Discussion
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im thinking of ordering a light tent, and lights. Not sure what I need though. Has anyone used these tents, got any positive/negative feedback?
im thinking of ordering a light tent, and lights. Not sure what I need though. Has anyone used these tents, got any positive/negative feedback?
bacchus180 said:It would be helpful to hear why
crap, flat, lifeless images come out of light tents and cubes
and a few people seconding that opinion would be helpful too. What other options are there? Im sure one day I'll end up with a few top of the range soft boxes for portrait/other studio work, but im on a budget at the moment. Is there a better alternative, like one of those chair shaped thingies, praps?
I'm not an expert but I love mine, not a frequent user but cetainly does what I want it to do when required. I posted about it before so have a search. Had the use of a 30cm and bought an 80 for myself. It's probably a bit big and I'd go with a 50 if doing it again.
I use cheapo desk lamps from ikea and they do just fine as well.
Great for jewellery, I had to catalogue stuff for insurance and was able to show all the details including hallmarks without any problems. Doing it outside the tent was a nightmare.
I use cheapo desk lamps from ikea and they do just fine as well.
Great for jewellery, I had to catalogue stuff for insurance and was able to show all the details including hallmarks without any problems. Doing it outside the tent was a nightmare.
bacchus180 said:Praps one light might make more interesting shadows.
because they use heavily diffussed light from either side or all around as it reflects.. effectively a blanket of light with no shape.. you get flat lifeless images.
HankScorpio said:Cheapo lamps are a good idea. Do you use daylight bulbs, or correct in-camera, or with PS? The day light blubs arnt cheap, but ive had better results with them.
I'm not an expert but I love mine, not a frequent user but cetainly does what I want it to do when required. I posted about it before so have a search. Had the use of a 30cm and bought an 80 for myself. It's probably a bit big and I'd go with a 50 if doing it again.
I use cheapo desk lamps from ikea and they do just fine as well.
Great for jewellery, I had to catalogue stuff for insurance and was able to show all the details including hallmarks without any problems. Doing it outside the tent was a nightmare.
Does your setup let the camera catch the fabric of the tent, or are the whites always perfectly white and out of focus? And have you found creases to be a problem.
Ed, didnt you once say you had a tent, or similar? I'll post results this month sometime, after Ive found a tent.
Standard halogens, ikea do one that has two settings, one a bit whiter, one a bit yellower. Colours easily corrected/accounted for.
Tent itself has no creases because of the tension, inserts can have but can be ironed. I've tended to use the black rather than white. Here are those I posted before:
Tent itself has no creases because of the tension, inserts can have but can be ironed. I've tended to use the black rather than white. Here are those I posted before:
Very nice Hank! If I didnt know better, Id have thought you were a pro 
What made you wish you'd gone for 50cm over an 80? Size and convenience, or something else? I went for 80 in the end, arrives thursday
Given that you can pick up table-clip lamps and daylight bulbs for pennies, how many would you recommend? Im without a car at the moment (service etc) so I'll only be making one trip into town this week and dont have time experiment and go back for more bulbs till the weekend, just want to get stuck into shooting.
What made you wish you'd gone for 50cm over an 80? Size and convenience, or something else? I went for 80 in the end, arrives thursday
Given that you can pick up table-clip lamps and daylight bulbs for pennies, how many would you recommend? Im without a car at the moment (service etc) so I'll only be making one trip into town this week and dont have time experiment and go back for more bulbs till the weekend, just want to get stuck into shooting.
Thanks but nowhere near pro - point, shoot, get lucky occasionaly.
That was just using the downlighters in the kitchen, no additional light. I've found the computer sorts out any white balance problems so I haven't worried about the temperature of the lights.
The 80 is very large when expanded but you can get get bigger stuff in it obviously. There's only a couple of places in my house where it can sit, 50 would have been more versatile and easier to manage.
That was just using the downlighters in the kitchen, no additional light. I've found the computer sorts out any white balance problems so I haven't worried about the temperature of the lights.
The 80 is very large when expanded but you can get get bigger stuff in it obviously. There's only a couple of places in my house where it can sit, 50 would have been more versatile and easier to manage.
UKBob said:
Ed, didnt you once say you had a tent, or similar?
It's a bit big for what you'd want it for though, but it comes in handy for camping at Le Mans I've just got a (very) old set of studio lights off ebay, but all you really need to start with is a desk lamp or two, some bits of white and black card or cloth and maybe some different coloured card for backgrounds.
Essential photographers equipment, booze and eyedrops .
This is a very light tent...
.... or you can make a homemade light tent here
www.instructables.com/ex/i/BEFDA1F002CB102985CB001143E7E506/?ALLSTEPS
(fairly sure this is what bacchus180 used for his Champers shot
).
. This is a very light tent...
.... or you can make a homemade light tent here
www.instructables.com/ex/i/BEFDA1F002CB102985CB001143E7E506/?ALLSTEPS
(fairly sure this is what bacchus180 used for his Champers shot
).bacchus180 said:
crap, flat, lifeless images come out of light tents and cubes
used for product shots so you get nice diffused light over them.
I've got one bob. 120cm cube. its so big I need to use my studio flashes to light it lol. if you are going for small objects don't get a big one
poah said:I ordered an 80cm tent, and yes... i'll be shooting small objects, this size max:
crap, flat, lifeless images come out of light tents and cubes
used for product shots so you get nice diffused light over them.
I've got one bob. 120cm cube. its so big I need to use my studio flashes to light it lol. if you are going for small objects don't get a big one
hopefully it wont be too big, with a few daylight bulbs and lamps...?
poah said:
used for product shots so you get nice diffused light over them.
a light tent works by spreading light completely around and over the subject matter.. by default its diffused but non directional.. it comes in and bounces around and around reflecting off the inner cocoon. the end result is a flat lifeless image.. which by all means is great for catalogues, ebay and documenting objects..
however if you wish to create something with a little more punch, a cpl of lights a reflector and a sheet of perspex will give you alot more options. you can manage gradations and shadows.. even sunlight with a single diffuser or reflector will yield better results
I guess its all a question of what you are looking for...
alternatively a light tent and perspex table have a variety of other uses... as Barcardi and Ed point out.. you can sleep in it.. and if you have both you can eat off the perspex and store stuff on it!
HankScorpio said:It turned up. Got work to finish tonight, might have a play later.
Did it turn up Bob? Opinions? Samples?
Any idea where to buy some cheap table lamps which have a swiveling headpiece (kinky!)
I bought a few nice table top touch lamps today, but stupidly thought that they could take 100w bulbs
I thought the 'recommended 60w' lamps referred to how close the shade was to the lamp
ie you normally put 60w bulbs in small table lamps, higher rated bulbs in overhead lamps etc. Was looking all over for swivel head lamps today, but couldnt find any. id like to buy some top o ye range lighting equip later in the year, but want to get away with cheap as chips gear for now.
Hankscorpio said:Thanks for the link. The trouble is though, of those 20 swivel lamps, and the countless lamps we saw in the shops, none of them will take 100w bayonet or big screw bulbs.
http://tinyurl.com/o33ee
>> Edited by Hankscorpio on Thursday 11th May 20:01
I'm probably going to have to settle with a couple of candelabra style efforts each side of the light tent
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