Final answer:
A digital camera is the most appropriate technology to illustrate a five-step process, allowing for clear and easily shareable visual documentation of each step.
Step-by-step explanation:
To illustrate a five-step process, the most suitable piece of technology would be a digital camera. Digital cameras have multiple lenses to produce clear images and use filters to capture images in full color. They can conveniently document each step of a process with photographs that can be easily shared or presented. For instance, a science project that involves a sequence of experiments or an art project showing progress from sketch to painting could be effectively demonstrated with a digital camera. In contrast, a smartphone, while also capable of taking pictures, offers many other functions beyond photography. A microwave oven is not relevant for documentation purposes but rather for cooking, and a 3D printer is used for creating prototypes and models, not for photo documentation.