We're a small retail consultancy firm in Dublin doing brochures of kitchen products and hardware products(e.g paint cans,cooking dishes) Recently we've decide to invest in a digital camera and don't know where to start. Our criteria is 1>that it should give print quality with a reasonable tonal range.A camera with automatic modes for the novice photographer would be preferable. 2>Compatibility with Macs is essential. 3>Speed is not an issue since the products aren't going anywhere. 4>A capacity of over 10-15pics per session,print quality 5>It should be under #1000 if possible,but we might invest more Any advice would be much appreciated.

-- Cian Walsh (cianwalsh@ireland.com), July 29, 1999

Answers

when you start talking print quality, your choices dwindle rapidly. are you thinking 8 X 10, or would smaller do? If you need optical zoom (sounds like it?), maybe an oly 2000? If you don't need optical zoom or best print quality you could get something way cheaper.

-- benoit (foo@bar.com), July 29, 1999.

I have used the Nikon CoolPix 950 for catalog work and it seemed fairly adequate. Capturing a 5.2 meg tiff I needed a 96 meg card ($320 American) to make 15 images per download. The damn card comes out the bottom of the camera so it must be dismounted from the tripod to access, bad ergonomics. KEH has them for $850, brick and mortar stores cost about $1000. The images were sorta blue, but correctible. The self timer is the only solution to a lack of cable activated shutter release, You'll want the AC adapter...t

-- tom meyer (jparady@mindspring.com), August 05, 1999.