Hardware

Good lighting and a clean workspace matter more than equipment. Start with tier 1; add tier 2 only when your workflow needs it.

Tier 1: simple setup

• phone or tablet for photos and notes
• basic tools: screwdriver, pliers, hammer
• scale
• ruler or measuring tape

This is enough for useful product documentation. Upload phone photos directly.

Tier 2: advanced capture setup

• Raspberry Pi camera with the RPi camera plugin
• fixed or repeatable camera position
• controlled lighting
• gridded mats or similar backgrounds

Use this for repeatable images across many products. Gridded mats help later size and volume estimation. See RPi camera integration for the platform-side setup.

Practical advice

• Prioritize consistent lighting over camera quality.
• Use a plain background if you care about later image analysis.
• Keep scale references consistent if you plan to compare products later.