Hey Guys and Gals. I'm new to MOC building and have quickly realised I don't have the kit to photograph my stuff well enough.

As an outsider coming in it's very interesting to see how important good photography is too getting people to appreciate what you've done. It's something that I just didn't realise would be so integral to sharing our creations ( I realise now just how dumb that is).

I'm loathe to upload pictures when I've seen how harsh the criticism is (of what looks to me like good pieces) because the image captured is badly lit or not from a decent camera. All I have is my ipad camera. I'm interested to know what camera's and light rigs you guys use, and If you can recommend a reasonably inexpensive but nice camera I could look at getting. My budget is around150-200 sterling - maybe $300 next payday (which is tomorrow). The brick buying is going to take a serious hit this month but it has to be done!

I'm itching to show off my new A-TEAM (with Forge goodies!) but don't want to do it badly. I know the theme isn't orginal but when I'm done working on the Van aswell I think I can make a really good MOC.


Apologies if this has been covered somewhere else. This would really help me out!

I use a Kodak EasyShare Z612 and sometimes an LED flashlight, other than that I don't really have a setup. I think my pictures turn out pretty good.

I don't really know my cameras, so I can't point you in the right direction there. I used a simple and cheap Kodak Easyshare C813 Zoom and that worked well enough for me. However, some other tips:

A while ago, I made a box (Missing a top and front) out of some old shelving, painted it all white, and mounted a lamp above it. Simple lightbox. Place the piece in there, turn on the light, and it'll help prevent them being dark. Example. Another option I've seen lots of people do is just use a piece of paper.

Something else to remember is the macro function. Usually a little flower icon. If you can figure out the distance, that function picks up detail really well and helps avoid blurriness. Also make sure the focus is on your object.


You definitely don't have to worry about that here. We're a very constructive group, we won't bash you because your picture is bad, we'll just try and help you make it better.

Biohazard covered the basics. As for camera type, the 2 or 3 I have used in the past did the job fine and were all under $150 (I think the latest one was on sale though). The 2 we currently use are a Canon Power Shot A1100 IS and a Kodak M863. Both may be discontinued at this point, since it's been a few years. The best thing about digital cameras is that you can take a few shots just in case something is blurry, out of focus, etc. White backgrounds tend to work the best, and I've had the most success with sunlight. Others manage to make great use out of light boxes (which Biohazard mentioned and I have yet to try). The Macro Function is an awesome feature. As for harsh criticism, that's usually reserved for the 13 to 16 yr old group on Flickr that like to pretend they know how it's done. Best advice is to take a few shots of the exact same thing and then preview them once in the screen on the camera and again on your computer before uploading. If something is too blurry, has really bad lighting, etc, try again. I've found my photos never really quite do my Moc's the justice they deserve.

I have a Canon Powershot that's been discontinued, but they're a good brand and you can get them for around $60 on sale. Make sure you use the macro mode and play with the settings in manual mode to get the best results.

Thanks guys -pay day tomorrow! Hope to upload some pics soon!