The features that you need for great product images are not necessarily the same features you need for other types of photography such as portraits or family photos. The same camera may do many different tasks very well, but if you are purchasing a camera especially for product photography then there are some particular features to look for. If you already have a camera and would like to know if it will be able to produce great product images, these are the features to look for on your current camera. If you have your current camera's manual to hand, so much the better in helping you to check if your current camera has the features required.
The main features to look for are:
It is not necessarily the case that the more money you spend, the better capable the camera will be because sometimes the more expensive the camera, the more specialised a task it is intended for, and that may not be the task you have in mind. Neither is it true that the more MegaPixels you have the better. A camera with a 3 to 4 MegaPixels capability will be more than sufficient for web images, anything greater than that will usually have little added benefit. Of course, this applies to product photography - if you want your camera to have multi-uses then you may want those extra specifications for other purposes. But the point is, you don't necessarily need to buy the most expensive camera you can afford - you may be better off buying the "right" camera at a modest price, and spending the extra on better lighting or custom accessories.
We recommend the following Canon PowerShot cameras because they are inexpensive, widely available, and have an excellent set of features for product photography (and we use them ourselves).
We have generally found that
Amazon is very competitive on camera prices. We are therefore including
Amazon links for each camera so you can click through to them immediately.
This also enables us to keep the prices right up to date.
Canon Powershot
SX700 HS |
Canon Powershot
SX710 HS |
Canon Powershot
SX60 HS |
Canon Powershot
SX520 HS |
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Canon Powershot
SX530 HS |
Canon Powershot
S120 |
Canon Powershot S200 |
Canon Powershot
G16 |
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Canon Powershot G1 X MKII |
Canon DSLR EOS M |
Canon DSLR EOS 100D |
Canon DSLR EOS 700D |
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Canon DSLR EOS 700D |
Canon DSLR
EOS 70DD |
Canon DSLR
EOS 5D MKIII |
Other Canon DSLRs |
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As much as you want to
spend...! |
These are by no means the only good cameras for product photography - there are lots of great cameras on the market and it's hard to go wrong if you spend at least £150 to £200 for a new name-brand camera with the above features. But you needn't spend £300 or more unless you really want to. If you do want a higher spec camera, then try a Canon DSLR. This will be of particular value if you also want to produce images for printed material (such as catalogues) where a higher MegaPixel camera will be helpful.
Once you decide which camera you want, be prepared to spend time shopping around as prices for new cameras can vary by as much as 40% from different suppliers. Try using a price comparison website to find the best deal.
Once you have your camera, spend some time becoming familiar with it and the settings it offers. It's worth reading up in the camera manual about the features mentioned above. Don't be afraid to experiment. The great advantage of digital cameras is that you can delete the images that are less successful and it doesn't cost anything to take some more! You'll be surprised just how quickly you'll find out what works and what doesn't. If you decide on an DSLR, be prepared to spend a little more time learning how to use it.
We are happy to advise about camera suitability if required. Please be aware, however, that we can only advise based on the features and functions that the manufacturer lists in their product specification. We do not have first-hand experience of every camera that has been or is currently on the market. We have recently come across one or two camera models that don't do quite what the manual says they do so we cannot make absolute guarantees as to suitability. If you are unsure, it is safest to choose one of the specific cameras mentioned here.
We do recommend that you use a tripod for all product photography.
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