Camera Suggestions for Product Photography: Would greatly appreciate suggestions for a great camera for product photography. Product is cards and envelopes, ribbon, gift bags, tissue...

Sky

Would greatly appreciate suggestions for a great camera for product photography.

Product is cards and envelopes, ribbon, gift bags, tissue paper, therefore larger than jewelry yet not big. Have a tabletop setup to use preferably with natural light. Definitely aiming for articulated LCD and NFC.

I am pretty much an amateur, although I own film Canon and Nikon. Photos will, at this point, be solely for website use.

Thank you so much for suggestions and input.

DaveHam Loc: Reading UK

If you are imaging for the web then high resolution is not necessary so any DSLR will give you a solution. With natural light you may want to use a FF sensor to minimise noise.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Sky wrote:

Would greatly appreciate suggestions for a great camera for product photography.

Product is cards and envelopes, ribbon, gift bags, tissue paper, therefore larger than jewelry yet not big. Have a tabletop setup to use preferably with natural light. Definitely aiming for articulated LCD and NFC.

I am pretty much an amateur, although I own film Canon and Nikon. Photos will, at this point, be solely for website use.

Thank you so much for suggestions and input.

The camera is less important that the setup, especially when you're shooting for the Web.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=product%20photography

Sky

Yes, thank you, in spite of being aware of that, would still like suggestions for a camera that would be great for this situation. Good color and crisp professionalism are really important.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Sky wrote:

Yes, thank you, in spite of being aware of that, would still like suggestions for a camera that would be great for this situation. Good color and crisp professionalism are really important.

Canon, Nikon, Pentax, and Sony (in alphabetical order) each have multiple camera models that can produce high quality images. In all cases the difference between high end models and entry level will not be image quality but rather camera flexibility and ease of use. Inexpensive means fewer bells and whistle.

Pick a mid-level model from any of those manufacturers and then work on the hard part that will cost money: buying a lighting system and accessories. For a warm up, check the cost of 6 Paul C. Buff Eintein E640 monolights equipped with snoots, barn doors, grids, gels, reflectors, softboxes, stands and a remote triggering system with a flash meter. The hard part is paring that list down to fit your needs and budget.

Tjohn Loc: Inverness, FL formerly Arivaca, AZ

Know where and how images are going to be used. I was lucky. I thought magazine sized at the most. Then, I found an image on a 17X22 inch flyer. Fortunately I was using a Hasselblad. Many years ago.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

Sky wrote:

Would greatly appreciate suggestions for a great camera for product photography.

Product is cards and envelopes, ribbon, gift bags, tissue paper, therefore larger than jewelry yet not big. Have a tabletop setup to use preferably with natural light. Definitely aiming for articulated LCD and NFC.

I am pretty much an amateur, although I own film Canon and Nikon. Photos will, at this point, be solely for website use.

Thank you so much for suggestions and input.

Probably the best bargain in the full frame cameras, is the new Pentax K-1. 36 mp sensor (same one in the Nikon d810). Sound like a fast 100mm macro lens would fit the bill. Or a 2.8 80-200 zoom. The K-1 is a pro level camera at about 1/2 the cost of Canon or Nikon equivilent.

BebuLamar

DaveHam wrote:

If you are imaging for the web then high resolution is not necessary so any DSLR will give you a solution. With natural light you may want to use a FF sensor to minimise noise.

I found for such a job small sensor is better as it's better to have a lot of DOF. Noise is not a problem because the base ISO can be used and the image can be down size for web use so noise isn't a problem.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Sky wrote:

Would greatly appreciate suggestions for a great camera for product photography.

Product is cards and envelopes, ribbon, gift bags, tissue paper, therefore larger than jewelry yet not big. Have a tabletop setup to use preferably with natural light. Definitely aiming for articulated LCD and NFC.

I am pretty much an amateur, although I own film Canon and Nikon. Photos will, at this point, be solely for website use.

Thank you so much for suggestions and input.

Can you tell us a little about your preference for natural light?

It can make things a lot harder.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Tjohn wrote:

Know where and how images are going to be used. I was lucky. I thought magazine sized at the most. Then, I found an image on a 17X22 inch flyer. Fortunately I was using a Hasselblad. Many years ago.

I certainly would not disagree with the moral of that story!

An entry level camera will produce sufficient image quality, but higher end cameras are better tools and produce a more marketable product. The same is true with that complex lighting setup I described.

Sky

@Boberic, Was looking at information about the K-1 yesterday! Has great great reviews. Is it too much camera for a neophyte? I found it very appealing.

Tried out a Nikon d7200, felt I was in over my head.

@Peterff, Product photo information for craft and supply sites suggest sticking with natural light to keep the look softer. Planning to see how the tabletop setup works. The arrangement allows for shooting from above. Camera is set looking down into a box with translucent sides to let in light. This will be a welcome change from twisting camera on tripod to hover over product.

This is so helpful. My head is swimming with the choices. Please, more feedback and input!
Thank you!

selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

Sky wrote:

Would greatly appreciate suggestions for a great camera for product photography.

Product is cards and envelopes, ribbon, gift bags, tissue paper, therefore larger than jewelry yet not big. Have a tabletop setup to use preferably with natural light. Definitely aiming for articulated LCD and NFC.

I am pretty much an amateur, although I own film Canon and Nikon. Photos will, at this point, be solely for website use.

Thank you so much for suggestions and input.

Don't go broke on the camera. Start with a body you can afford in the 12-20 MP range and a 100 mm (approx.) macro lens - used from KEH will get you started.

You won't need a lot of light or complicated flash setups for closeups. A Westcott DigiTent will give you lots of flexibility for small object lighting using only a couple of inexpensive speedlights that can be triggered from a wireless connection - you don't want wires to trip over. Mount them on a couple of inexpensive flash stands or old tripods.

Then all you will need is to practice until you get the lighting you want.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Sky wrote:

@Peterff, Product photo information for craft and supply sites suggest sticking with natural light to keep the look softer. Planning to see how the tabletop setup works. The arrangement allows for shooting from above. Camera is set looking down into a box with translucent sides to let in light. This will be a welcome change from twisting camera on tripod to hover over product.

This is so helpful. My head is swimming with the choices. Please, more feedback and input!
Thank you!

It looks as though you are already using some kind of light tent or equivalent that will soften the light sources. Natural light can also be harsh, but is less controllable than artificial light. If you want multi-directional light sources you will probably need some reflectors at the very least depending on your situation. My wife deals in antique jewelry online, and although she has DSLR mostly uses a P&S for that work. She uses a light tent with three studio lights, which I think are easier than using flash given the constant lighting. It is very easy to soften or modify lighting in many ways, which is probably more important than the specific camera choice.

For the camera, most will be able to do what you need technically, so it is probably most important for you to choose what you want and are comfortable with using rather than technical specifications.

Good luck

Sky

Yes, if and when we add artificial light, I would go for lamps as opposed to flash.

Please offer suggestions for camera body other than Pentax k-1. There are so many choices!

Articulated LCD and NFC are priorities. Would also prefer to work in RAW.
This is so helpful!
Thank you

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Sky wrote:

Yes, if and when we add artificial light, I would go for lamps as opposed to flash.

Please offer suggestions for camera body other than Pentax k-1. There are so many choices!

Articulated LCD and NFC are priorities. Would also prefer to work in RAW.
This is so helpful!
Thank you

Check out this web site that might be helpful:

http://cameras.about.com/od/newdigitalcameras/tp/Best-NFC-Cameras.htm

I have no experience whatever with NFC, nor with any of the cameras they list.