LebGeeks

maulader

Member

Photography set

I'm trying to get my hands on some photography set for small shooting small to large items in house.
I want to get a backdrop and a couple of softboxes with lighting and tripods.

Is there any place where I can find where i'm looking for a decent price?
Or am i better off getting them from amazon? or Aliexpress?

Waiting for your input on my best and cheapest options. thanks in advance.

rolf

Member

Re: Photography set

Here is my opinion for the cheapest options:
- What kind of lighting do you want? If you mean flash, I'm guessing there are some cheap basic options. Maybe the cheapest options are the ones that you mount on top of the camera, in which case you would need to find a way to wire them and trigger them remotely.
- Tripods: you would have to buy these
- Softboxes, reflectors, backdrop: You may be able to do these yourself

Generally photo equipment is expensive in Lebanon so you're better off importing it. For small Items I usually have someone get them for me or bring them when I travel. However I'm not sure about tripods, because they are bulky and (usually) heavy items it might be better to buy them in Lebanon.

I am not up-to-date on new developments in photographic equipment, so this is somewhat outdated information, yet I hope it will help.

Last edited by rolf (November 10 2018)

Vayl

Member

Re: Photography set

Can you give us some more detail about the setup you're trying to create? What are you photographing? Products, landscapes, portraits? As rolf pointed out things are usually more expensive here. There are 4 official providers (as far as I know): Nikon, Canon, Fujifilm and Sony. They all have their pros/cons.

As for lighting I'm not sure but I'm also interested in hearing about it.

Do check OLX though. They have an imaging section and you might be able to find good deals on camera bodies/lenses/flashes etc.

Peace.

rolf

Member

Re: Photography set

Can you give us some more detail about the setup you're trying to create? What are you photographing? Products, landscapes, portraits?

He wrote that he wants to photograph "small and large items in his house". So no landscapes or portraits, apparently.

I remember researching it once, there was a flash from some third party brand, cheap and powerful and it had good reviews, and it mounts on all cameras. No fancy features, but I think it can be set manually, so in this case I'm guessing it can also be wired and be used as lighting for softboxes, etc. I forgot the brand though, it was a few years back.

I don't know about availability either, I would get it off Ebay or something.

Last edited by rolf (November 13 2018)

samer

Admin

Re: Photography set

I remember researching it once, there was a flash from some third party brand, cheap and powerful and it had good reviews, and it mounts on all cameras. No fancy features, but I think it can be set manually, so in this case I'm guessing it can also be wired and be used as lighting for softboxes, etc. I forgot the brand though, it was a few years back.

Check out Yongnuo. They cost a fraction of a Canon Speedlite and should provide a pretty good performance.

maulader

Member

Re: Photography set

What i'm planning to shoot are hand items that my mom makes from knitting. They range in sizes highly from small items that I can already shoot in a small light box that I've made up to a full blown set on a mannequin.

So my biggest issue is taking proper shots of items that are usually suited for middle sized tables (30cm -70cm ) up to large sizes (2m+) for flatbed shots and for the mannequin shots as well.

Any suggestions/tips for my project are highly appreciated. As you can tell, the smaller the budget the better it is, as I am trying to save costs as to sell off these items by posting them properly on social media.

Do note that for now I do not have a camera, i am only using my phone until i can afford one. But I've noticed the lighting problem since I am living in a small apartment is giving more quality issues then my camera phone.

rtwo2008

Member

Re: Photography set

Sent you a private message.

rolf

Member

Re: Photography set

to sell off these items by posting them properly on social media.

Have you heard of Etsy?

Do note that for now I do not have a camera, i am only using my phone until i can afford one. But I've noticed the lighting problem since I am living in a small apartment is giving more quality issues then my camera phone.

Then definitely start by getting or borrowing a proper camera (with good quality lens) and a tripod. Then for the lighting you can start with just a reflector, basically a 100% pure white board of anything - polyester for example - to soften the light.

For a start, try to use one source of light - not a mix of various sources (artificial + natural) or different types of artificial lights. It will make it challenging to get nice whites.

Then use the reflector to soften the shadows.

You will also need a backdrop. Any big paper is good. You can go to Maliks or such and ask them to cut a big sheet of white paper from one of their paper rolls they use for plotters.

With a good camera with a decently big sensor and a tripod where you can make low exposures, you will get images with lots of exposure latitude so if you don't have perfect lighting it's OK, especially if you have professional photo software such as Photoshop, Corel AfterShot, or such to push the shadows and pull the highlights.

It doesn't go directly to shit when the lighting is bad, like mobile phones do.

Also another tip is use a long focal length ("zoom in" in people talk) and take the picture from far. It looks much better than sticking a mobile phone wide angle close to the object.

This should make lots of difference for a start.

If you don't know how to use a camera (and I don't mean putting it on Auto mode) then you have a bit to learn so get started!
Then you go into more advanced stuff later eventually.

Just "my two cents".

Last edited by rolf (November 15 2018)

xazbrat

Member

Re: Photography set

If you are gong to be using your phone as your camera, here is another suggestion.  Shoot the photos in RAW mode and then use a third party software like Adobe Lightroom or Snapseed to manipulate the photos.  You can also buy 3rd party software for your pc like Adobe Lightroom or Photo Ninja to do the work there.  There are tons of videos online on how to do manipulate RAW format photos and get good results. 

You should have a decent camera on your phone to do this otherwise ignore what I said.

rolf

Member

Re: Photography set

You should have a decent camera on your phone

For the type of photography he's doing he should get a regular camera and a tripod if he can afford it.

Check out the photos I took from a laptop that was for sale:

I just used a micro 4/3 camera with an old 100mm equiv. lens (which cost me like 30 dollars) to get the nice rectangular lines and blurred background.

As a backdrop, a flexible dark grey sheet of cardboard. The lighting was mixed, it was late in the afternoon. No reflector either.

Post processing in Adobe Lightroom CC.

Try that with a mobile phone and their tiny wide angle cameras.

Sorry I keep giving my opinion. I will try to shut up now.

Thanks for your answer though it is still nice advice and who knows, maybe the results will be good enough for him.

I should check out the software you mentioned.

Last edited by rolf (November 16 2018)

maulader

Member

Re: Photography set

Thanks all for the feedback. After your comments and some research, i am now interested in getting a beginner camera.
I still need a better set for my photos as my items are flat bed photos, and i have no access to outdoor lighting.

But for now, i would appreciate your feedback regarding getting a beginner camera for product photography. I am checking some guides online, if to get mirrorless or DSLR or which model. However our market is limited so i'd appreciate getting your input and which to stores to go too.

I have not set a budget yet, but you can figure that going for the bare minimum would be best (doesn't include point and shoot cams)

vlatkozelka

Member

Re: Photography set

I have not set a budget yet, but you can figure that going for the bare minimum would be best (doesn't include point and shoot cams)

A bit off topic but...

Budget depends a lot on how interested you are in the hobby you're getting into, and what the hobby is.

I remember when I got into playing the electric guitar, I bought the cheapest thing I could find, and regretted it a month later. As I got better at it, the bad things about the guitar and amp started to become more and more annoying/limiting, and eventually had to spend more on new equipment. The morale is I could've went for the better one from the start.

But of course don't go buy the most expensive thing out there, get the best thing that a beginner can start with. Something that won't under-perform as you get better at what you're doing.

mmk92

Member

Re: Photography set

I recently got into photography.

I bought a used Canon 550D with the standard 18-55mm lens for $300.

After around 2 weeks of usage, I fell in love with photography, so I decided to splurge a bit more to get another camera that had more features (WiFi, more focus points, actuating screen, and a higher pixel count). I opted for a brand new Canon 750D with the kit and a zoom lens.

The Canon 550D was cheap for its price and it could have done the job pretty well but I wanted the extra features enough to justify buying another camera and selling the 550D. In terms of image quality, aside from better low-light performance and the added resolution, the picture quality is still comparable and if you do your lighting right it won't matter.

You could start off with a cheap camera if you're on a budget and later on spend money on new lenses for different purposes.

rolf

Member

Re: Photography set

After around 2 weeks of usage, I fell in love with photography, so I decided to splurge a bit more to get another camera that had more features (WiFi, more focus points, actuating screen, and a higher pixel count). I opted for a brand new Canon 750D with the kit and a zoom lens.

Congratulations on your new equipment.

If I was you I would invest in a new lens to replace the kit lens, before anything else. High quality fixed focal lens will give you such better quality and open up the world of night photography.

I also thought that kit lenses are good, for most of my life, so I'm not gonna act like I'm better then you.

I bought a sharp fixed lens (F1.7) for my camera. It has no zoom and focuses 100 times slower than the kit lens.

But since I have seen the results, my kit lens is in the storage and I have not used it for years. No regrets. I do not miss the soft edges, and horrible noise at low light. Also the kit lens was big and looked kind of ugly on my camera.

I feel strongly about the topic and wanted to share my point of view.

However maybe the kit lens suits you best, because of the zoom, and maybe you are not interested in nigh photography of moving objects (people, etc.). To each their own!

What matters most is that you enjoy using your equipment in the end. I hope you're getting good photos out of it.

But for now, i would appreciate your feedback regarding getting a beginner camera for product photography. I am checking some guides online, if to get mirrorless or DSLR or which model. However our market is limited so i'd appreciate getting your input and which to stores to go too.

You are welcome, thanks for reading my long posts!

I went for micro four-thirds mirrorless. For product photography, I think it's a good option, because you don't really need a mirror for product photography (not for any type of photography but even less for indoors product photography, I think). You can use the LCD.

Also since it is fixed photography, you can go for the simpler models. You don't need the one that is weatherproofed, with 5 axis stabilization, 30 pictures per second and 3 control dials so that you can quickly change the settings! You will have no use for any of that.

My advice is to look at the sensor size. Mobile phone sensors are super tiny, so any camera is an upgrade usually. Generally, bigger sensors provide better dynamic range and less noise.

If you get a mirror-less with interchangeable lenses then you can put an adapter and have many lens options such as old manual lenses (if you find any in Lebanon!).

I got my camera from Canada at a very good price. It is small, it weight less than 1/2 kilo, but the image quality is very good and the lenses are interchangeable. It's an Olympus micro four-thirds camera. My particular model is discontinued, but the line still exists. The cheaper cameras of this line still have very good image quality, they use a sensor very similar to the most expensive models of the line, but have much less features (less controls, no stabilisation, etc.). Here is an example of such a camera:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ … micro.html

Panasonic also produce micro four-thirds cameras and they are comparable, and compatible, so you can put the Panasonic lenses on Olympus and vice-versa.

Otherwise you can get an entry-level Canon or Nikon DSLR, they are also good. They are chunkier, which can be nice, because the grip is much nicer than these small micro four-thirds camera which sometimes have the shape and size of a bar of soap.

There are also some good fixed-lens options from Canon, Nikon or others, you'd have to research - make sure you get one that has a good lens because you can't change it afterwards. There are many options!

Do you know anyone who can get a camera for you from abroad?

If not I'm afraid I don't know about cheap places in Lebanon. I don't know any specifics, but I'll try to keep this in mind, if I ever come across a shop that sells cameras at a good price I'll let you know.

For what it's worth, they have a Nikon shop at the airport duty free, maybe worth checking out if you get a chance (you or someone is traveling back to Lebanon).

I remember when I got into playing the electric guitar, I bought the cheapest thing I could find, and regretted it a month later. As I got better at it, the bad things about the guitar and amp started to become more and more annoying/limiting, and eventually had to spend more on new equipment. The morale is I could've went for the better one from the start.

You can get regrets by doing the opposite as well. You could buy an expensive guitar and then abandon your hobby or realise that it's not the style of guitar that you want or that you were ripped off (because you were ignorant about guitars back then). As you learn more you will have a better idea of what you want and then it makes sense to invest more money. Personally as a general philosophy I prefer to start cheap.

Last edited by rolf (November 26 2018)