Help please in deciding what camara to buy

G

goldilocks34

Suspended / Banned
Messages
3
Edit My Images
Yes
:):)Hi everybody its my first post and am hopping you guys can help me decide on what the best camara is for me.

I have recently started a new business selling online and need to take my own product shots, at the moment I am using a point and shoot. I sell bridal jewelley and Tiaras. So my question is which camara is going to give me the best jewellery product shots.

I am looking at buying a second hand canon but which one is the problem. Please could you give me some advice.
I have been looking at the 350D 400D 450D and the 40D, I like the idea of live view as I would be able to view the shot before I take it.

help will be gratefully received
 
Hi Goldie - welcome.:wave:

Of your list, I think only the 450 & 40 have live view - that should narrow it down a bit!
And I'm bound to say the 40D 'cause I have one, but that doesn't detract from the suitability of the others.
'Fraid I'm going to fall back on the old 'try it & see' comment: handling, size & weight in your hand,...etc. What lens you want is going to come into it too (but there are others far more experienced than me to advise you on that area.) Check out some of the other threads too.
Sit tight. You're hitting the busy time of the night on here. 'Prepare to be dazzled'. And 'welcome' again! ;)
 
Whichever you choose, it will count for little more than 5% of how the shots look in the end. As you'll know, there is a fair bit to making your stock as good as it possible can, so whichever of those fits the budget best, is the best.

Then it's all down to getting creative with what you do with it. :)

I can see how the live view could be quite handy though and the 450 is a brilliant little camera that will certainly be up to the job.
 
Hi & welcome to the forum.

Good luck with the venture, not easy in the current climate but probably the best time to go for it :)

I don't know much about product photography but this is my opinion...

You say that you've been using a point and shoot, in what way do you feel that, that isn't good enough?
Is the jewellery being modelled or are you using placement (stands etc). Either way tripod would be a must but the type may differ and remote shutter control to reduce camera shake.
The main thing to consider for this type of photography is lighting. To avoid direct reflections, the flash would need to be heavily diffused and preferably taken away from the camera so either a flash gun with off-camera cable or a mini studio setup with decent lighting would have to be considered.

Other things to consider are .. once the pictures are on the pc, then they will probably need retouching to promote your professionalism and unless you use one of the free packages, the software can be expensive and the learning curve very steep.
To get the best from a DSLR, especially under these conditions is also going to be a steep learning curve and very time consuming.

The camera itself is not the major factor in getting good shots, it's more down to the quality of lens used and other equipment used like the lighting, to aid the photographer to get the desired images.

If you are fully prepared for the whole package (cost, time & learning) you will be taking on and still want to go for it, then good on you :thumbs:
If this puts you off in any way, then it may be cheaper and you should get better results from day one, if you hired a photographer to come in and do it.

Hope this helps
 
Hi goldilocks34. Firstly, welcome to the forum :)

For product photography as well as choosing the right camera you might want to look at investing in a suitable lighting set-up - comprising of off-camera lighting and a light tent or cube. There are numerous companies that specialise in this area.......have a search using Google (other search engines are available! :D) If you're on a budget I've known people who have made their own and used inexpensive lamps from the likes of Argoose (other retailers are available! :D)

If you're not in an immediate rush to buy why not come along to 'Focus on Imaging' at the NEC in Brum (22nd - 25th Feb), where you can get 'hands-on' with cameras from Canon, Nikon, Fuji etc. etc. You'll also be able to speak to experts regarding lighting............and maybe come away with a bargain or two!

Best of all..........you'll be able to meet loooooads of us from this forum :thumbs:

The links relating to Focus on Imaging are........

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=87239

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=107232


:)
 
GarynLea said:
Hi & welcome to the forum.

Good luck with the venture, not easy in the current climate but probably the best time to go for it :)

I don't know much about product photography but this is my opinion...

You say that you've been using a point and shoot, in what way do you feel that, that isn't good enough?
Is the jewellery being modelled or are you using placement (stands etc). Either way tripod would be a must but the type may differ and remote shutter control to reduce camera shake.
The main thing to consider for this type of photography is lighting. To avoid direct reflections, the flash would need to be heavily diffused and preferably taken away from the camera so either a flash gun with off-camera cable or a mini studio setup with decent lighting would have to be considered.

Other things to consider are .. once the pictures are on the pc, then they will probably need retouching to promote your professionalism and unless you use one of the free packages, the software can be expensive and the learning curve very steep.
To get the best from a DSLR, especially under these conditions is also going to be a steep learning curve and very time consuming.

The camera itself is not the major factor in getting good shots, it's more down to the quality of lens used and other equipment used like the lighting, to aid the photographer to get the desired images.

If you are fully prepared for the whole package (cost, time & learning) you will be taking on and still want to go for it, then good on you :thumbs:
If this puts you off in any way, then it may be cheaper and you should get better results from day one, if you hired a photographer to come in and do it.

Hope this helps
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply, My point and shoot just does not give me the manual settings i need its all auto with the option to change the aperture ( my husband bought it for me).
I do have photoshop CS3 and bridge which I use now and yes there is still a lot to learn on photoshop, any good book recommendations would also be helpful.

Now lights are another problem, I am on a tight budget so any suggestions there would also be greatfully received, but on the plus side i do have a tripod and a light cube.
 
goldilocks34 said:
Thanks for the reply, My point and shoot just does not give me the manual settings i need its all auto with the option to change the aperture ( my husband bought it for me).
I do have photoshop CS3 and bridge which I use now and yes there is still a lot to learn on photoshop, any good book recommendations would also be helpful.

Now lights are another problem, I am on a tight budget so any suggestions there would also be greatfully received, but on the plus side i do have a tripod and a light cube.
Click to expand...

If you have a light cube get yourself a couple of 5000 Kelvin bulbs in desk lamps - worked wonders for me.
 
Firstly, I would say that live view on the 40D will not give you what you need unless you are planning to buy a macro lens. Sure, it works, but you cannot autofocus and see the image in live view at the same time.

If you have a light tent already then that is half the battle won. You can use a couple of really bright spotlights or rig up something using 150W halogen lights on the cheap - then just fix the colour cast by shooting raw / use customer white balance.

To do jewellery you will probably want some sort of close up equipment too. The minimum focus distance on a DSLR with kit lens will be much greater than what you are used to with your point and shoot. You will need to consider budgeting for extension tubes or a close up filter (A macro lens would be ideal but you are looking minimum £175 on top of the camera)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top