$400 Camera for Item Documentation?

[WillyGoat]

Hello, I have never bought a camera before, and my experience with cameras only goes as deep as using my phone camera, and using other people's cameras to take family vacation pictures for them.
I'm looking to buy a camera in the $400 range for item documentation ranging from large furniture and vehicles to small jewelry and figurines.
I want to be able to capture sharp, color and lighting accurate, high quality images.
Compatibility and versatility are a priority.
Compactness is not a concern, so long as it can be operated in-hand.

 

[KmH]

I want to be able to capture sharp, color and lighting accurate, high quality images.
Compatibility and versatility are a priority.

Pretty much any camera can do that. What's really needed is photographer skill, knowledge, the right lens(s), and the right lighting set up for each type of photos.

Put another way, doing consistent high quality photography is more about the photographer than the camera gear used.

 

[astroNikon]

I think the camera won't be much of an issue but when you mention lighting accuracy you open a can of worms in lighting equipment and experience.

At that price you will just be buying a camera, and no lighting equipment. This means you will only be using ambient light (sunshine outdoors) or general available lights inside (hopefully not the popup flash). You'll have to position figurines and such appropriately and learn white balance and other techniques. Plus, there hasn't even been the mention of post processing which is possibly an additional cost (there is free software for it.).

At that price you are also just underneath a DLSR, such as a bridge camera such as a Nikon P530 or P7100. Of course there are refurbished used cameras in that price range too.

For "Item Documentation" I think you may mean just, as example, photographing for insurance purposes. In which case, you may be fine for what you want to spend and the level of quality. But if you want to take photos to sell items such, as example, on Targets website for product photography then there's alot more to it with lighting and backgrounds, etc. versus just quick snapshots to sell something on eBay.

If you have examples - some website doing the same type of photography then more people can identify what /how is being used.

 

[KmH]

as example, photographing for insurance purposes.

Any decent cell phone camera can do that kind of photography.