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First budget DSLR - under $400 w/ lens - Product shots

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Instead of Ebay, I would probably  purchase gear from B&H Photo, Adorama or KEH.  Better piece of mind if something goes wrong:

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?atclk=Brand_Nikon&ci=15488&N=4294182649+4291315846

http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=itemlist&cat1=Used&cat2=Nikon%20Digital&cat3=Cameras&sel=ItemCondition_UsedItems&Startat=1

http://www.keh.com/Camera/format-Digital/system-Nikon-Digital/category-Camera-Outfits?s=1&bcode=DN&ccode=1&cc=80172&r=WG&f

 

Ive purchased from all three and they have great service.  KEH is pretty conservative when it comes to rating the condition of their products.  I would recommend the following:

 

- At least one flash which you would shoot OFF camera.  It will drastically improve the photo. Look for an SB600 or SB700.  (At this time, one flash, umbrella/softbox, and reflector may be all you need.)

- tripod.  If you want the sharpest photos, this will be your best bet.  Also, it helps when you need to compose the picture as the camera stays where it needs to be and you can just adjust the products.

- a reflector. Something like this:http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/800991878-USE/creative_light_100857_5_in_1_reflector_38_95cm.html you use it on the opposite side of the flash or light source to lighten the shadowed side of the subject/product, pretty handy. A large white poster board will do the same trick.

- a shoot through umbrella or softbox (highly recommended).  What you have linked above IS NOT a softbox.  It is more a mini studio with lights.  A softbox is literally a box that you shot your flash through.  An umbrella can do the same thing but for a lot cheaper.  A softbox will defuse the light nice though....  

This is a softbox: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/800942712-USE/lastolite_ll_ls2496_ezybox_softbox_36_x.html  There are many different shapes, sizes and companies that make them.  You will have to decide what is best for you... I would probably go for a shoot through umbrella: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/423631-REG/Impact_UBBW60_60_Convertible_Umbrella.html I have one just like it and its pretty versatile. 

- light stand to hold your flash and light modifier. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Lightstands/ci/5799/N/4062040357

- In order to shoot the flash off camera, you will have to trigger the off camera flash somehow.  There are a few ways to do this, attach the flash via cable, use the slave function on the camera (if it has it) or use wireless transmitters.  I use this: CyberSyn Trigger Transmitter & Receiver ($59 & $69 respectively) http://www.paulcbuff.com/cybersync.php  There are several companies that make similar products but these were cheaper and I have never had a problem with them (for what I use them for).

 

That light box that you  linked may work for you but I think I would go with what I recommended above.  Its more versatile in my opinion.  I highly highly HIGHLY recommend checking out the Strobist site.  He has a great Lighting 101 write up. http://strobist.blogspot.ca/2006/03/lighting-101.html

 

I hope this helps :)

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Oh and one trick that may work for you, when using a tripod, to get the sharpest image, if I don't have a cable release (a cord attached to the camera with a button on the end which will shoot the camers) I'll put the camera on self-timer (2sec or 3sec). This way I know that there will be minimal camera shake. If you do not have the proper shooting technique, your photos may be out of focus, especially if it is a longer exposure.

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I've watched a few Youtube video's and I'm pretty familure with what I'll be doing. What ISO setting would you recommend? I'm assuming 200 is the standard.

 

I think I'll set it to a 2 second wait, that's a good idea.

 

What's the difference between light room and elements?

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I would shoot at the lowest native ISO your camera can go, 200 sounds about right.

Someone else's explanation, "Lightroom is a tool for photographers, Think of it as a slide sorter and digital darkroom - all in one.

Elements is a cut down version of Photoshop which is a tool for digital artists and compositors.

both programs have their own strengths and weaknesses, but unless you are intending to work with layers and original artwork it is unlikely that the full photoshop is really required, but the addition of Elements to a Lightroom workflow can enhance your abilities to process your images, luckily the two programs integrate almost seamlessly"

I have Lightroom and Photoshop (6?) but find that Lightroom is capable of handling most of my editing needs. It is geared towards the digital photographer while Photoshop is more for digital artist as mentioned above. I really like how Lightroom let's organizes my photos and I fund the user interface pretty intuitive. If they have a trial version, you should check out both to see what works best for you.

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I've watched a few Youtube video's and I'm pretty familure with what I'll be doing. What ISO setting would you recommend? I'm assuming 200 is the standard.

 

I think I'll set it to a 2 second wait, that's a good idea.

 

What's the difference between light room and elements?

 

use lightroom I would get the whole adobe suite subscription while your at it. 

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Im no camera head but i dearly love my trusty 350D...

 

Just ditch the stock lens,its crap.

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Im no camera head but i dearly love my trusty 350D...

 

Just ditch the stock lens,its crap.

 

Then this video must make you cry

 

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use lightroom I would get the whole adobe suite subscription while your at it.

Lol, I don't think he needs to go that far... :-)

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use lightroom I would get the whole adobe suite subscription while your at it. 

 

I'm just learning the basics, I don't know if I need all of that.

 

Im no camera head but i dearly love my trusty 350D...

 

Just ditch the stock lens,its crap.

 

Eh, I got the lens for pretty much free.

 

I wouldn't even know where to begin to look for a nice lens.

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I'm just learning the basics, I don't know if I need all of that.

 

 

Eh, I got the lens for pretty much free.

 

I wouldn't even know where to begin to look for a nice lens.

 

the kit is "ok" for studio work you want a good 50mm prime 

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I'm just learning the basics, I don't know if I need all of that.

 

 

Eh, I got the lens for pretty much free.

 

I wouldn't even know where to begin to look for a nice lens.

 

I'm no expert on Nikon lenses but after a quick look around I see that they have some fairly inexpensive lenses suitable for product shots

 

60mm 2.8 macro

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/545660-USA/Nikon_2177_AF_S_Micro_Nikkor_60mm_f_2_8G.html

 

85mm 3.5 macro

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/656971-USA/Nikon_2190_AF_S_DX_Micro_NIKKOR.html

 

105mm 2.8 macro

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/424744-USA/Nikon_2160_105mm_f_2_8G_ED_IF_AF_S.html

 

Like I said I'm no expert on Nikon, as in no real world experience with these lenses, but hopefully someone will be able confirm or dismiss these. I know they cost your original budget again, but cheaper to buy usually equates to cheaper to rent.

 

The 105 sounds like the winner to me, purely for the decent max aperture and the focal length will help to compress the background so you don't catch any of the edges in your lightcube. The macro capabilities will give you the option of getting some nice close ups on your products, which look pretty amazing :) definitely wanna see some close ups of the dials and finishes, and give you some nice DOF when you are close up too.

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I'm just learning the basics, I don't know if I need all of that.

 

 

Eh, I got the lens for pretty much free.

 

I wouldn't even know where to begin to look for a nice lens.

I'm assuming these product shots will be use in websites and for print? I wouldn't worry too much about the lens. Sure, kit lenses are generally pieces of crap, but when you're reducing a 16MP image to a ~300px image on a webpage, honestly it won't really matter, and if you're printing you'll be fighting with the fidelity of the printer anyway, so unless you're planning on some double page spreads it really won't matter on your budget. Certainly invest in lenses when you can, but don't think the kit lens is incapable of achieving what you need it to do, it's perfectly capable.

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I'm assuming these product shots will be use in websites and for print? I wouldn't worry too much about the lens. Sure, kit lenses are generally pieces of crap, but when you're reducing a 16MP image to a ~300px image on a webpage, honestly it won't really matter, and if you're printing you'll be fighting with the fidelity of the printer anyway, so unless you're planning on some double page spreads it really won't matter on your budget. Certainly invest in lenses when you can, but don't think the kit lens is incapable of achieving what you need it to do, it's perfectly capable.

 

I actually kind of have to disagree with this, I'm not saying that the kit lens is a piece of crap, it will be great for general use.

 

But for product shots things like distortion and sharpness mean a lot, also remember that the set up is quite tight in those light cubes.

 

I'm not familiar with the US rental scene, but I just checked Adorama Rentals and the Nikon 105mm 2.8 micro is $20 for a day or $23 for a weekend, to be honest it's a bit of a no-brainer to me, it will make all the difference. Some larger companies may ask for a deposit, not sure about Adorama, but if you shop around you should find one that doesn't.

 

Either way you will get the kit lens so play about with it and get used to the camera, but for those rental prices definitely pick one up for your final shots and  maybe wait to see if someone here has used that particular lens, but it sounds good to me.

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Lens is pretty important. You will eventually want to get a lens with a fixed aperture. You have so much more creative control.

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Lens and is pretty important. You will eventually want to get a lens with a fixed aperture. You have so much more creative control.

 

Glass makes a huge difference indeed 

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Eh, I hate the idea of renting.

I know in the audio world there are Chinese manufacturers who make knock off but functioning products. Is there any of them in the photography world?

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To make good looking product shots (or photos in generall) you mainly need skill, equipment is secondary. Even  if you'd spend $10000 on photography gear, your products shots proably would look shit in the beginning ...

 

 

just my 2 cents

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Eh, I hate the idea of renting.

I know in the audio world there are Chinese manufacturers who make knock off but functioning products. Is there any of them in the photography world?

 

Well most rental companies include insurance in the rental price, it's usually fairly stress free, but yeah give yourself a couple of weeks to a month with the kit lens to learn the basics.

 

No there are no alternatives, in fact the kit lens is probably manufactured in China or Thailand, still to a very high standard, it's usually only the top of the range lenses that get manufactured in Japan. In fact, just checked, the 105mm 2.8 micro I suggested actually falls into the made in China category which is kind of surprising considering the price tag, not that it makes a difference in quality, it's still a Nikon run factory.

 

There are third party lens companies, but again most are probably from Japan, I think Samyang is based in Korea, but they are all pretty decent and come with pretty decent price tags. Modern lenses are just very difficult to manufacture, and it wouldn't be cost effective enough for someone to want to make knock offs, I see this as a good thing though, it basically means you don't have to worry about buying fake lenses.

 

@MrSuperb The photo that he has linked as an example is easily achievable, in fact, you could probably do a whole lot better with some cheap gels and a piece of acrylic. Product photography is great if you have time on your side, it's all about experimentation, and yes that $20 rental price for the lens will make all the difference once you learn the very basics. I'm actually super jealous of the rental prices in the US, I pay at least twice that :lol:

 

I should really be pushing you to get those speedlights, they teach you a lot about exposure, are far easier to control and the quality of the photos will be improved greatly. But I won't... I'll let nature run it's course :D

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I once tried some product photography, ended up getting some harsh shadows because the lighting was so off balance 

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So this is a very very very VERY rough picture of my first attempt of what I really bought this camera for. I'm setting up a small studio, I'm just kind of getting the settings dialed in.

 

This photo is without a soft box, and most of it was done manually, including the focus. Very little editing in lightroom.

 

I've purchased this lens (Crazy deal)

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/121171535018?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2648

 

to hopefully get some better shots.

 

Well, here goes, let me know what you think!

 

DSC_0190_zps53f9a099.jpg

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So this is a very very very VERY rough picture of my first attempt of what I really bought this camera for. I'm setting up a small studio, I'm just kind of getting the settings dialed in.

 

This photo is without a soft box, and most of it was done manually, including the focus. Very little editing in lightroom.

 

I've purchased this lens (Crazy deal)

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/121171535018?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2648

 

to hopefully get some better shots.

 

Well, here goes, let me know what you think!

 

 

Your thats pretty good for just a overview of the product's looks

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So this is a very very very VERY rough picture of my first attempt of what I really bought this camera for. I'm setting up a small studio, I'm just kind of getting the settings dialed in.

 

This photo is without a soft box, and most of it was done manually, including the focus. Very little editing in lightroom.

 

I've purchased this lens (Crazy deal)

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/121171535018?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2648

 

to hopefully get some better shots.

 

Well, here goes, let me know what you think!

 

 

nice very nice 1st attempt 

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Nice! The lighting is nice and even. What was your light source? Do you remember what setting you had the camera at? Aperture and shutter speed?

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Nice! The lighting is nice and even. What was your light source? Do you remember what setting you had the camera at? Aperture and shutter speed?

 

No, I should've wrote it down. I was rushing and not thinking, i'll find it again.

 

My light source was a shitty yellowish lightbulb right above it, and the flash from my camera. I'm getting my softbox in today, it will make it 10 times better.

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No, I should've wrote it down. I was rushing and not thinking, i'll find it again.

 

My light source was a shitty yellowish lightbulb right above it, and the flash from my camera. I'm getting my softbox in today, it will make it 10 times better.

take a picture of your softbox setup  

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