Beginner Which camera for my "other" hobby?

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David M

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David Maddison
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Hi All - I am, unfortunately, totally ignorant of most things photography related. I do therefore need help to accomplish the following:-
I am dipping my toe into watch restoration. I have learnt that when a watch is dismantled its quite a task to put it back together again! What most people do is record the dismantling process via video.
And that where my lack of photographic knowledge really shows. I have an old Kodak Easy Share DX6490 with a 10x optical zoom so thought it might do the trick but alas I cannot seem to find a setting that produces an enlarged picture. I am hoping to get a video that records the dismantling process in close up, or magnified so I can refer to it and see which screws go where etc.
I also have a Panasonic DMC FZ5 but alas the battery is missing as is the charger. But seeing as a similar camera didnt seem suitable (The kodak) I'm reluctant to spend the money to get the Panasonic working if that also was a failure.
I'm therefore looking for advice on what camera I need to acquire to help me along. Again I'm looking at the second hand market as I cant afford to spend loads on a hobby that may not really materialize if I find that watch repair is not for me!!!
 
Hi as silly as it may seem and this ideas just come to mind without any serious thought into your question, how about a mobile phone on a stand /support in video mode?
 
Micro-four-thirds said:
Hi as silly as it may seem and this ideas just come to mind without any serious thought into your question, how about a mobile phone on a stand /support in video mode?
Click to expand...
That makes sense to me,
In financial terms, you probably already have a smartphone that can also shoot reasonable-quality video, In photographic terms, the tiny sensor size of a smartphone will produce far greater depth of field than a "real" camera.
 
In regard to a stand/support......

I surmise this would be overhead or at least angled to ensure your working area is the subject. Plus, you would need good even lighting over the work bench
 
Box Brownie said:
In regard to a stand/support......

I surmise this would be overhead or at least angled to ensure your working area is the subject. Plus, you would need good even lighting over the work bench
Click to expand...
That’s a good point the other issue might be shadows from the device be that camera or phone affecting the clarity.
 
I also think a phone( using an appropriate mount, possible gooseneck style) with a supplementary macro add on lens is the best solution. For super tiny work like with a watch, a macro probe lens can get right in there without interfering with your line of sight or blocking light.
 
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Thanks a lot for your suggestions re Mobile phone. I do have a Smart Phone and have a stand for it. I invested in a little bluetooth switch device that I used to take photos of each step but when you get engrossed its easy to miss a photo out but I havent considered the phone for taking a video. I assumed a phone video would be quite a small scale picture and I wouldnt really see the close up of the screws etc. When I played it back would I be able to enlarge it on my laptop??
Certainly worth giving it a go so I will indeed try using my phone for video.
Someone mentioned a light ring and I do have such a device which I bought in support of an electronic microscope. This does enlarge the watch and gives a pretty good image but the distance between the lens and the work area is insufficient to wield a screwdriver or tweezers, but its ideal for inspecting for damaged teeth or cracked jewels and anything else that can stop a movement
Once again many thanks. I'll concentrate on using the phone and try and achieve what I want without resorting to cameras.
 
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