It really depends on how much you want to spend.  They now have digital SLR's.  You can spend a bundle on a macro zoom lens.  Then it is just a matter of getting the correct lighting.  Cannon makes some good digital stuff and if you don't want to spend a bundle, they might have something simpler in your price range.  Heck, I use a junky old Sony with an old 3.5 floppy drive.  It has a motorized zoom, and works for most of our weld pictures.  One issue to consider if you are photographing pipe or tube is focus.  Sometimes it is hard to get the whole shot into focus if you are shooting a radius, or sometimes the lighting will have shadows unless you use a supplemental external light to illuminate the shot.  It is good to have real time preview capability so you can see the shot before you take it.  If you go to buy one, you can try it there.  Try to shoot or focus on a quarter or something to test the zoom capability.

h/p photosmart takes real good pics best buy is where i got mine

Stephan

The closest macro shots in an automatic digital camera can be had with the NIKON Coolpix S-10.  You can focus 2 Centimeters away with a 6MP picture.   I have searched all over, and there is no other camera that can do it.  The Camera is also articulated, and you can aim the camera lens at one angle and view the shot at a different angle.  This is a very versatile camera.  You have to buy it on line, because the camera is currently out of production.

The lens is also an internal focusing group, so you can lay the camera directly on a microscope and get an enhanced  magnified view.  On other cameras, where the lens group moves in and out, they are often subject to failure and distortion when used this way..

I can send you some private photos by E-Mail.

Joe Kane

I use a Canon Power Shot A550.  Examples: