What’s the first thing you notice when flicking through the glossy pages of your favorite fashion magazine?
For us it has to be the high quality, beautiful full page images. 93% of consumers consider images essential when considering what to buy, and with more and more products coming on the market all the time, it’s becoming harder and more essential to grab people’s attention before competitors do.
Jewelry photography is a notoriously difficult process with all those gemstones and diamonds reflecting light every which way, the pieces being exceptionally small, and the vibrant colored stones not showing up well in the photos.
A breathtaking emerald stone can look like a muddy mess in pictures when the components react to the chromium in the film. This creates frustration in photographers and causes many of them to abandon the art of jewelry photography.
To grasp the true beauty of jewelry, you’ll need a camera to meet the very essential features, which we’ll discuss in this article. You can get beautiful shots with lots of different cameras as long as you know what results you’re going for.
A clear picture of the end result in your head is essential when choosing a camera, so you can pick the best one according to your personal preferences. It’s a long process, so let’s dive in.
In a hurry? This is our winner!
- A DSLR that's as easy to use as a point and shoot camera
- Compact, comfortable design that's great for travel and special events
- Image sensor that's 15x larger than those used in typical smartphones for sharper, clearer pictures
- Works with Nikon’s snap bridge app for sharing photos with a compatible smartphone or tablet
- 1080p full hd videos with monaural sound at the touch of a button. Bluetooth version 4.1
Jewelry is a beautiful and expensive garment that can really make someone fall in love with an object.
If you’re advertising your jewelry, you’ll want a camera that accentuates every detail of the piece and make the consumers fall in love and simply have to have it, which is what our top pick does.
We have chosen the Nikon D3500 as our favorite camera for photographing jewelry because:
- Incredibly large image sensors to capture every minute detail.
- The model is lightweight, making it great for transportation and on the go photoshoots.
- High quality and the trusted brand indicates the power of this camera.
Best Cameras for Photographing Jewelery – Comparison Table
Best Cameras for Photographing Jewelery – Reviews
Nikon D3500 W/ AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR Black
The Nikon D3500 is wonderfully easy to use and perfect for beginner and professional photographers alike. While you can use this as a simple point and shoot camera, it’s also able to take great DSLR photos that are sure to catch the viewer's eye.
The controls are strategically placed to be exactly where you want and need them to be. The camera isn’t too bulky either, so you’re not having to reach around to adjust the lens or press the different buttons. With a function that can take up to five images per second at full resolution and tack-sharp focus, you can get the shot in a matter of minutes.
The D3500 includes an image sensor that is around 15 times larger than the image sensor in a smartphone, meaning the photos will be much clearer and richer in detail. Inside every DSLR there is a specialized computer that fine-tunes the settings for each shot.
Nikon’s Expeed image processing system helps this camera take perfectly vibrant photos in any condition. These two beneficial features will help jewellery photographers to get the perfect shot in a shorter amount of time.
For shooting jewellery shots you need a camera that can capture the intricate details in full focus so the star of the show doesn’t appear blurry.
The D3500s controls make it easy to fine-tune each shot and really make the colors pop, making this a popular choice for one of the best cameras for jewellery photography.
- Easy to use by both beginners and professionals
- Great price point for great quality
- Lightweight and compact for comfort
- Less functionality than other models on this list
- Doesn’t come with a memory card
The EOS Rebel T7i camera boasts professional features whilst being easy to use and highly customizable so you can use it how you need. The 45-point all cross-type optical viewfinder AF system lets your imagination run wild and creates beautiful images you can’t help but admire.
With super fast auto focus and fast processing, you can capture up to six high quality frames per second, perfect for action shots. The screen is touchscreen, so you can simply tap what you want to focus on and snap away.
The 24.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor and DIGIC 7 Image Processor work together for detailed, colorful and memorable photographs. You’ll be able to see each individual color reflecting off the gemstones in all its glory.
The ISO range of 100 to 25,600 means you can be confident shooting even in low lights. Downloading your photos has never been easier thanks to the built in WiFi and Bluetooth, which are ready to connect to any compatible devices.
There are five different lenses that are compatible with this model, including a STM lens, wide-angle lens, prime lens, telephoto lens and a macro lens. The EOS Rebel T7i is perfect for photographing jewellery as it performs in all sorts of conditions – are you shooting a photograph of an active woman on a jog at night, with a necklace bouncing around her neck?
Not a problem for the EOS Rebel T7i. This camera does the most it can to help even the most ammature of jewellery photographers.
- High resolution full frame sensor
- Rapid focus and performance
- Exceptionally detailed photographs
- A few users experienced bad customer service
- Some cameras arrived damaged or faulty
Sony’s Alpha a6000 is an exceptional camera that offers 24.5 MP photo results which can capture every ray of light beaming off the jewellery you're shooting. There’s no limit to your creativity with this camera, from fast action shots to candids, every type of picture is a breeze with the world’s fastest autofocus.
The a6000 can shoot up to 11 photos in just one second, ensuring you get the perfect shot in minutes. Don’t let the compact size and weight fool you, this is one of the highest quality and versatile DSLRs on the market today.
The BIONZ X image processor reproduces exact textures and details thanks to the extra high speed processing capabilities which deliver true images. You’ll be able to see every single detail of the jewellery you’re shooting, from the texture of the diamond to the engraved writing.
The images will make the viewer actually think the necklace is right in front of them. More natural detail, richer tonal gradations, lower noise and more realistic images make for excellent results every time.
Other great features include: gorgeous low light capabilities with an ISO range of 100 to 25,600, intuitive controls help you shoot like a professional, and a Tru-Finder OLED electronic viewfinder to see every single detail.
The a6000 makes for one of the best cameras out there for high end product photography and undoubtedly one of the best cameras for jewellery photography.
- High definition photographs every time
- LCD screen that tilts for high and low angle framing
- Camera apps can be installed to personalize your camera and make it most beneficial to you
- Only one slot for an SD card
- A few users received a faulty camera
Get professional without getting confused with the OM-D E-M10 Mark II. The OLED electronic viewfinder is large to allow loads of light to stream through and brighten any image. The 2.36 million pixels allow you to see exactly what you’re going to capture – what you see is what you get and there’s no guesswork needed.
You’ll also be able to see any changes you’ve made to the camera settings like art effects or the aspect ratio without having to look away from the viewfinder, making it much easier to adjust your images.
The autofocus works well alongside the 8.5 shots per second to produce the amazing high quality images with slight but potentially vital changes within each one.
The silent shutter is an excellent feature for photographers who don’t want to disturb their surroundings or their model who’s focused on their job, and the touch focus enables you to focus on what you want just by tapping on the screen, giving you the ability to focus the camera and release the shutter in virtually no time.
The built-in WiFi enables you to connect your camera to your phone or even the web.
There are 14 art filters pre-set into the OM-D E-M10 Mark II, allowing you to tweak how your image looks before even taking the photo. This means you’ll be able to choose different filters for each piece of jewellery to enhance them individually, giving you perfect shots time after time.
- Great selection of optional lenses
- Durable camera
- Fantastic picture quality
- Video function isn’t as good as the image function
- Not the best customer service
This PowerShot G9 X Mark II camera combines a super slim design with high performing features to give you stunning photos every single time. The DIGIC 7 Image Processor provides visibly less noise even at high ISO settings to help you capture sharp images in almost any lighting.
It also uses enhanced tracking and detection capabilities to help lock onto the jewellery so you can take action shots as easily as still ones. There are eight different picture style presets that you can choose from to enhance any kind of picture you want to take, including fine detail, monochrome, portrait and auto mode.
This camera tops the list of some amazing DSLRs, with a 20.1 megapixel CMOS sensor that captures the highest of quality images in any setting. The results are both dynamic and well adjusted, making the PowerShot G9 X Mark II a great cost effective choice for those just getting into the world of cameras.
Other noteworthy features include the LCD display screen of three inches, an optical viewfinder, red eye reduction and face detection.
This is an excellent camera that really shines when being used for close-up shots, making it a great option for jewellery photography as it’ll really focus on the tiny details and accentuate them in the best way possible.
- Great for close-up pictures
- Easy to use
- High resolution and cost effective
- Battery life could be slightly better
- Not as impressive a specification as some of the other models on this list
Best Cameras for Photographing Jewelery – Buyers Guide
Types of Camera
Semi-manual digital cameras
These have point and shoot capabilities but also come with some manual options.
These are considered the best choice of camera for home jewellery business owners as they give you a reasonable amount of room to experiment but can also take over for you if you have no idea what you’re doing. They’re also not too expensive for beginners.
Automatic digital cameras
These types of cameras are most commonly available and they’re the easiest to use with automatic features such as focusing and shutter speeds. Often dubbed as point and shoot cameras, the drawback is that you may not have enough power over manually adjusting the settings to really capture the beauty of your jewellery.
DSLR cameras
Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras have automatic focusing capabilities bubt allow fully manual operations of the camera, so you’re in charge. They offer the most flexibility in a digital camera set up, allowing you to adjust all the settings to get that perfect shot.
As well as this, you can also buy additional speciality lenses allowing the freedom to shoot many more pictures. The possibilities are endless with DSLR cameras.
Smartphone cameras
Smartphone cameras are the most convenient type and are capable of taking decent product shots, however as smartphones aren’t made specifically for taking pictures, the camera isn’t going to be the best on the market and you’ll be missing out on some vital features needed to take the best jewellery shots. Take some test shots and see if it’ll compare up to professional camera photographs.
Megapixels
If you need jewellery pictures for posting online for advertisements, a three megapixel camera will do the job nicely. However, if you intend on using the pictures for posters or displays, you will need more megapixels depending on how large of a print you’ll be using.
The more megapixels a camera offers, the higher quality an image will be as the detail will be a lot higher. Some cameras offer such high megapixels that you actually think the ring is sitting right in front of you, and isn’t that exactly what will draw consumers attention to your jewellery?
Lens
DSLR cameras often come with additional compatible lenses, and this is one of the most beneficial features when photographing jewellery. A macro lens will be most suited for jewellery because you’ll get spectacular images beyond lifesize.
Macro lenses with a shorter focal length will allow you to work much closer to the jewellery and reveal the tiniest details. On the other hand, a macro lens with a longer focal length will be more convenient as you can shoot from a more comfortable distance.
Film Speed
Image quality can be drastically affected depending on the film speed. The most common cameras have ISO ranges of 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 and 3200. Most jewellery photography uses the 100 setting for maximum quality and clarity, but it’s handy to have a range of settings in case you want to use your camera for other things.
An example ISO range is 100-800, giving you the option to choose between 100, 200, 400 or 800. The higher the number will often produce grainer images, so keep this in mind when choosing a camera.
Price and Warranty
Cameras aren’t cheap, especially ones considered good for photographing jewellery, and can cost even more when you have to buy an additional macro lens. However, there are plenty of affordable options available so stick to your budget and you’ll still be happy with the results.
When buying a digital camera for business purposes, you’re going to need it to be a good one to draw in the customers. If you’re spending more than $300 on a camera it is vital that you ensure it has a decent included warranty. You could also consider purchasing an extended warranty for extra peace of mind, but make sure to read the fine print before agreeing to it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you photograph jewellery?
First and foremost, understand your camera functions and familiarize yourself with the different buttons on your device. Adjust the ISO and aperture and keep practice images until you find the optimal balance.
If the image is too dark and observe inaccurate colors, tweak and start again! Aperture, ISO and shutter speed are the three most important components of good exposure.
Balance your jewellery on your stand, whether it be a mannequin's head or hand, ensure the background is the desired color and texture, adjust the light settings to really make the jewellery sparkle.
Take lots of pictures from lots of different angles until you think you may have the perfect one – only about one in a hundred shots will turn out how you want it.