Darin when talking about resolution it becomes important to know what size of photograph you want to be able to reproduce, such as a 4x6 or do you want to be able to have a clear 8x10. Also you need to compare the size of CCD or CMOS sensor the camera has.Is it a 1/4" sensor or is it a true 35mm sensor. The size of the sensor will affect how much noise is in the photograph. For example we went with a digital SLR not because it is 8 megapixel but because it offered a true 35mm sensor. I am able to capture much greater detail than any point shot and more than most prosumer models out there. For antiques, jewelry, coin or stamp collections I like to use a macro lens to capture specific details on the item. In the event the item is stolen then a true 1:1 photograph exists of the item and is invaluable to it being properly identified and returned if located by authorities. Another benefit to the SLR over your prosumer models is battery life. I can get a solid four hours of shoot time on one battery. The longer I can keep my camera operating without wasting time changing batteries is very helpful as well. Than personally I think it seems more professional to the client. Then finally megapixel ratings can be deceiving. 10 mega pixels on a 1/4" sensor is not nearly as impressive as 4 megapixels on a 35mm sensor. Sensor size is the largest factor to consider when purchasing a camera.
I have a 2 MP Sony camera with a swivel screen that takes better pics than any other camera I have used. I especially like the ability to adjust the screen to any position and take a pic at a very odd angle. I LOVE the camera and will be very unhappy when it croaks. I am thinking about looking on Ebay for more of them.
Cool. Thanks for the info. I don't know if I made the poll clear, I was asking what resolution people are shooting all their inventory photos at. Are some people really shooting at 6-8 meg?
I looked at our camera again. We have an Olympus 500 evolt with 8megapixels, 14-45mm zoom and 40-150mm zoom lenses. We also purchased a Macro lens 35mm 1:3.5 macro. We use this lens for the jewelry shots as they need to capture as much detail as possible. Our last client had a $200,000 inventory and almost 20,000 in jewelry alone. This len really came in handy with that one. Like I told you before we have put around $2000 into the camera, including the case, batteries and memory cards.
I was wondering what resolution are you guys taking your inventory pictures at. I think that taking 7 megapixel shots is overkill for what we are doing. I think that 2-3 megapixels is plenty. What do you all think?
