# Nikon Coolpix 4600: Am I wasting my time?



## redfishsc (Jul 20, 2008)

When I take ANY pic with this camera, it looks GREAT..


EXCEPT when I'm taking pics of pens. 

At the moment I do not have a photo tent and didn't think I really needed one since I am a penturner and not a photographer. 


Anyhow, it's always hit or miss. One day I will be able to take the most awesome pics, the next day I do what seems to be the EXACT same thing and they come out fuzzy as heck. 

I normally keep the flash turned off since it terribly imbalances the blues, and on this camera, the shudder stays open a lot longer with the flash off. I USE a tripod. 

I've tried it with the close-up option ON and OFF, doesn't seem to effect anything.

When the photo comes out fuzzy, it saves it in the memory. When the pic comes out almost just right, it says "photo is fuzzy... save it?". I don't get it. 


This is a rant in some ways, but I'm looking for folks that use this, or similar Coolpix models, too see if they can REPEATEDLY, CONSISTENTLY get good photos. 

That being said, what digital camera can take good closeups?


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## btboone (Jul 20, 2008)

I use a Coolpix.  I have it on a photographic dome, so I don't change things around.  I use macro mode and keep the part around 10" or so from the camera.  Sometimes it wants to focus on something other than what I want, so I move the camera to get some other part that it will focus on.  It works great for my small rings.  My photo dome only can do pens laying on their side, and it is pushing the size constraints of the system.


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## redfishsc (Jul 20, 2008)

BRUCE!

Man, good to see you--- have you been away for a while or am I just showing how unobservant I am? 

When you say photo dome, is that the same as a photo tent? 

I've gotten some great pics off this camera. But man, today wasn't one of them. Beats me, but glad to hear that you are getting good results from it.


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## btboone (Jul 20, 2008)

Hi Redfishsc!  I've been slammed with rings lately, so I've been reading but not posting as much lately.  The photo dome I have is the one seen here:  
http://www.haskojewelers.com/id19.htm

I found a link to a post I did in a jewelry forum where someone else was asking about it.  Here is a link to that: http://www.pricescope.com/idealbb/view.asp?topicID=15920


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## bgray (Jul 20, 2008)

I use a Coolpix 5600.

Read your manual thoroughly.  I didn't realize a lot of the possibilities until I started delving into the manual.  And my manual is well written for the photo newb (me).


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