Mission Statement First off let me say this, I am not a photographer, I am a model builder. I am writing this article from my own experience, in an attempt to let other model builders know that they too can take decent photo’s of their work using a Digital Camera. This article is designed to give people the knowledge of where to start and the very basics of what is needed in order to do this.   The Equipment This is the hardest part, deciding what to get. We all want to balance cost with performance here, and get just what we need for the best price. But remember you get what you pay for, so spending an extra $50 here might make that extra difference. Digital Camera: A camera that saves the image onto a memory chip instead of film. Mega Pixels: I’ve seen pictures taken with a 1.3 mega pixel camera and the quality to me just doesn’t cut it. I think the absolute minimum needed for a digital camera is at least 2 mega pixels. These cameras have started coming down in price and are now in the $160 to $250 price range. Optical Zoom: This means that the lens themselves move to zoom in on the object, this is a must. A lot of digital camera’s have a digital zoom, this means the image is enlarged after it is taken to make it bigger. A lot of cheaper cameras have this, and it is not a good way to zoom in on detail. For taking pictures of models, an Optical Zoom is a necessity Macro: Some digital Camera’s have a Macro setting. This is a setting you set when you want to take pictures of an object close up. It helps in the close focusing. For model photography, a Macro setting is another necessity. Timer: Almost all digital cameras have a timer function, but always remember it is good to make sure. And this is another necessity, as it is pretty much impossible to take great photos if you have to press the button yourself as this will shake the camera and blur your picture. Resolution: This is the size of the photo you take. A resolution of 800 x 600 is good enough as you will probably have to downsize the photo to post it on the web. My camera has a resolution of 1600 x 1200 but I use the 800 x 600 size the most. Batteries: This is also very important, as digital cameras eat up a lot of power and the lower the power level the lower the image quality. I recommend spending a little extra on one of the rechargeable setups, in the long run you will save money and can always have freshly charged batteries for your camera. Tripod: Another item you must have, as you will need something to hold the camera still while the picture is being taken. I use a small tabletop tripod that is about 10 inches high. You can get one of these for about $10 or if you want to spend more you can get a larger one for anywhere from $25 to $50. But I like the tabletop one as it can sit on the same table that I’m using for the model I’m taking a picture of, and can get as close or far away as I like.       « Back1234Next » READ COUNT: 6846  |  PRINT  |  DISCUSS THIS About Delbert Davis (Delbert) FROM: PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES I'm 40. I've been model building since Dec 2001 and I build everthing from wingy things to groundhuggers. esp WWII era. also built a car or two. Some people think my stuff isn't too bad. READ MORE Copyright ©2010 by Delbert. Images also by copyright holder unless otherwise noted. Opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of Armorama. All rights reserved. Originally published on: 2003-01-18