Hi Richard,
I have recently spent a month learning to use my new digital camera
and the software I needed to create a catalog with the pictures I
took. I am a gem carver and needed a camera that would take good,
close-up photos of gems as small as 2-3 cts. or as large as 50 cts.
The learning curve for both the camera and the software was steep. I
had quite a few experienced people to call on in times of ultimate
frustration and I still wanted to beat my head against the computer
from time to time.
However, the results were worth it. I have long wanted to be able to
mail a current catalog of custom, one-of-a-kind gems to my customers,
and now finally I have a way to do that. This would have been
impossible for me with an SLR camera and normal printing methods.
With the digital camera I was able to take the photos, print, and
mail 400 copies myself. And since I now have a template for producing
the catalog, I will be able to produce several a year. Hopefully this
year I will also get a web page started.
If you want to send pictures to magazines for publication I would
stick with an SLR. But if you want to document your work, or
communicate with customers, I think you would be very happy with a
digital camera.
I purchased an Olympus C-3000 zoom for $800. I needed an additional
adapter tube and some magnifying lenses which cost another $50. This
was cheaper that the top-of- the-line Olympus which cost $1200 and
gets the same results. I like the Olympus. Like anything else you
have to take the time to learn how to use it, but it has produced
pictures my customers can easily respond to.
One thing I really love about the digital camera is that you can see
immediately if you like the picture. No waiting for developing and
wondering if you have to do the whole photo-taking process over
again. Take the photo, look at it, make a decision. It makes the
whole process easier. I will now be able to document every gem I cut.
I have never been able to do that before.
What do you want to do with a digital camera? This is the most
important question. The answer will tell you whether or not the
investment in time and money is worth it.
If anyone would like to see my catalog, please e-mail me your (snail
mail) address. Hopefully by this time next year I will have a web
page, but at the moment I must rely on the mail. One step at a time.
Sherris Cottier Shank Gemscapes gemscapes@aol.com
