DigPro Camera Features Required for Great Product Photography

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.

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).
Recommended Cameras (prices are best available October 2010)

Canon Powershot SX120 around £135
Canon Powershot SX130 around £159
Canon Powershot SX110 around £170
Canon Powershot SX200 around £189
Canon Powershot SX210 around £208
Canon Powershot S5 around £235
Canon Powershot SX10 around £279
Canon Powershot SX20 around £279
Canon Powershot S90 around £279
Canon Powershot S95 around £350
Canon Powershot SX30 around £389
Canon Powershot G11 around £385
Canon Powershot SX1 around £395
Canon Powershot G12 around £498
Canon Digital SLR EOS 1000D around £375
Canon Digital SLR EOS 450D around £450
Other Canon DSLRS £500 upwards (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 £100 to £150 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 the Canon EOS 1000D SLR or the 450D SLR. 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 SLR, 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.