Need camera to photograph white boards and electronic circuits

I need to procure a digital camera to use for our work, the main
subjects will be white boards photographed after technical meetings
and a suite of electronics that we are developing. We essentially
want to keep a photo journal (web-based). The downside of our
attempts with low-end digital cameras has been the reflection from the
flash; I need to use the flash to keep the shutterspeed minimal for a
steady image and my only solution thus far has been to angle the
camera shots.

It seems like this issue is solved in some high end (Leica) cameras
which have a "bounce flash", it's also solved by unweildy external
flash units, neither seems to me the right purchase. Can you
recommend a better solution, in a price range that will not aggravate
company financial folks?

On Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:19:51 -0700, raymond wrote:

> I need to procure a digital camera to use for our work, the main
> subjects will be white boards photographed after technical meetings and
> a suite of electronics that we are developing. We essentially want to
> keep a photo journal (web-based). The downside of our attempts with
> low-end digital cameras has been the reflection from the flash; I need
> to use the flash to keep the shutterspeed minimal for a steady image and
> my only solution thus far has been to angle the camera shots.

Have you ever heard of a 'tripod'? They do wonderful things for stability.

>
> It seems like this issue is solved in some high end (Leica) cameras
> which have a "bounce flash", it's also solved by unweildy external flash
> units, neither seems to me the right purchase. Can you recommend a
> better solution, in a price range that will not aggravate company
> financial folks?

raymond wrote:
> I need to procure a digital camera to use for our work, the main
> subjects will be white boards photographed after technical meetings
> and a suite of electronics that we are developing. We essentially
> want to keep a photo journal (web-based). The downside of our
> attempts with low-end digital cameras has been the reflection from the
> flash; I need to use the flash to keep the shutterspeed minimal for a
> steady image and my only solution thus far has been to angle the
> camera shots.
>
> It seems like this issue is solved in some high end (Leica) cameras
> which have a "bounce flash", it's also solved by unweildy external
> flash units, neither seems to me the right purchase. Can you
> recommend a better solution, in a price range that will not aggravate
> company financial folks?

Use a small tripod, and longer exposures so you don't need a flash.

$20.

--
Bertrand

In article
<35110240-e201-46cc-ad35-ecbeb91e9d78@l42g2000hsc.googlegroups.com>,
raymond <raymondsgroupmail@gmail.com> wrote:

> I need to use the flash to keep the shutterspeed minimal for a
> steady image

Raymond-

Even a bounce flash can have reflections off of a shiny white board.

Many cameras have sufficient sensitivity to take such pictures in normal
lighting, with little or no camera shake evident. Digital film is
cheap, so take multiple pictures.

Consider purchase of a tripod to hold the camera perfectly still. Some
models can be set up on a table top without fully extending the legs.

An entry level DSLR may be more expensive than your financial folks
would like, but will give the impression you know what you are doing.
Start out by asking for good equipment. They may not hesitate to say
yes.

I take it your small company does not have a photographic department.
If you (and the company) are successful, you could end up heading that
new department!

Fred

"raymond" <raymondsgroupmail@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:35110240-e201-46cc-ad35-ecbeb91e9d78@l42g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
>I need to procure a digital camera to use for our work, the main
> subjects will be white boards photographed after technical meetings
> and a suite of electronics that we are developing. We essentially
> want to keep a photo journal (web-based). The downside of our
> attempts with low-end digital cameras has been the reflection from the
> flash; I need to use the flash to keep the shutterspeed minimal for a
> steady image and my only solution thus far has been to angle the
> camera shots.
>
> It seems like this issue is solved in some high end (Leica) cameras
> which have a "bounce flash", it's also solved by unweildy external
> flash units, neither seems to me the right purchase. Can you
> recommend a better solution, in a price range that will not aggravate
> company financial folks?

Move a foot or so to either side instead of shooting head on. No-cost
solution. Or use a tripod and shoot head-on without flash.

"raymond" <raymondsgroupmail@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:35110240-e201-46cc-ad35-ecbeb91e9d78@l42g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
> I need to procure a digital camera to use for our work, the main
> subjects will be white boards photographed after technical meetings
> and a suite of electronics that we are developing. We essentially
> want to keep a photo journal (web-based). The downside of our
> attempts with low-end digital cameras has been the reflection from the
> flash; I need to use the flash to keep the shutterspeed minimal for a
> steady image

With sufficient lighting for the people at your meeetings to see the
white boards you shouldn't need to use flash. Nor should you need to
use such a slow shutter speed that a tripod is an absolute necessity.
As the white boards can be placed at any angle you need simply
lean against a wall with the board ideally facing a window while
taking the photographs. Although learning the correct posture (for you)
to take shake free photographs at relatively slow speeds is a useful skill
to develop. In addition most digital cameras incorporate shake reduction
in any case.

If you're only photographing for the web, then some relatively inexpensive
bridge cameras (Lumix etc) when used with a tabletop tripod can produce quite
impressive macro and close-up shots - however defined . Of electronic
components or anything else. This is simply an unintended consequence of
the relative focal length and sensor size, or something like that. The
only real trick is getting the lighting right.


michael adams

....



> d my only solution thus far has been to angle the
> camera shots.
>
> It seems like this issue is solved in some high end (Leica) cameras
> which have a "bounce flash", it's also solved by unweildy external
> flash units, neither seems to me the right purchase. Can you
> recommend a better solution, in a price range that will not aggravate
> company financial folks?

"Paul" <pkmueller@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:erOck.12094$89.1731@nlpi069.nbdc.sbc.com...
> ...
> Move a foot or so to either side instead of shooting head on. No-cost
> solution. Or use a tripod and shoot head-on without flash.

Exactly right I believe. If you don't care about some distortion
and only want a readable image, shoot from off center.

If you need something that looks better, use a tripod.

You may also benefit from a camera with an adjustable white
balance. The flourescent lights in business meeting rooms
can give a green tint to the white board if you aren't using
flash. Experiment to get the right setting.

Alan

"raymond" <raymondsgroupmail@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:35110240-e201-46cc-ad35-ecbeb91e9d78@l42g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
>I need to procure a digital camera to use for our work, the main
> subjects will be white boards photographed after technical meetings
> and a suite of electronics that we are developing. We essentially
> want to keep a photo journal (web-based). The downside of our
> attempts with low-end digital cameras has been the reflection from the
> flash; I need to use the flash to keep the shutterspeed minimal for a
> steady image and my only solution thus far has been to angle the
> camera shots.
>
> It seems like this issue is solved in some high end (Leica) cameras
> which have a "bounce flash", it's also solved by unweildy external
> flash units, neither seems to me the right purchase. Can you
> recommend a better solution, in a price range that will not aggravate
> company financial folks?

Try "electronic whiteboards" in google and you will never want to use a
camera.

John G.

On Tue, 8 Jul 2008, Fred McKenzie wrote:

> Many cameras have sufficient sensitivity to take such pictures in normal
> lighting, with little or no camera shake evident. Digital film is
> cheap, so take multiple pictures.
>
I'm really still at the playing level with digital cameras, but I have
been quite surprised how little light can turn up a decent picture. The
LCD shows pretty much darkness, yet when the photo is taken, an image
is revealed.

That's not even the case here, since there is light enough for people.
I think too many people expect to need a flash, so they never look
further. I've turned mine off because a lot of the things I might want
to photograph, the flash will be distracting. And once I did that, then
I start to learn what can be done without the flash.

I'm not saying the flash is completely unnecessary, just that for a lot
of things indoors with reasonable light the flash serves little purpose.

And once again, the neat thing about digital cameras is that there's no
film. So you see the results instantaneously, and if the image is bad,
you can try again immediately. No waiting while the film develops. And
since there is no film, it costs nothing to take a bunch of photos just
in case, and then select the best later.

Michael

"John G" <green@ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
news:487412b7$0$7180$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
>
> "raymond" <raymondsgroupmail@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:35110240-e201-46cc-ad35-ecbeb91e9d78@l42g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
>>I need to procure a digital camera to use for our work, the main
>> subjects will be white boards photographed after technical meetings
>> and a suite of electronics that we are developing. We essentially
>> want to keep a photo journal (web-based). The downside of our
>> attempts with low-end digital cameras has been the reflection from the
>> flash; I need to use the flash to keep the shutterspeed minimal for a
>> steady image and my only solution thus far has been to angle the
>> camera shots.
>>
>> It seems like this issue is solved in some high end (Leica) cameras
>> which have a "bounce flash", it's also solved by unweildy external
>> flash units, neither seems to me the right purchase. Can you
>> recommend a better solution, in a price range that will not aggravate
>> company financial folks?
>
> Try "electronic whiteboards" in google and you will never want to use a
> camera.
>
> John G.


I agree with you John. We had an older electronic whiteboard at the company
where I just retired. It was a Godsend when developers and sales and
marketing people had meetings.

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