Camera Labs

I need advice on a camera and lense setup that would allow me to take these shots for my detailing business. Would the Canon T2i or the Nikon D5100 do it? The first image is a close up of scratches on the paint, the second is the vehicle after the paint has been thoroughly corrected of all paint defects.

With a really good lens, both cameras you suggested would be capable to taking that level of detail. I did some photos of items I was selling on eBay to highlight the faults (e.g. extremely fine paint scratches) and a non-L lens of mine on my 550D/T2i easily picked them up.

Generally speaking, an optically sharp lens on a relatively cheap body will give you better detail than a cheap, optically soft lens on an expensive body.

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Bodies: Canon EOS 550D w/ Magic Lantern
Lenses: Tokina AT-X 116 Pro DX f/2.8, Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Accessories: YongNuo Speedlite YN-468 Flash, Neewer Macro LED Ring Light, Meike Battery Grip, YongNuo RF-602 Wireless Flash Trigger & Receiver YongNuo WR-128 Wireless Remote Control