peekay Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Focus isn't sharp enough with the 400D's kit lens (18-55mm) and I'm looking to by a not-too-expensive, dedicated lens for model car photography. Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fitforbattle Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 The photographer in me would love to teach you everything I know, but for now, I'll leave just some pointers. 55mm is not enough to get good (read: real looking) photos of stuff that's small. When I photograph things in the same size or smaller, I like to use a lens somewhere around 200. Anything under would somehow distort the image as the human eye's focal length is somewhere around 50mm when compared to a 24x36-sensor. Then there's the factor of aperture and shutter speed. A small aperture (high number, small hole) takes information (light) from more places than a large aperture (low number, large hole), resulting in sharpness from both near and far in the image. But for the camera to let in enough light, your shutter speed needs to be SLOW. Close the aperture and let the camera take the picture (let the light flow in) for 15 to 30 seconds. Use a camera stand, and use the self timer. (as the press of the button can wiggle the camera enough to generate a motion blur). So I would get a 200-ish tele-lens and use the two most important things: good lighting and foot-zoom. (walking closer or further away instead of zooming with the camera ). Hope I make sense, it's hard explaining things like this in something that's not your mother tounge. Feel free to ask me anything if you need or want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Ambrose Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 If you haven't already tried this, get a set of close-up lenses that fit your current lens. These allow the camera lens to focus closer. I'm shooting a Canon EOS 60D, with an 18-135mm lens. I normally use a +1 or +2 closeup lens for shooting models. For really small stuff, I might need a +4. You can get them in sets for a reasonable price on Amazon. If you decide you need a new lens, you'll have to get a macro lens. Be prepared for sticker shock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fitforbattle Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 (edited) Macro might work, but beware of the fisheye effect. Also, on my previous post, before you rush out and buy a new lens, try the aperture-shutter speed-self timer-camera stand-trick with the lens set on 55mm... That is, f22/15sec 55mm and good lighting. Edited July 7, 2014 by fitforbattle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Woodruff Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Good information Robin. I have a Cannon EOS 3t (12 MP) and I shot the cars @ F20 with automatic focus with good results. I also have a Cannon 50 MM Marco Lens which is for the detailed close up pics. But it was about $250. I haven't had time to use it enough to know if it was worth the purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Force Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 (edited) I have a Canon EOS 650D, I previously had an EOS 400D as you wich was a good camera but I upgraded to a 650D little over a year ago as it has more features. I have used either the original 18-55 mm kit lens or the one I use for most photographing nowadays, my Canon EFS 18-135 mm IS STM lens wich has better midrange so I don't have to change to a tele lens other than for realy long range. The key to sharp model pictures has not that much to do with what lens you use, it's better to try to use as small shutter opening as possible, if you go Full Automatic the camera chooses a larger shutter opening and the pics are only sharp where the focal point is...and on a car model that can be just the front fender...with a smaller opening you will get more "depth of field", that will say the picture is sharp from front to back of the picture and the whole model gets sharp. Use the AV setting on your dial and choose the highest number possible (for example F18, F20 or F22) and the camera chooses the shutter speed automaticly for that shutter opening...if you don't have Image Stabilizer you might have to use a tripod stand and use the camera timer so you don't shake the camera when you "pull the trigger" so to speak. I have photographed models in all zoom ranges of my lens with this method and it doesn't matter wich I use, the pics comes out sharp either way, but don't go too close to your object, the closest distance possible you can go is marked on your lens, my 18-135 lens has 1.3 ft, ( the standard 18-55 is 0.9 ft) closer than that the camera can't focus. Edited July 8, 2014 by Force Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fitforbattle Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 I have a Canon EOS 650D, I previously had an EOS 400D as you wich was a good camera but I upgraded to a 650D little over a year ago as it has more features. I have used either the original 18-55 mm kit lens or the one I use for most photographing nowadays, my Canon EFS 18-135 mm IS STM lens wich has better midrange so I don't have to change to a tele lens other than for realy long range. The key to sharp model pictures has not that much to do with what lens you use, it's better to try to use as small shutter opening as possible, if you go Full Automatic the camera chooses a larger shutter opening and the pics are only sharp where the focal point is...and on a car model that can be just the front fender...with a smaller opening you will get more "depth of field", that will say the picture is sharp from front to back of the picture and the whole model gets sharp. Use the AV setting on your dial and choose the highest number possible (for example F18, F20 or F22) and the camera chooses the shutter speed automaticly for that shutter opening...if you don't have Image Stabilizer you might have to use a tripod stand and use the camera timer so you don't shake the camera when you "pull the trigger" so to speak. I have photographed models in all zoom ranges of my lens with this method and it doesn't matter wich I use, the pics comes out sharp either way, but don't go too close to your object, the closest distance possible you can go is marked on your lens, my 18-135 lens has 1.3 ft, ( the standard 18-55 is 0.9 ft) closer than that the camera can't focus. Samma samma där du Tror du förklarade lättare dock Sorry for the swedish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peekay Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 Thanks for your input guys, very much appreciated. Robin, I'll check out the idea of a 200mm, specially as Len agrees, but my research so far has pointed me in the other direction, ie 50mm or macro so I'm a bit confused. (BTW your written english is better than most natives.) The photos I've posted here so far were all done at around F22 or smaller and at a distance of 25-30cm. I use a light box and think my lighting is OK, I just need sharper images. Here is are a couple of typical shots from my latest post. I may have got too close on this interior shot... I'm reasonably happy with this one (below) but prepared to invest in a new lens if it helps me get sharper images Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Force Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 (edited) The standard 18-55 mm kit lens is a cheaper lens and a new more expensive one with higher quality might help some, but it isn't the total solution to the problem. With a 200 mm lens you have to go a lot further away from the object, I have a 55-250 tele zoom and the closest distance for focus with that is 3.6 ft (1.1 meter)...plus the fact that zoom eats light so the shutter speeds are slower. The most common misstake when photographing small objects is to stand too close to the object so the camera chooses a focal point further away in the background and the foreground gets out of focus, if you use the zoom feature you might have to stand a bit further away than the closest distance marked on the lens, 0.9 ft (28 centimeter) for the standard 18-55 mm kit lens in the 18 mm range and a bit over and if you zoom out to 55 you have to stand a bit further away from the object With a Macro lens you will get some distorsion of the object...not much but some, and that lens is only good for closeups. Another thing to keep in mind is the cameras focal points, I don't remember how many focal points the EOS 400 have but, it's 9 on the 650 but I usually only use the one in the middle so I'm sure what I'm focusing on and where the focus is in my pictures. Another thing, you don't have to be upclose to take good model pictures, you can try to not fill the whole picture with the model you want to take a picture of, the resolution on modern cameras is so large (if I remember correctly it was 10.1 megapixel on the EOS 400D and I have 18 on my 650D) so you can cut out the part you need from a larger picture and use it in normal size...the resolution setting you have chosen for your pictures also have much to do with how sharp your images gets, a larger resoution has more information per square millimeter and will get you a sharper picture and many professional photographers use the highest RAW setting wich captures all information possible for the picture...but the file size with RAW are huge and are not nessesary to use for this, jpeg is the most common file type for images and it's compressed so a jpeg file also looses some in quality. Also if you downsize the picture and make the file size smaller in for example Photoshop it will also loose in sharpness. So there are many parameters on how your picture comes out. Edited July 9, 2014 by Force Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peekay Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 Thanks so much for the tips, Häkan - very helpful. Based on this I think I'll get back behind the kit lens and experiment a bit more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Force Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 You're welcome. I'm not an expert but these are things I have learned from my own experience and trials. I bought my EOS 400D back in 2008, sold that and upgraded to an EOS 650D in 2013, I used the standard 18-55mm kit lens (no IS) and a 55-250mm tele zoom (with IS) at first, but wanted to be more flexible and I don't like to drag on more equipment than nesessary so I bought the EFS 18-135mm IS STM lens I have now and it's a nice close to midrange lens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett Barrow Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 (edited) I have to agree with Hakan. I use the 18-55mm lens on my Nikon D40 (not the one that came with it, but a replacement that has IS) and it's plenty sharp for me (although one major factor that lead me to choose Nikon over Canon was that pretty much every review said the Nikon 18-55mm was better than Canon's). I do have to remind myself to get further away from the subject, usually 18-24". I usually shoot in the midrange on the lens (I've learned that it doesn't like being at it's extreme focal lengths, I'm usually around 35mm) and will often have to crop out the edges of my light box. The 18-55 is the only lens I have, it can do tack sharp closeups. This shot was made on my desk using available light, handheld. This was shot in my old homemade light box. It doesn't have the EXIF data anymore, so I don't remember the exact settings. Been trying to find something I shot in my new lightbox besides product shots for work. Edited July 10, 2014 by Brett Barrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landman Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Could someone post a picture of a lightbox. I need to make one. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Force Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Just do google search on lightbox and you'll find lots of pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landman Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Just do google search on lightbox and you'll find lots of pictures. Thank you. I found a suitable one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blunc Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 a tripod helps me a lot with close ups since I've been building 1/32 scale cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taaron76 Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Great tips, guys! I will definitely use a few different lenses in my next shoot to experiment with. Thanks! Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landman Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Ordered this one today: Just do google search on lightbox and you'll find lots of pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill w Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Great information, thank you. I have a Canon 60D with the 18-135 lens, hopefully I will be taking better pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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