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When purchasing items online on sites like eBay and Poshmark, buyers often want the view of the product from all sides.
The difference between a high-rated seller with a lot of sales and a seller with no sales is product photography. That’s what makes it necessary to click photos using only the best cameras for eBay and Poshmark Sellers.
In this article, we have with us, what we think are the best cameras for eBay pictures. Followed by this you will get a comprehensive guide of things to note down while click pictures as well as things to see in a camera while you make a purchase. Without delays, let’s get to the list.
Table of Contents
Best Cameras for eBay Pictures
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV : The best camera for ebay pictures
Canon is amongst the most widely used camera brand when It comes to full-frame commercial photography or any entry-level photography for that matter. When it comes to choosing the best camera for eBay, there’s nothing better than the EOS 5D Mark IV.
It is a full-frame camera that can produce high-quality videos as well as excellent image quality. Be it your studio, outdoors, or your house you are photographing your products at, the Mark IV will capture all the necessary details easily.
The Camera comes with a 30.4-megapixel shooting sensor. The edges are smooth and the design is very aesthetic. If you look at it closely, you’ll find that it resembles Nikon’s D850 in a lot of ways.
The downside here is that it is amongst the heaviest photographer cameras in this guide.
The reason this camera is so perfect for product photographs is that the Canon lens lineup is awesome and you get a lot of choices for capturing the eBay products you want to launch from all angles.
Since it is a full-frame DSLR, it features an OVF (Optical View Finder) which can provide magnification of as much as 0.71x.
For shooting products with models, you’ll be delighted. Thanks to the Eye and Face tracking mode which is very accurate in any lighting conditions. This will greatly help you when you have to retain focus when you press the shutter button (Especially when you have to click a lot of pictures in one go!).
This helps a lot because the models often move quite often and in a dynamic manner. The ISO levels range between 100-32,000 having an expanded range of up to 102,400. This ISO range is very good, especially for low light or even indoor studio photography.
Further, the video performance is great. It can shoot 4K videos at 30 fps and Full HD videos at 60 fps. For products, we recommend that you use Full HD videos only.
It is this sort of performance that clearly makes this camera one of the best cameras for eBay sellers.
Coming to the price, it is obviously one of the most important deciding factors. While the price is certainly high for beginners, it is an investment that can give you your winning product photos in almost no time.
So, overall, if you are willing to spend a decent amount, Canon 5D Mark IV is one of the toughest cameras to beat for product photography for Amazon, Etsy, eBay, and similar online shopping sites.
Canon PowerShot SX420 – For Beginners and Intermediate
If you are in the photography field for a long time, I am sure you would have come across this impressive bridge camera, the Canon PowerShot SX420.
It is a much better pick compared to regular smartphone cameras without raising your existing budget. With a great sensor size and a large optical zoom lens, you can get started in no time at all.
The 20 MP sensor comes at a 1/2.3 inch size and is great when it comes to daylight or good lighting conditions. However, you can see it struggling when the lighting is a bit dim. Also, the camera can’t shoot images in RAW, so that is something that you should know.
The camera also lacks 4K video recording capability but that is not something that is our top priority as 1080p videos are more than enough to provide an amazing online shopping experience.
You get all sorts of necessary connectivity options such as WiFi. The camera performance is decent, and the camera can capture 2 frames/second in burst shooting mode. The camera overall is also very easy to learn and understand and you won’t have to spend a lot of time mastering the controls.
The battery life is mediocre, coming in at about 200 shots for full battery life, but it is good enough for the price you are paying. Overall, it is one of the most affordable and budget-friendly cameras under the $300 price tag and it is definitely a purchase that you won’t regret at all.
Panasonic LUMIX DC-ZS70K: Best Cameras for eBay Sellers
The Lumix DC-ZS70 is a very compact-shaped camera with up to 30x zoom and a 24-720mm equivalent lens. It uses the 20.3MP BSI CMOS sensor which is bunched together with the Venus Engine, which has a much more improved Depth-from-defocus AF tech along with support for 4K video recording.
To facilitate easy sharing of your data, you also get support for Wifi. The display is a 0.2” touch screen display which is average at best. The expansive zoom range helps you to shoot macro product shots and the touch screen helps you to easily control what you want.
The low light performance is average, although it can capture very good 4K quality videos. The performance in good light conditions is impressive. However, you may find the viewfinder performance somewhat mediocre.
For product photography and basic use, a point and shoot are more than enough. With a tilting screen, you can also use various purposes such as vlogging.
Canon EOS Rebel T6
On number 4, we have the Canon EOS Rebel T6 as an entry. It is a very famous and widely used entry-level camera, the EOS Rebel T6 from canon.
Many beginners find it a good camera, because of the value and ease of use it delivers. It is the price and the various functions, which make this Canon pick one of the best cameras for eBay sellers.
The design is a simple and straightforward polycarbonate chassis. The form factor is small and the camera weighs under 500 grams making it a lightweight DSLR camera. The textured coating and the thumb rest provide a good holding position and you feel pretty comfortable while clicking pictures.
The controls are super easy to understand and you will get used to the camera in no time at all. The sensor is an 18 MP APS-C CMOS sensor which is good for product photography and basically for entering into various photography niches. It features a DIGIC 4+ image processor which does a good job of processing images. It also has a built-in-low-pass filter which is an add-on in itself. The ISO range is average covering 100 to 6400. For battery life, it covers up to 500 shots in a single charge, making it a value pick, for the budget.
Sony RX100
Sony is something we can’t ignore when it comes to cameras. The same is the case with the Sony RX100. It is a very famous camera and is used by a lot of photographers as a backup to fall upon, owing to its compactness and lightweight.
From the price to performance, you are getting a really good budget camera at a bargain price. It has a 3.6x Optical Zoom lens that can be hidden, as it tucks inside the body of the camera. The surprising factor here is the 1-inch Exmor CMOS sensor with a 20.2MP clarity. Sony has done a good job in placing a big sensor in such a small form factor.
The camera weighs just under 250 grams and feels pretty small and easy to handle. The controls are easy to understand and the body is built of high-quality materials that are sure to last.
The Lens is stable as well and comes with Sony’s very own Steady-Shot image stabilization technology. For a single full charge, you can capture up to 330 photos, which in my honest opinion is enough for a single product shoot for an eBay business.
Nikon D5300
Lastly, Nikon is also a big brand and something this list can’t end without. Coming onto one of the most famous D5300 cameras from Nikon. It is a full-sized DSLR that is somewhat lightweight and small.
The beginners and enthusiasts have a great demand for this camera in 2021, even though this camera was released back in 2016. The Nikon D5300 is very simple and easy to understand and the grip and the form factor are pretty ergonomic as well. The weight knocks just under 500 grams.
The D5300 sports a 24.1 MP DX-format CMOS sensor without OLPF. You also get the impressive Expeed 4 image processor that does a good job of providing the details your photos deserve. The display is small but detailed and gives a fair idea of the images you capture.
The ISO range is between 100 to 12800 which is good in our opinion. You also get a 39 point Autofocus system which is impressive in itself. For battery life, you can capture 600 images in a go, which is more than enough even for multiple product shoots.
Other things that matter as well…
Setup
Easier said than done, but having a proper setup is very essential to take great pictures.
Why?
Because it’s seen time and again that even an 8MP camera can beat a super costly DSLR, only because of the setup.
Now the question that arises is, what all would you need?
To take good pictures, you need only 2 things to be taken care of:
- Light,
- and background.
Most of the victory lies here.
Light
Now, if you are on a budget, don’t worry, the Sun’s natural light is the best light you can get.
Then What’s the problem?
You are dependent on the weather for your photos. To be serious about selling stuff, you can’t really afford to waste any time.
Wasting days just because of a missed yellow light, or waiting for the right light, is a bad idea. Instead, it is a much better idea to get a Softbox lighting kit.
The one that we recommend is..
If you want something under a budget but what gets the job done, you can go for….
Remember: You don’t need an expensive light kit, you just have to provide the right color of light that can really showcase your products.
For small products, you don’t need a lot of space. For this, you can save a ton of space and money by opting for an all-in-one softbox. Thus, by ensuring both lighting and background perfect, you can really
If your products are somewhat small and neat items that don’t require a lot of space, you can save a ton and just opt for an all-in-one softbox. This will ensure that both the lighting and background stand. As an eBay seller, you will really benefit from product pictures, if you sell items of a really limited size.
For hard or messy good, you can get additional quantities, so you’re never left back.
The type of light also matters though. For the most part, you can settle for a flat white or golden sunset kind of light. Remember, don’t pick those yellow light bulbs from commercials, they aren’t the right pick.
Always pick fluorescent lights and consider turning off your bulbs. You can also use a light kit for the best results. You can also use any online tools to remove background from your products if they aren’t bright enough.
Background
To make your photographs look high-end professional, you can use a soft matte finish white background.
Why?
Well, it helps to reduce the unnecessary noise of the background and get the colors right of your products.
You can also use a simple white background paper that is hung on the wall.
To cover for full shots that include the floor too, you can pull it down.
Alternatively, you can also cover the same paper over a table for a separate angle.
You can also opt for a white poster paper or a professional backdrop paper.
Color/Texture
You might have come across instances where a particular t-shirt just gets a different glow when you wear it with a specific jeans.
Well, that’s because of the colors and/or texture. This technique often pops out the colors, especially when your product is something that has a single color. Without this, you may often fail to capture the color with the accuracy that it deserves. It is due this reason that shells are often used to give a pop to the colors of jewelry to give it a splendid look.
If you think out of the box, you can also add backgrounds to your photos during the editing phase. You can use shiny items, dull items, wood grains, try high reds or low yellows…ultimately it boils down to experience and experimenting.
Lots of Pictures
Often, we hear that we should not overdo pictures, particularly on sales pages. But that does not mean that you should not click pictures. For any angle take at least 2-5 pictures to protect yourself from the worry of the picture turning out to be blurry later on.
This will help you, particularly when spending time setting up your desired product look. Taking up extra pictures in the same shot would ensure that you won’t have to redo the setup just because of a single shot that turned out to be blurry.
Don’t rely on the camera’s display colors
The displays on the camera are often not the best in terms of displaying colors, so don’t feel bad if the colors don’t look the way you wanted them to. Often it is the display. If sometimes things go wrong, you can improve them during the editing phase.
Have Extra Batteries
Always keep some extra batteries because once you start clicking pictures, you often end up reaching your battery limits. This had happened with me once and trust me, it is the worst when you have time to take pictures, but your battery gave up on you.
Things to look for in a camera for eBay sellers
Do lookout for these things as these are what make up for the best camera for eBay sellers. Check out that your camera hits most of this and you are good to go.
Sensor
Get a good sensor size because this is what ultimately decides the quality of your images. For eBay, make sure that your images are at least of 8 megapixels, as eBay often tends to downscale your images for faster landing page load speeds.
Lens
When starting, I won’t really suggest you get any lenses. But as you start progressing, get a quality lens kit for your DSLR or your mirrorless camera. Try to stay away from cheap quality plastic lenses. Also, it is worth remembering that lenses carry a certain weight, so decide accordingly.
Zoom
For close up or products that require detailed magnification, you would need zoom.
Breaking down zoom, it is of 2 types: Optical Zoom and Digitial zoom.
For eBay Products, Optical zoom is a better pick. While for a very low amount of zoom, you can also get away with digital zoom, but it’s not recommended as it uses software to compensate for the zoom, leading to depleted image quality. Thus, always opt for the highest-powered optical zoom.
Optical zoom is the true zoom capability of the lens without distorting the image quality. This results in much better picture quality overall.
Ease of use and Convenience
Factors such as ease of handling and weight matter a lot when you are starting. Thus, a camera must be easy to use and not at all difficult to hold or handle.
When starting try to opt for a lightweight camera as it can be easily handled by novice people trying to learn. For your room or workspace, make sure that your camera can be easily tilted and you are ready to click pictures with any angle.
Also, make sure that the grip is very comfortable as you’ll be using it for at least 2-3hours in a go. Thus, convenience is a must.
Battery life
Battery life is one of the key aspects when choosing the best camera for your eBay selling business. You need a camera with long battery life. The longer your camera’s battery life, the more work you can get done at once. I also recommend putting spare batteries in your camera bag just in case, as we discussed above. Also, make sure that the charger you pick is of high quality and can last for a good time.
Advanced Features that you should know for ebay product photography:
- Macro Settings: These settings help when you dealing with very small objects. For detailed photography such as precious coins, stamps, or jewelry, these settings are a must-know. Check out this thread on StackExchange to know more.
- White Balance settings: It also a very handy feature to have in a camera. If your camera has a manual mode, you’ll have white balance settings on it. Adjusting them according to your needs will help you get a much better picture of your product.
- Autofocus: Autofocus is not necessary an advanced/a necessary feature but is certainly beneficial. A powerful AF system on your camera will ensure faster focus speeds while clicking products.
- Removable Media/Memory card: Invest in good removable media is often a good idea as it is much safer and faster for transferring pictures compared to the traditional USB cables. This will ensure a longer shelf life for your camera and much better performance overall.
Conclusion
By now I guess you would have a fair idea to buy a good camera for yourself. Getting a good camera will ensure that you get your job done faster and in the best possible manner.
Try to avoid cheaper models but also don’t go as high as $5000. The ones we discussed are the best cameras in the market for eBay, Etsy or even Poshmark.
Even if you are an online seller or starting your journey, having a good camera gives you an edge over the competition. As you grow big, you’ll start taking about 200-300 pictures in a day. That’s when you’ll realize the return on your investment.
Just check in all the points we discussed above and any camera that you pick will be good for purpose of selling online. Also, check out the product photography tips that we shared above. For any doubts, feel free to contact us.
