Top 6 cameras for macro photography

You may have come across the term macro photography and though this type of photography can be understood in a variety of ways, the most common notion associated with it is shooting close-up images of different objects. In this type of shooting, you can also expect to get the best amount of detail of the object in focus and a shallow depth of field of the background that can make some truly artistic shots. Shallow depth of field is not the only advantage of macro shots, in this mode, you will also find a lot of detail in the image which is basically the essence of any photograph. 

Aperture is important for good macro shots and is denoted by F-stops that can be also categorised as focal ratio or F-number. For macro shots, most compact cameras come with a dedicated macro mode in which, the aperture value found on them is usually F/ 3.2. However, to achieve a better macro shot, you would require a camera with a wide aperture value of say F/ 3.0 or wider.  Most point and shoot cameras with a wider aperture value are priced a lot more in comparison to standard digital compact cameras and allows you to shoot objects as close as up to 2cm. This close distance is essential for macro photography.

While DSLRs are the best option for macro photography, here’s a round-up of point and shoots that come very close to a DSLR in terms of quality and accuracy.

Samsung EX2F
Rs30,000
Sensor - 12.4 megapixel 1/ 1.7-inch BSI CMOS Lens – F/ 1.4
Optical zoom – 3.3x
Display – 3.3-inch Swivel AMOLED Display
ISO – 80 - 3200 (Extendable up to 12800)
Video – Full HD 1080p at 30fps

Canon PowerShot S100
Rs26,200
Sensor – 12.1 megapxel 1/ 1.7-inch
CMOS Lens – F/ 2.0
Optical zoom – 5x
Display – 3.0-inch LCD Display
ISO – 80 - 6400
Video – Full HD 1080p at 24fps

Nikon Coolpix P7100
Rs19,980
Sensor – 10.1megapxel 1/ 1.7-inch
CMOS Lens – F/ 2.8
Optical zoom – 7.1x
Display – 3.0-inch Vari-Angle LCD Display
ISO – 100 - 3200
Video – HD 720p at 24fps

Olympus XZ-1
Rs21,000
Sensor – 10 Megapixel 1/ 1.63-inch CCD
Lens – F/ 1.8
Optical Zoom – 4x
Display – 3.0-inch OLED Display
ISO – 100 - 6400
Video – HD 720p at 30fps

Fujifilm X10
Rs38,399
Sensor – 12.0 Megapixel 2/3-inch EXR CMOS Lens – F/ 2.0
Optical zoom – 4x
Display – 2.8-inch LCD monitor
ISO – 100 – 3200 (Expandable up to 12800)
Video – Full HD 1080p

Sony Cyber-shot RX100
Rs35,500
Sensor - 20.2 megapixel 1-inch Exmor CMOS Lens – F/1.8
Optical zoom – 3.6x
Display – 3-inch LCD Display
ISO – 125 – 6400 (Expandable up to 25600)
Video – Full HD 1080p