Posted: 7/7/2012 9:07:46 PM EDT
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I have friend who makes and sells jewelry, she can't afford what a pro charges to take pics of her stuff. I'm gonna show her how to use her point and shoot in aperture mode. If she was to buy a low end DSLR and a prime would the focal length be as important as the low f# ? Close up pics of jewelry is all she really wants from a camera, and I am a rank amateur at photography myself.
Thanks for any thoughts |
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For jewelry what she needs is a real (non-zoom) MACRO lens for a DSLR. And some kind of tripod.
Focal length will depend somewhat on what kind of jewelry it is, (how big), and what kind of lighting, background, etc. And whether the camera is a full frame or reduced size sensor. If you're trying to use a point and shoot, some of them have a macro mode... usually designated by a flower symbol. |
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I don't currently own one (did before on the Nikon platform) but Tamron makes a great 1:1 90mm macro lens that won't break most banks. It is available for most of the popular mounts and I was pleased with it when I owned it. The lens barrel does move while your are focusing but this shouldn't be a problem for studio work (only really a problem when doing macro insect work as it tends to scare things away). The autofocus is also slow but once again, doing this type of photography would more often than not be done in manual mode.
Nikon: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/330643-USA/Tamron_AF272NII_700_SP_AF90mm_f_2_8_Di.html Canon: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/330641-USA/Tamron_AF272C700_SP_90mm_f_2_8_Di.html Sony: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/330645-USA/Tamron_AF272M700_SP_90mm_f_2_8_Di.html Pentax: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/330647-USA/Tamron_AF272P700_SP_90mm_f_2_8_Di.html Reviews: http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Tamron-90mm-f-2.8-Di-Macro-Lens-Review.aspx http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=249 Hope that helps. |
| Another option is an old manual macro lens. I bought a Nikkor 55mm f3.5 macro, with an extension ring. Cost me about 70 bucks total, and gives me 1:1 with the extension ring, or 1:2 without it. Since her subjects won't be moving, using a tripod and manually metering/focusing isnt a problem. |
Best option is to get her where she wants to be with the camera she's got. I Have one of those studio in a box things she can borrow. She's gonna show me her camera in two weeks, and we'll go from there.
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Depends on how good she wants the pics to look. Too good and the slightest flaw in her jewelry will jump out. Found that out last week. My sister does jewelry and has been using her P&S with decent results. I brought up my D300 with an ancient manual focus 105f4 nikor Macro. It revealed tons of micro scratches that her polishing didn't get out. Several minuscule dents in silver she'd never seen before.
That said. Hard to beat the value of a $125 pawn shop find on a DSLR body. |