Rodwil

I have a relative who is a dentist. He has a Canon T6 with the standard 18-55 kit lens and can’t get a decent photo inside a patient’s mouth. I made several suggestions, including a macro lens (60 or 100), and possibly a ring light. If anyone has experience for this application I would be grateful. Thanks in advance.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

I taught dental photography at the dental school here in Kansas City.
For his camera, he needs a 60mm macro lens and a ring light.
Any lens longer than that on that camera will make it harder to get the full view of the teeth.
A ring light will give more axial light into the mouth.
Canon makes the best, the MR-14EXII, but it’s expensive.
The previous model is fine, and a used one might be had at KEH Camera.
Yongnou makes a copy of it for 1/4 the price, but he better have at least two: one to use and one as a backup.
I’ve had students who bought the Yongnou and it just didn’t hold up.
PM me if you have any other questions.

Rodwil

Thank you!

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

Canon has a 30mm macro lens that has a ring light build-in, that may be a good way to start!

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

Learn something new every day....35mm macro.
56mm FF equivalent.
That could be a good tool if the LED light is bright enough.
Biggest complaint with the MR14EX flash is the size.
Interesting..

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

My dentists seem to have special P&S cameras with some odd lens and flash that they use. It does not see all that special but it focuses closely. Others here may know what the specifics are. I'm usually more amazed by the new digital X-ray set up!

TBerwick Loc: Houston, Texas

One of my clients is a Prosthodontist and has a couple of cameras that he uses to great effect. They are not off the shelf Canon or Nikon but are cameras specifically made for close up dental work. As such, they are ridiculously expensive, i.e. $5k for a little USB stick of a camera that's designed for intraoral work and a $10k unit for full mouth closeup work. The macro lens & ringlight combo mentioned above would be a good combination assuming the macro lens will truly close focus with the capability of getting within 3-4 inches of the intended target.

hcmcdole

My dentist has a little probe the hygienist can take very close up photos of problem areas and instantly pop up on their big screen monitors or an electronic x-ray that is on the big screen in a second. Why use a camera today at the dentist office? I know the software is Kodak but I don't know the probe (camera) or x-ray manufacturer.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

https://dinecorp.com/

Have you dentist friend check out the website linked above.

The Dine folks specialize in a wide variety of kits and individual components and accessories especially dedicated to intraoral and surgical photography. The also provided special instruments such as retractors that enable oral access. On the site you will find equipment specifically designed for dentists and orthodontists. They have been at this since the 1950s.

A dentist with a busy practice has no time to fumble with unfamiliar photographic equipment or experiment. He or she needs gear that will routinely enable good, clear images to illustrate their procedures, before and after treatment records, etc. This is the source.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

They invented the ringlight.

lmTrying Loc: WV Northern Panhandle

Tell him to put the DSLR away and try a small point and shoot. I use a Canon SX710HS to take photos of scale models at contests. It will focus close (within 1/2 inch) and has great depth of field.

Rodwil

All great information! Thanks everybody.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

YES! They were, at the time called "Speedlight Center" in New York City. The "Mighty Light" was their flagship model (a regular strobe) and was a favorite of press and wedding photograhers because of its lightweight power pack that used 1- 525 Volt dry cell battery. I purchased my first strobe from them. At the same time they produced the ring light. I recently found an "antique" "medical kit" advertised online which includes an AC power supply.

My original kit had a plug-in interchangeable tube/reflector setup so you coud buy a wide angle plug-in umit, whic I did because the light was softer and better distributed. As I recall, the original ring light was a plug-in accessory to the standard Mighty Light- the capacitors were in the handle. Later on, the self-contained ring light was offered. In "macro" work, the original 100 watt.seconds is no required.

I can't recall any other ring light before the one from Speedlight Center. A few years after, there was a Highland unit distributed by Honeywell.

I think the Dyne family still runs the operation. The Mighty Light was discontinued some year ago and they now specialize in equipmet for clinical photography.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

I remember hearing of that place!
Interesting info.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

Just checked out this 35mm lens at the local camera store. Pretty cool lens/light, but not a very bright light. The salesman and I played with it and in order to get decent depth of field (f/11) the ISO has to be cranked up to 3200, which got us 1/50th sec. It uses power from the camera battery, which I suspected.
The light seems to be intended to use as a fill, rather than a main light.

Still a pretty cool tool!
https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-S-35mm-f-2.8-Macro-IS-STM-Lens.aspx