Need Camera for Primarily Macro Work

[Euchrestalin]

The company needs a new camera since our existing one is ancient. This will primarily be used for documenting defects found in returned products. Our products are fairly small ranging from 2" max to subcomponents which are 1/4." Budget is $300-$400. This also needs to be fairly user friendly as it will be used by our inspectors who are not the most tech-savvy.

I was looking at the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200. However, I'm not set on any product as long as it meets the needs laid out above.

 

[paperwastage]

Needs to be rugged?

Guess you want a camera with a good macro-focus range

Play around with the search criteria here (I've selected macro=0cm already)

http://www.dpreview.com/products/se...csMacroFocusRange&paramSpecsMacroFocusRange=0

 

[Euchrestalin]

Needs to be rugged?

No, it does not need to be any more rugged than your standard camera.

 

[FeuerFrei]

Olympus E-PL6 with 10x magnifier or with extension tubes

 

[Mike64]

I'm really not very familiar with the current lineup of cameras so have nothing specific to suggest myself, but it does kind of jump out at me that DMC-FZ200 -designed specifically as a "super-zoom" camera - is a an odd choice if your primary need is for better-than-average macro capability...

ETA: Although a brief web search I just did does suggest I'm porbably wrong about that given the FZ200's good maximum aperture over its entire focus range... This page also mentions the LX7 which I briefly owned (and much to my subsequent regret and chagrin returned, in a classic case of penny-wisdom but pound-foolishness...) and which I can say from at least a little experience takes great macro shots... (ETA: It also handles low light situations very well, for whatever that's worth.)