For detail shots, get a ways back and zoom in tight. Sometimes it takes a while for autofocus to hit the spot, but if your light is good the results are worth the effort.

Obviously, a real camera with an optical zoom works better here than a phone camera with a virtual zoom.


For the record, most of my best shots on this forum were done with a Fuji Finepix 2800, an old 2MP camera that can on the big auction site for less than $30. The one above is a decent example of good light + back off + tight zoom. Except the somewhat cluttered background, it s a good detail shot.

Most of my more mediocre shots are done with my phone.