What basic setup for home studio?
Discussion
Hi,
Looking to get the misses a setup for home to take pictures with the backdrop/ lights. Etc.
Seen this is amazon and wondered if I'm going in the right direction.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TOP-MAX-Continuous-Backdro...
We have a Canon EOS 600D camera, would we need anything for the camera. This just mainly for having a go taking nice pictures of the kids, family. ?
Looking to get the misses a setup for home to take pictures with the backdrop/ lights. Etc.
Seen this is amazon and wondered if I'm going in the right direction.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TOP-MAX-Continuous-Backdro...
We have a Canon EOS 600D camera, would we need anything for the camera. This just mainly for having a go taking nice pictures of the kids, family. ?
Depends on your expectations really. We had one of these kits and it was certainly a learning experience.
The lights in that kit are continuous ones and if they are anything like the ones in the cheap amazon kit we got they won't be bright enough to be useful with the kit lens. We don't use our kit lights at all now, we just use flashes through softboxes or umbrellas (using the kit umbrellas with these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GLCKYDO/ref=pe_38572... or cheap softboxes).
The white backdrop will collect fluff/dust/hair like mad because it is cloth, but if you use lots of sellotape or dog grooming sticky roller things you can keep it relatively clean. Vinyl backdrops are much better but expensive. Paper ones are cheaper but won't last well if you have people standing on them. Also, 1.8m really isn't very wide, especially when you bring your subjects away from the backdrop to help with shadows. You will struggle to get more than 2 or 3 people on it.
The backdrop support and light stands will be flimsy but they are just about good enough for the kit as long as you are careful not to knock anything. I wouldn't want to put studio flashes on them.
You can get some successful photos using the kit stuff if you know what you're doing (getting the white backdrop white so you don't spend hours in post, etc.), but the cheapness does show.
Unfortunately the next step up from those kits is probably getting the flash off the camera but it isn't cheap. Even the cheapest cheap stuff for off-camera flash and a modifier will blow past that £60 and that won't include a backdrop.
Cheap manual flash £25 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Neewer-Speedlite-Panasonic-Fujifilm-single-contact/dp/B004K689EO)
Cheap triggers £20 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Yongnuo-RF-603-C1-Wireless-Transceiver/dp/B00A4SKQFC)
Cheap light stand £10
Cheap softbox £22 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Neewer-Softbox-Speedlite-Bracket-Carrying/dp/B00IM6LKQM)
Also, as a side note, you really need a room at least 10' x 10'. Anything less and you have very little chance of getting everything in, and 10x10 can be pushing your luck and using a focal length that is less than ideal for flattering photos.
Perhaps a lens might be a better investment. The obvious suggestion is a 50mm 1.8 which is very very good for the money and will let you take sharper photos in lower light with better bokeh.
The lights in that kit are continuous ones and if they are anything like the ones in the cheap amazon kit we got they won't be bright enough to be useful with the kit lens. We don't use our kit lights at all now, we just use flashes through softboxes or umbrellas (using the kit umbrellas with these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GLCKYDO/ref=pe_38572... or cheap softboxes).
The white backdrop will collect fluff/dust/hair like mad because it is cloth, but if you use lots of sellotape or dog grooming sticky roller things you can keep it relatively clean. Vinyl backdrops are much better but expensive. Paper ones are cheaper but won't last well if you have people standing on them. Also, 1.8m really isn't very wide, especially when you bring your subjects away from the backdrop to help with shadows. You will struggle to get more than 2 or 3 people on it.
The backdrop support and light stands will be flimsy but they are just about good enough for the kit as long as you are careful not to knock anything. I wouldn't want to put studio flashes on them.
You can get some successful photos using the kit stuff if you know what you're doing (getting the white backdrop white so you don't spend hours in post, etc.), but the cheapness does show.
Unfortunately the next step up from those kits is probably getting the flash off the camera but it isn't cheap. Even the cheapest cheap stuff for off-camera flash and a modifier will blow past that £60 and that won't include a backdrop.
Cheap manual flash £25 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Neewer-Speedlite-Panasonic-Fujifilm-single-contact/dp/B004K689EO)
Cheap triggers £20 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Yongnuo-RF-603-C1-Wireless-Transceiver/dp/B00A4SKQFC)
Cheap light stand £10
Cheap softbox £22 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Neewer-Softbox-Speedlite-Bracket-Carrying/dp/B00IM6LKQM)
Also, as a side note, you really need a room at least 10' x 10'. Anything less and you have very little chance of getting everything in, and 10x10 can be pushing your luck and using a focal length that is less than ideal for flattering photos.
Perhaps a lens might be a better investment. The obvious suggestion is a 50mm 1.8 which is very very good for the money and will let you take sharper photos in lower light with better bokeh.
It would work, what's in the original post, but I'd rather have flash than continuous.
I'd buy this: http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-interfit-int119...
And this: http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-interfit-int411...
And this: http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-colorama-1-72x1...
And this: http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-interfit-cor756...
The last 2, you could get away without them, once you've taken 5 shots on that backdrop it's probably going to date your photos and/or they'll look boring. You can, with a bit of an extension lead, take the flash outside into the garden on a non windy or rainy day, it makes portraits more interesting.
I'd buy this: http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-interfit-int119...
And this: http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-interfit-int411...
And this: http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-colorama-1-72x1...
And this: http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-interfit-cor756...
The last 2, you could get away without them, once you've taken 5 shots on that backdrop it's probably going to date your photos and/or they'll look boring. You can, with a bit of an extension lead, take the flash outside into the garden on a non windy or rainy day, it makes portraits more interesting.
I've got this kit, or one pretty much identical.
I used it for taking product photos - big products!
Got pretty good results for a handful of coins. The differences are the quality of the backgrounds. We needed a huge background.
It was a woven, white, nylon. Problem was it wasn't particularly opaque, so we had to use two thicknesses which nullified the fact we had bought a large sheet as we had to fold it.
The light stands are reasonable, as is the prop for the backing. The bulbs are reasonably bright 'daylight' temperature bulbs.
In terms of the light output, with both lights on I used a couple of lenses:
Tamron f2.8 24-70 where at f5.6 to 6.3 I was hitting ISO 2500 to 4000.
Sigma f1.4 85mm where at f6.3 I was able to shoot at ISO 400.
Bear in mind, these are £700 lenses, and I really had to use the prime lens to get better results with those lights. I think you'd have problems with the kit lens, as has been said. I'd recommend the f1.8 50mm at £70.
The kit is a good start, but, if you wanted you could add more of the lights - bulbs are a tenner on eBay - people use them to grow cannabis...
Or, you could use bounce flash, if what you were doing was suitable for it. I wouldn't use the in-body flash on the 600D.
I used it for taking product photos - big products!
Got pretty good results for a handful of coins. The differences are the quality of the backgrounds. We needed a huge background.
It was a woven, white, nylon. Problem was it wasn't particularly opaque, so we had to use two thicknesses which nullified the fact we had bought a large sheet as we had to fold it.
The light stands are reasonable, as is the prop for the backing. The bulbs are reasonably bright 'daylight' temperature bulbs.
In terms of the light output, with both lights on I used a couple of lenses:
Tamron f2.8 24-70 where at f5.6 to 6.3 I was hitting ISO 2500 to 4000.
Sigma f1.4 85mm where at f6.3 I was able to shoot at ISO 400.
Bear in mind, these are £700 lenses, and I really had to use the prime lens to get better results with those lights. I think you'd have problems with the kit lens, as has been said. I'd recommend the f1.8 50mm at £70.
The kit is a good start, but, if you wanted you could add more of the lights - bulbs are a tenner on eBay - people use them to grow cannabis...
Or, you could use bounce flash, if what you were doing was suitable for it. I wouldn't use the in-body flash on the 600D.
Product is a bit different, it's not going anywhere so you dont mind sticking the camera on a tripod and 1/10th of a second or a 3 second exposure's not going to make a difference
People shots, you're going to need flash to freeze them and a shutter speed that'll either increase or drop the amount of ambient light while trying to keep your ISO under 400. Kids are terrible for the focus beeps by the way when you use flash, they hear the beep and blink
People shots, you're going to need flash to freeze them and a shutter speed that'll either increase or drop the amount of ambient light while trying to keep your ISO under 400. Kids are terrible for the focus beeps by the way when you use flash, they hear the beep and blink
JustinP1 said:
In terms of the light output, with both lights on I used a couple of lenses:
Tamron f2.8 24-70 where at f5.6 to 6.3 I was hitting ISO 2500 to 4000.
Sigma f1.4 85mm where at f6.3 I was able to shoot at ISO 400.
That doesn't make any sense - at least 3 stops difference in exposure for the same f stop? I'd say theres something wrong with your 24-70 or you've got an ND filter on the front of it Tamron f2.8 24-70 where at f5.6 to 6.3 I was hitting ISO 2500 to 4000.
Sigma f1.4 85mm where at f6.3 I was able to shoot at ISO 400.
And shooting products ideally you'd put it on a tripod with the ISO as low as it goes and increase the shutter speed.
Back O/T I'd forget continuous, unless you've got a camera that handles high ISO really well, also you are limiting the amount of light modifiers you can use - look for a flash kit that uses a Bowens S fit, there's more of a learning curve (but ultimately better results) with flash, start with mastering 1 light and build from there.
And as mentioned have a look at Lencarta, I supplemented my ageing Bowens strobes with 4 of their Elite Pro strobes, very impressed for the money.
Edited by Pickled on Wednesday 11th November 14:55
Pickled said:
JustinP1 said:
In terms of the light output, with both lights on I used a couple of lenses:
Tamron f2.8 24-70 where at f5.6 to 6.3 I was hitting ISO 2500 to 4000.
Sigma f1.4 85mm where at f6.3 I was able to shoot at ISO 400.
That doesn't make any sense - at least 3 stops difference in exposure for the same f stop? I'd say theres something wrong with your 24-70 or you've got an ND filter on the front of it Tamron f2.8 24-70 where at f5.6 to 6.3 I was hitting ISO 2500 to 4000.
Sigma f1.4 85mm where at f6.3 I was able to shoot at ISO 400.
And shooting products ideally you'd put it on a tripod with the ISO as low as it goes and increase the shutter speed.
Back O/T I'd forget continuous, unless you've got a camera that handles high ISO really well, also you are limiting the amount of light modifiers you can use - look for a flash kit that uses a Bowens S fit, there's more of a learning curve (but ultimately better results) with flash, start with mastering 1 light and build from there.
And as mentioned have a look at Lencarta, I supplemented my ageing Bowens strobes with 4 of their Elite Pro strobes, very impressed for the money.
Edited by Pickled on Wednesday 11th November 14:55
As you worried me I checked the tested specs at DXOmark there should be 1.7 Tstops difference between the lenses inherently, and that's measured where the Tamron is best at 24mm. Presumably it would be worse at 70mm which was where I was using it? There may be some variation between the subjects and shots as well.
The point I was making was that a fast prime would be a worthwhile investment over the Canon kit lens. According to DXOmark, there's 2.9 Tstops between the Canon kit lens and the 50mm f1.8 - which is a significant difference in what shots can be achieved.
andy-xr said:
A fast prime would be pointless for studio portrait work, when different faces are on different focal planes and different depths of field you'll largely get a s
t photo that's OOF on at least one person.
Of course, ideally, the a good zoom would be better, however, I think that might be out of the OP's intended price range. t photo that's OOF on at least one person. Most of the portraits I do of the family are with a prime lens, stopped down, as it performs better than the zoom. At £70 the 50mm f1.8 is a good, cheap investment IMHO.
Edited by JustinP1 on Thursday 12th November 10:34
That I'd agree with, I like 85-135mm range for headshots, 35-50mm for general people shots. I like the different in IQ with a prime, and that it's a cheap lens is all the more reason.
The speed of it though, when you want good all round focus and sharpness, you're going to be f/8-f/11 @ ISO200-400 sort of area. If you can control the thickness, direction and strength of light, there's no real reason to compromise on aperture and ISO unless you want to, rather than you have to
The speed of it though, when you want good all round focus and sharpness, you're going to be f/8-f/11 @ ISO200-400 sort of area. If you can control the thickness, direction and strength of light, there's no real reason to compromise on aperture and ISO unless you want to, rather than you have to
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