There are a couple tutorial sites... - EdAInWestOC 19:17:01 08/25/12 (0)
 RE: it's not just the camera or the lens or the tripod or the.... - user510 20:58:25 08/12/12 (1)
 RE: it's not just the camera or the lens or the tripod or the.... - addylo 05:53:48 08/13/12 (0)

...

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 There are a couple tutorial sites... - EdAInWestOC 19:17:01 08/25/12 (0)
 RE: it's not just the camera or the lens or the tripod or the.... - user510 20:58:25 08/12/12 (1)
 RE: it's not just the camera or the lens or the tripod or the.... - addylo 05:53:48 08/13/12 (0)
 RE: Canon 640A - amioutaline? 16:17:25 08/12/12 (0)
 RE: Closeups of cartridges and needles - Jraga 14:25:05 08/12/12 (0)
 Olympus ToughStylus - Supermacro - FezCo 11:16:19 08/12/12 (0)
 How close? - tketcham 05:55:12 08/12/12 (0)
 RE: Closeups of cartridges and needles - addylo 21:25:06 08/11/12 (24)
 RE: Closeups of cartridges and needles - John Elison 00:39:24 08/12/12 (21)
 Some helpful info, I hope - LWR 08:19:15 08/12/12 (2)
 RE: Some helpful info, I hope - John Elison 10:26:03 08/12/12 (1)
 Been a Nikon guy since the last ice age - LWR 10:48:54 08/12/12 (0)
 RE: Closeups of cartridges and needles - addylo 07:21:42 08/12/12 (17)
 So how much outlay needed for the photo you've posted? - kuma 10:45:24 08/12/12 (3)
 RE: So how much outlay needed for the photo you've posted? - addylo 13:22:16 08/12/12 (2)
 RE: A lot has changed in 40 years! - amioutaline? 16:31:29 08/12/12 (0)
 Thanks... - kuma 14:24:44 08/12/12 (0)
 RE: Closeups of cartridges and needles - John Elison 10:40:39 08/12/12 (10)
 RE: Closeups of cartridges and needles - addylo 11:51:05 08/12/12 (9)
 RE: Closeups of cartridges and needles - John Elison 14:38:02 08/12/12 (8)
 The prices at the Nikon site are 699 and 649 - LWR 14:59:09 08/12/12 (7)
 RE: The prices at the Nikon site are 699 and 649 - John Elison 15:37:20 08/12/12 (6)
 Ah so!! - LWR 17:04:59 08/12/12 (5)
 RE: Ah so!! - John Elison 16:52:05 08/13/12 (4)
 RE: Ah so!! - addylo 19:40:35 08/13/12 (3)
 RE: Ah so!! - John Elison 20:52:27 08/13/12 (2)
 As you bbegin to explore the possibilies - LWR 10:19:12 08/14/12 (1)
 RE: As you bbegin to explore the possibilies - addylo 12:27:52 08/14/12 (0)
 RE: Closeups of cartridges and needles - addylo 07:23:59 08/12/12 (1)
 Jeez, that looks like some sort of insect too! That's a FANTASTIC and beautiful shot!...N/T - musetap 11:06:24 08/12/12 (0)
 RE: Closeups of cartridges and needles - fishy 22:22:32 08/11/12 (0)
 That looks like some sort of insect...N/T - musetap 22:11:12 08/11/12 (0)
 I'm lucky - Story 20:27:49 08/11/12 (3)
 RE: I'm lucky - Tre' 08:33:55 08/12/12 (2)
 RE: I'm lucky - Story 09:35:37 08/12/12 (1)
 RE: I'm lucky - Tre' 17:41:30 08/12/12 (0)
 RE: Closeups of cartridges and needles - dirtyvinyl 20:26:32 08/11/12 (0)
 I use a Nikon D90 - cactuscowboy@bresnan.net 20:09:01 08/11/12 (0)
 Nikon Coolpix S6100 - Douger 19:11:10 08/11/12 (2)
 RE: Nikon Coolpix S6100 - gentlegiantfan 01:48:29 08/12/12 (1)
 RE: Nikon Coolpix S6100 - Douger 05:35:22 08/12/12 (0)
 RE: Closeups of cartridges and needles - addylo 19:06:07 08/11/12 (0)
 Canon G12 - fishy 17:14:16 08/11/12 (4)
  - - Canon G12 and Fuji X10 - - - AbeCollins 12:35:48 08/12/12 (3)
 RE: - - Canon G12 and Fuji X10 - - - sjg 08:59:59 08/13/12 (0)
 Fuji X-Pro 1 - fishy 17:15:38 08/12/12 (0)
 RE: - - Canon G12 and Fuji X10 - - - Jack D II 13:28:47 08/12/12 (0)
 Here is one - Penguin 16:25:41 08/11/12 (2)
 RE: Here is one - theophile 00:03:26 08/12/12 (1)
 well it is pink - Penguin 08:43:38 08/12/12 (0)

• http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-Deluxe-Handheld-Digital-Micr

Hello-

I would check out the Canon G12. It's at the upper end of your budget, but it is a solid metal bodied camera, with great ergonomics and menus. I have the predecessor, the G10 and it takes fantastic photos.

Dan

• Canon G12 at Amazon

What you need is a good macro lens. $300-400 would almost buy you a decent one. Then all you would need is a DSLR camera body to go with it. ;)

60 bucks of on sale casio that constantly gets dropped but manages decent pics

Nikon D80, Sigma 150/2.8 with 1.4x TC.

• Digital Photography Review Camera Search

A decent macro lens will cost you at least as much (and in most cases more) than the D3100 itself. Then you will also need a good quality tripod. And I'm not talking about a WallyWorld special. Decent tripods start around half the cost of the D3100 and go to sky's-the-limit. Both my macro lens (Sigma 150mm) and tripod (Gitzo GT2540 and RRS BH-40) each cost more than my D80 did new. But then I do many different types of photography.

IMHO folks jump into DSLRs for the wrong reasons. Most think by buying a "kit" lens (and always shooting in "auto") they will get better images than a point-and-shoot. They don't realize that the glass (and technique) are more important than the camera body. The truth is that many point-and-shoots on the market today can easily match an entry-level DSLR with a "kit" lens for more than half the cost.

(And don't get caught up in the "megapixels" game. More pixels does NOT equal better images. That's a marketing game.)

I'm not saying all this to discourage you, but you need to know what you're getting into. For the investment you are looking at you would probably want more justification than simply taking close-ups of your stylus. If extreme close-ups aren't important then I completely agree with Tom Ketcham's post in this thread. Spend some time on the site he mentioned (Digital Photography Review) and research the point-and-shoot and/or DSLR-like cameras.

But, of course, if extreme close-ups are your goal then by all means go for it! Macro photography can be lots of fun.

Another shot with the set-up I mentioned above.

http://www.adorama.com/alc/article/13038

http://bythom.com/qadmacro.htm

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/macro-lenses.htm

D3100 Vs D7000
http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon_D3100-vs-Nikon_D7000

http://www.digitalphotographywriter.com/2010/10/nikon-d3100-vs-nikon-d7000-which-camera.html

Tre'
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"

• http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/compound-eye/2012/03/12/

• http://www.nikonusa.com/Learn-And-Explore/Nikon-Camera-Techn

• Digital Review - Fuji X10

Macro lenses run anywhere from $300ish to $1,200+. The main factor is "reach" (i.e. how far away from the subject do you need/want to be?). A 60mm macro is great for coin photography but you'll want to pair it with a good set of running shoes to shoot that hornet's nest on the back porch. Most bugs and critters get real nervous if you get that close. 100mm+ is much better suited for most critters. As you would expect, the longer the reach the more the cost. My Sigma 150mm runs around $1k.

For general use there are several good choices. Tamron makes a very nice 90mm macro for around $500. Nikon's 105mm is a great lens. It runs around $900ish. I'm not too familiar with the Canon world so I'll let others speak to that.

(A cheap option to macro lenses are extension tubes. These run around $30 and simply fit between the camera body and the lens and increase the lenses inherent magnification. Don't expect the same level of image quality (or extreme mag) but they can be fun to play with.)

And, of course, you'll need the DSLR camera body. That's an entire subject unto itself but even the entry-level models are fine for macro when paired with the right lens. The entry-level DSLR price point is around $500.

And as I mentioned above a good quality tripod is critical for macro photography (actually for any type of photography). When working at such small scales even the least amount of vibration or movement is accentuated. When possible I even use a remote shutter release in order to reduce the vibration of my finger pressing the button. Decent quality consumer-level tripods generally start around the $200 price point. Carbon fiber legs (popular due to their exceptional stability and light weight) will start even higher. My Gitzo GT2540 ran around $600 new back in 2008. For a ballhead I chose the Really Right Stuff BH-40 (another $400).

Tripods are usually the biggest source of sticker shock to new photographers but they are one of the most important purchases you can make. Most folks play the "tripod ladder game" by starting with the cheapest available. When those prove unsatisfactory they go to the next step up, and so on. Take my advice and save yourself some money by starting with good quality legs to begin with.

Above is an photo example of my Soundsmith retip that was taken by a Supereyes USB scope then magnified by a software editor.

After much searching on the net, I found a recommendation for a good scope that was reasonably priced ($65 to $95). The suggestion came from Mike at Continuum Audio labs (Caliburn Turntable fame). He suggested a Supereyes B008 usb scope at 500x that comes with photo + measuring software. The latter is important as you want to make measurement of SRA to ensure you are in the ballpark. They use MB Ruler which is free on the net.

This scope is about the size of a Mount Blanc pen so it is easy to get up close to the stylus, unlike the Dino's which are quite large and bulkier. Put a clear disc of glass on your turntable platter and rest the stylus on it. Then illuminate the area with pen lights and leds. It is really hard to get the illumination right but you will learn a few tricks. Get a separate stand to manipulate the scope angle.

The link at the bottom shows the original photo that was magnified above.

• Supereyes Original Pic

• http://www.nikonusa.com/Nikon-Products/Digital-SLR-Cameras/i

A couple of months ago I bit the bullet and bought the Fuji X-Pro 1. It is an incredible camera. Slightly bigger than a point an shoot, but the image quality is incredible- APS-C size sensor, with no anti-aliasing filter. Tons of features. It is quite a camera.

• Fuji X-Pro 1 review

• lensmate accessories for bridge cameras

• Basic Macro Photography