Ebay Hats: Victories, Defeats, Gripes & Items of Interest

[alanfgag]

- Don´t use a cell phone, they are meant to call people, not to take quality photos.

Unless you buy an iPhone. Best talking camera ever. If you hold your finger on the screen in camera mode, it will lock exposure and focus at this location. Works wonders. Almost every photo I've posted here over the past 4-6 months has been taken with my iPhone. And it's the older model.

 

[Mystic]

The most important element in taking a good photo in my experience is light. If you take the photos at night using artificial light it will be very hard to get a good photo no matter how good your camera is. The camera quality would be the second most important thing to me.

Natural indirect light (a shaded outdoor area during daylight works well) and a decent camera (even a reasonable quality phone camera) will get you photos that are reasonably good.

Good point....

I have a small covered patio with a picnic table on it. That might be a good place to take photos of things on a sunny day.

 

[DJH]

Unless you buy an iPhone. Best talking camera ever. If you hold your finger on the screen in camera mode, it will lock exposure and focus at this location. Works wonders. Almost every photo I've posted here over the past 4-6 months has been taken with my iPhone. And it's the older model.

Yes, not always the greatest phone but good camera. Good for video as well. We retired the Flip Video camera very quickly.

 

[Mystic]

- Don´t use a cell phone, they are meant to call people, not to take quality photos.
- Don´t use a cluttered background, but a bedsheet as a backdrop for instance.
- Don´t shoot at night under artificial light, most of the lamps you use to light your flat have the wrong color temperature. Use good daylight instead if you don´t want to invest in studio lighting.
- Don´t step too far away from your object, it´s ok if it fills the frame.
- Don´t upload blurry pictures, Try as long as you need to produce a sharp photo.
- You don´t need to buy an overly expensive digital camera. Most of the modern compacts will do the job nicely.

good luck

Frank

Thanks for the tips. I'm finding out that experience and technique will be more important than the camera for my purposes.

I suppose a lot of the "not so good" photos on eBay are from people that just don't want to take the time to get a better photo to display.

 

[Ordinary Guy]

Come to think of it.. I have a very nice SLR camera, but I still haven't figured out how to use it as phone!

You have to SHOUT Louder into the SLR's.....

 

[DJH]

I suppose a lot of the "not so good" photos on eBay are from people that just don't want to take the time to get a better photo to display.

Don't forget that as an eBay buyer, those people with poor quality photos and badly written titles & descriptions are often your best friend.
Sure, we sometimes have to take a bit of a chance, but those listings are often passed over by other buyers so offer a better chance of a good deal.

 

[Mystic]

Unless you buy an iPhone. Best talking camera ever. If you hold your finger on the screen in camera mode, it will lock exposure and focus at this location. Works wonders. Almost every photo I've posted here over the past 4-6 months has been taken with my iPhone. And it's the older model.

Your photos do come out well. I can't justify the cost of having a cell phone. I no longer have a need for one.

The photos from your phone is another reason I think I don't need a very expensive camera. If a cell phone can do the job, then surely most of the cameras in the point and shoot category will meet my needs.

Maybe I will be able to post a hat photo on the lounge one day. Maybe not a head shot, but a hat shot.
I don't mind my goofy looks.....but, having them recorded for the whole world is another thing

 

[St. Valentine]

The overall capabilities and quality of phone cameras has improved dramatically in the last years, but having an iPhone myself I am not particular convinced of the results anyhow. I am using a Nikon P7000 for my Ebay photos and analogue Leica and Canon DSLR gear for the rest. So maybe the better is the enemy of the good as we say in Germany. I would prefer a digital point and shoot over a phone cam for Ebay work though. Quality of pictures and a proper description is directly related with the amount of money you can make on Ebay. This is at least my experience over the last years.

 

[Blackthorn]

You have to SHOUT Louder into the SLR's.....

:eusa_clap Yes, I have found that to be true, too, OG.

 

[Blackthorn]

I think the key to hat photos is natural light, regardless of camera or phone, expensive or cheap. The sun is the best light, even if it's indirect light.

 

[alanfgag]

I think the key to hat photos is natural light, regardless of camera or phone, expensive or cheap. The sun is the best light, even if it's indirect light.

Actually, the sun is a big challenge - especially for small point and shoot cameras and phones. These cameras use sensors with tiny pixels. A sunlit subject will have a tremendous dynamic range (the range from brightest to darkest value in your field). While your eyes can adapt to see all of this range, the camera cannot. Itty bitty pixels accentuate this problem. What you get is an image with too much contrast and blown out highlights and shadows with no information. An overcast day is best for detailed and accurate photos. Some shade will work in a pinch.

 

[DJH]

Hmm, 7 1/4 Whippet for $800
7 1/4 Borsalino Pesca (10 times better hat) no love at all

http://bit.ly/IKRezn

 

[rlk]

Hmm, 7 1/4 Whippet for $800
7 1/4 Borsalino Pesca (10 times better hat) no love at all

http://bit.ly/IKRezn

Nice hat, but dead sweatband. Still outdoes the Whippet

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Very interesting old Mexican hat sold in France. But didn't meet reserve:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130684944614?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

 

[zetwal]

Old stand up hat sign goes high,

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...agename=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

 

[rlk]

Old stand up hat sign goes high,

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...agename=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

Apparently not--relisted with a $64.00 starting bid and no reserve.

 

[zetwal]

Apparently not--relisted with a $64.00 starting bid and no reserve.

I mistakenly thought that it had sold at 256.50. I see now that it did not. That makes sense.

 

[EggHead]

:eusa_clap Yes, I have found that to be true, too, OG.

Something like "Hello Mom, are you there??"

 

[randooch]

Apparently not--relisted with a $64.00 starting bid and no reserve.

And now listed for sale at $256.50. [huh]

 

[rlk]

And now listed for sale at $256.50. [huh]

Technically not a relist--but listed anew for the same item...http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Bal...ltDomain_0&hash=item20c544ba6b#ht_5548wt_1165