Macro camera with 1" - aps-c sensor: Hi. I was asked to find a good cheap camera for macro/close up photography. We are talking about a camera with good image quality and not too big...

JPL

Hi. I was asked to find a good cheap camera for macro/close up photography. We are talking about a camera with good image quality and not too big in size or price. So what I am looking for is something with 1" sensor, m4/3 or aps-c. But not dslr, not even the most compact ones. Zoom is not important, low light capabilities are not important, fast focusing is not important. What matters is IQ, details and macro capabilities and low price.

Any advice to save my ass here :-D

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

JPL wrote:

Hi. I was asked to find a good cheap camera for macro/close up photography. ...Any advice to save my ass here :-D

Used nikon D7100. $500

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

JPL wrote:

Hi. I was asked to find a good cheap camera for macro/close up photography. We are talking about a camera with good image quality and not too big in size or price. So what I am looking for is something with 1" sensor, m4/3 or aps-c. But not dslr, not even the most compact ones. Zoom is not important, low light capabilities are not important, fast focusing is not important. What matters is IQ, details and macro capabilities and low price.

Any advice to save my ass here :-D

Options are limited for true "1:1" Macro. Olympus makes a 35mm F3.5 1:1 Macro for about $175, but its for the older 4/3's mount, not the M4/3's. At least the 4/3's cameras are available cheap.

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

JPL wrote:

Hi. I was asked to find a good cheap camera for macro/close up photography. We are talking about a camera with good image quality and not too big in size or price. So what I am looking for is something with 1" sensor, m4/3 or aps-c. But not dslr, not even the most compact ones. Zoom is not important, low light capabilities are not important, fast focusing is not important. What matters is IQ, details and macro capabilities and low price.

Any advice to save my ass here :-D

This is what I used for an answer to another OP today but might work for your situation as well.

Earlier I seconded the suggestion for the Sony 100 and I still like it for a pocket camera. My choice though was the Nikon P7800. It is a little too large for a shirt pocket but fits nicely in a jacket pocket. A waist pouch would work also. I looked for two years to find a small, take anywhere camera that had all the attributes I required and finally found them in the P7800. The things I wanted were: A viewfinder (optical or EVF didn't matter), a min. 3" view screen, ability to shoot RAW files, a decent zoom range, a hot shoe for flashes larger than the built in one, and a threaded front lens to allow filters or shades. The 7800 has all those features plus an articulating screen that goes 180 degrees left to right and 180 degrees up to down. The lens is an f2.8 with an equivalent range of 28mm to 200mm. These cameras run around 549.00 new, but Nikon referbs run only 349.00.

Mesa

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GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

MT Shooter wrote:

Options are limited for true "1:1" Macro. Olympus makes a 35mm F3.5 1:1 Macro for about $175, but its for the older 4/3's mount, not the M4/3's. At least the 4/3's cameras are available cheap.

They make adapters so you can put the older 4/3 lenses on the newer mirrorless bodies.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

GoofyNewfie wrote:

They make adapters so you can put the older 4/3 lenses on the newer mirrorless bodies.

Yes they do, but doing so loses the 1:1 Macro capability.

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

oldtigger wrote:

Used nikon D7100. $500

OP stated: "But not dslr, not even the most compact ones."

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

Bridges wrote:

My choice though was the Nikon P7800.

Per http://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/compact-digital-cameras/coolpix-p7800.html#tab-ProductDetail-ProductTabs-TechSpecs
Sensor Size = 1/1.7-in. = 7.6mmx5.7mm (far from a 1-inch wide sensor), and is not capable of 1:1 reproduction without add-on lenses.

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

Nikonian72 wrote:

OP stated: "But not dslr, not even the most compact ones."

sorry, always thought of the 7100 as a compact point and shooter with interchangable lenses.

no, that isn't true, i was exasperated.
My attitude is if you're going to shoot macro then get the hardware you need.
Don't waste your time and money nibbling around the edges..

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

oldtigger wrote:

My attitude is if you're going to shoot macro then get the hardware you need. Don't waste your time and money nibbling around the edges.

I absolutely agree!
True macro lenses are made for APS-C and full frame cameras. 99% of all else is good only for close-up photography.

jcboy3

JPL wrote:

Hi. I was asked to find a good cheap camera for macro/close up photography. We are talking about a camera with good image quality and not too big in size or price. So what I am looking for is something with 1" sensor, m4/3 or aps-c. But not dslr, not even the most compact ones. Zoom is not important, low light capabilities are not important, fast focusing is not important. What matters is IQ, details and macro capabilities and low price.

Any advice to save my ass here :-D

Olympus E-M5, used for about $300.

Nikon 55mm f/3.5 micro lens, used for under $100.

Nikon M2 extension tube, used for $15 or so.

Nikon F to m4/3 adapter, lots of options but I prefer the Metabones, used for $100.

Very good, with or without the extension tube.

For better results, I would consider the Olympus 60mm f/2.8 micro lens, you might find it used for around $300. That is capable of 1:1 macro with AF, etc.

And then the Kenko extension tubes will give even more magnification.

For more working distance, the Nikon 105mm f/2.8 AI-S lens instead of the 55mm is a good choice, used for under $300 if you shop around.

orrie smith Loc: Kansas

oldtigger wrote:

Used nikon D7100. $500

I think he said NOT a dslr

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

orrie smith wrote:

I think he said NOT a dslr

Is there an echo in here?

JPL

Thanks for all the advice. I have been looking around locally yesterday to see what is available and what I am most interested in is a Sony A5000 with kit lens that I can get in several places for around $330. Then I would add a cheap adapter, exstension tube and good old m42 lens I have around somewhere. Think I will test this setup on my A7r in crop mode and if that works well for macro it should give just as good results on the A5000.

What do you think about this idea? Anyone has a Sony A5000 that is used in manual mode with film camera manual lenses and focus peaking and focus magnifying to get good focus? Does it work well on the A5000? I was in 2 shops yesterday where they had this Sony kit. Unfortunately neither of them had charged batteries for the cameras so I could not check how the manual focus works on this camera.

JPL

I have been testing my theory on my Sony A7r. Had to use m39 lens and extension ring. Put a coin and a toothpick on a table, camera with adapter, extension ring and the old lens on the tripod. Little bit of correction and sharpening and cropping to Aps-c size in Lightroom and here are the results. I picked the toothpick as a main element in this picture because the gear will be used to photograph items that are about the size of a toothpick at the longer end (about 1"x2,5") so the toothpick was ideal to check the objects will fit in the frame. Here are the results. Would this be acceptable for a $350 setup or do you have better ideas for me?

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