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So I'm looking to sell some of my ever growing collection on ebay, but my current camera isn't able to focus when it gets too close, even in macro mode, which isn't ideal.

Does anybody have any recommendations for a budget camera that takes really good close-up pics?

Trying to take pics of unpainted metal minis is a real pain!

You don't actually need to get that close. You can also just stand back and zoom in and it works just as well for taking miniature pictures. Getting really really close actually brings its own challenges as the depth of field gets tiny so you can end up with the arm in focus but the rest of the model out of focus.

So depending on your current camera you might have all you need, you just need to use it slightly differently.



That said if you want a new camera honestly close up model photos are dead easy - the biggest aspect is having good lighting such as using a light-tent or light-box (search up those terms you'll find loads of guides on how to make your own out of little more than a cardboard box, white paper and a few desk lamps).
So in general most cameras will do a good job; certainly good enough to sell on ebay.

 Overread wrote:
You don't actually need to get that close. You can also just stand back and zoom in and it works just as well for taking miniature pictures. Getting really really close actually brings its own challenges as the depth of field gets tiny so you can end up with the arm in focus but the rest of the model out of focus.

So depending on your current camera you might have all you need, you just need to use it slightly differently.



That said if you want a new camera honestly close up model photos are dead easy - the biggest aspect is having good lighting such as using a light-tent or light-box (search up those terms you'll find loads of guides on how to make your own out of little more than a cardboard box, white paper and a few desk lamps).
So in general most cameras will do a good job; certainly good enough to sell on ebay.

With my old camera I was able to get up very close, and the results were great: a 28mm mini would fill the screen and show all of the tiny detail.

Sadly it broke, so I borrowed a Kodak pixpro from a friend. The lens is much larger than my old camera, I'm sure that it takes higher quality images but it struggles at close range. I'm wondering if the lens size is a key difference.

I've got a small home made lighbox made from a cardboard box and white sheets of paper, it sounds pretty bad but it's reasonably effective.

Lens size both is and isn't really a factor. It's not so much the size of the lens but how its used and what the sensor size is and what the optics behind the lens are doing.

It might just be you need to set it up for macro shots and then not get quite so close to the subject, take the shot and do any cropping required in editing.

Thanks Overread, I guess I'll have to do some more experimenting.

I have a 12 year old Sony Cyber Shot 12.1 mega pixel. It takes incredible photos with the built in Macro setting and they’re fairly inexpensive. A brand new one will typically run about $60-$70 you can buy used ones even cheaper. An updated 21 mpixel with be in the $100-$200 range. Really solid camera that’s pretty much idiot proof and takes stellar photos with miniatures.

I use a Nikon D3200 digital camera, it was around $500 when I bought it decade ago, now its about $100-200, very good quality for miniature photography.

EDIT: I also use a gradient paper as backdrop, 2x light sources on tripod in addition to the overtop light source in the room, another tripod for the camera; a photo adjustment software.

On Ali Express or Amazon you can buy a cheap led light box for less than 20 bucks. Works off a phone charger.

It's a game changer for getting good pics consistently, especially if you're going to be selling allot.