It's free. "Simple and effective."

Set the camera in Aperture priority and choose f:11, f:16 or so, depending on personal preference. Set the EV at -0.7 stops. Perhaps you would like a different EV setting, but this is what works for me. After that, in autofocus, it's a point and shoot with wonderful results.

These prices are from http://www.bhphotovideo.com as of December 2006. You can probably price shop and find them cheaper, but B&H is a rock solid dealer and I usually end up buying from them, even after comparison shopping. I am just using their prices as a point of reference.

The Nikon D40 is $600 _with_ the 18-55 kit lens.
The D50 sells for $450. That's a recent price cut of $100.
The D70s sells for $640. That's a recent price cut of $60.
The D80 sells for $930.
The D200 sells for $1,350.
The Macro 60mm f:2.8 lens is available for $400.
The Macro 105mm f:2.8 lens is available for $660.
The Macro 105mm f:2.8 VR is out of stock, but sells for $830.
A 1 GB Sandisk Ultra II CF Card (D70 & D200) sells for $40.
A 1 GB Sandisk Ultra II SD Card (D40, D50 & D80) sells for $40.
A 2 GB Sandisk card (either CF or SD) sells for $65.
(Due to a rebate valid through 12-31-06, the faster Extreme III cards are actually cheaper than the Ultra II cards.)

SO - pick your price and find a match. If you can find a D50 and 60mm Macro lens, you would have an excellent intraoral camera for less than $900. I have seen kits to modify point and shoots that cost more than that.

Here's a sample shot from my D70s with the 60mm lens. I admit that it is not "presentation quality," but it was just a quick shot to communicate with the lab. It is also a full-sized image, so you can enlarge it to see the detail. Your cursor should be a "+" maginifier as you move it across the image. Just click to get the full size and check the detail. If it is not a magnifier, click on the white space to the right of the picture once and then move it back over the image again.

http://www.members.aol.com/swf08302/d70ssample.jpg

Here are some more samples using that 60 mm lens on a different camera.

Yorkie Pendant - Macro Technique
Nikon D200 - 60 mm macro lens - f/13.0 - ISO 200
http://www1.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=57759389/PictureID=2531239699/a=75953750_75953750/t_=75953750

Cardinal Pin - Macro Technique - The pin is about 1¼" long.
Nikon D70s - 60 mm macro lens - f/5.0
http://www1.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=57759389/PictureID=2531239718/a=75953750_75953750/t_=75953750

Answer 2

It's not as much about the camera as it is the lens. Purchase one specifically for macro use that goes with your camera - if you're really serious about doing a lot of macro work.

Answer 3

the best to shoot macro is to get a DSLR, Nikon and canon is recomended.
please take note the is a minimun distance between the lens and the object. try avoid too close. every camera or lens had the spec for minimun distance to shoot.
also try using zoom and use a camera tri-pod

Answer 4

any type of olympus digital camera, ive taken photos 1 inch away from my finger and i could see my finger prints and anything in between them too.