That Are Not Relevant Digital cameras come with many other features. While these features may come in handy for other applications, they are not important for mineral photography. These features include zoom lens, digital zoom, interpolated high resolution, special effects modes, and red-eye reduction. While having an optical zoom lens on the camera may seem important, for mineral photography all images will be composed by moving the camera closer to and farther away from the subject.
Digital zoom enlarges the image digitally without changing the optics.
Digital zoom leads to image degradation and is not advisable to use, even if the camera comes equipped with the feature. At the time this article was written, both Sony and Nikon offer the best digital cameras that meet the criteria for digital mineral photography. In addition to the camera, there is other equipment needed. Some of the same equipment used in conventional photography will suffice. A sturdy tripod is very important because camera movement is the enemy of a sharp photograph.