'Product' Photos with an m9?

[TennesseJones]

Just wanted to ask quick advice from the wise here..

I'm taking some documentary style shots for a friend, of his company and for his website. So far so excellent, done a lot of that, always gone ok.

However just been asked to take a few product images as well. Going to be small, for the web. But I only have the m9, and a 90mm. Do I just use that and crop? Or rent a DSLR? These images don't have to be exciting, just simple and sharp.

All wisdom gratefully received!

 

[YYV_146]

I think the M9 will be just fine. Use a tripod, stop down and get a nice background. a 90mm focusing to 1m should be enough for the usual still composition, unless what you're shooting is absolutely tiny, like jewelry or small electronics.

 

[TennesseJones]

Thank you! That's what I was hoping.

It's some pill packets, i guess the size of your usual aspirin packet.

 

[Johann Espiritu]

As long as the product can be framed properly with a 90mm, given the focal length and minimum focal distance, you'll be fine. It's not the ideal set-up, but I assume you'll be chimping a bit. 😉

Will you be using studio strobes? You'll have to take into account the maximum sync speed too.

 

[TennesseJones]

I was planning, probably in my ignorance, to use three table lamps (perhaps through some paper) and a self made little white box. I'm doing it on site as I have to do all the documentary stuff as well.

 

[YYV_146]

Thank you! That's what I was hoping.

It's some pill packets, i guess the size of your usual aspirin packet.

Hmmm...I guess for small images cropping the frame might be fine.

M mount options for macro are very limited. The cheapest I can think of is the Novoflex M extension tubes, which allow 1:1 macro of almost any M lens at $200...you could hypothetically reverse mount the lens, i.e. mount the filter end to the body and get reasonable macro performance, but frankly I have no idea how to do it with the M bayonet.

Strobes shouldn't be a problem since you'd want to stop down for close-up performance anyways. The M sync speeds are pretty dismal, but that shouldn't be a problem for fixed setups.

I was planning, probably in my ignorance, to use three table lamps (perhaps through some paper) and a self made little white box. I'm doing it on site as I have to do all the documentary stuff as well.

That could work. IMO if you use a slow enough shutter, you can use a tablet or even a phone as a faux "ring flash" for head-on light.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Just wanted to ask quick advice from the wise here..

I'm taking some documentary style shots for a friend, of his company and for his website. So far so excellent, done a lot of that, always gone ok.

However just been asked to take a few product images as well. Going to be small, for the web. But I only have the m9, and a 90mm. Do I just use that and crop? Or rent a DSLR? These images don't have to be exciting, just simple and sharp.

All wisdom gratefully received!

Yes.

Cheers,

R.

 

[TennesseJones]

Thanks Roger!

Yes.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Mcary]

If you're not trying to mix ambient and strobe lighting the camera sync speed doesn't have that much impact when shooting with studio strobes. With studio strobes the lighting is mainly control via choice of aperture. Using a longer say 1/30th or short shutter say 1/250 sync speed simple increase or decreases the amount of ambient light in the image/shot.

 

[Sam Kanga]

Just wanted to ask quick advice from the wise here..

I'm taking some documentary style shots for a friend, of his company and for his website. So far so excellent, done a lot of that, always gone ok.

However just been asked to take a few product images as well. Going to be small, for the web. But I only have the m9, and a 90mm. Do I just use that and crop? Or rent a DSLR? These images don't have to be exciting, just simple and sharp.

All wisdom gratefully received!

Definitely.

Sam

 

[jaapv]

Hmmm...I guess for small images cropping the frame might be fine.

M mount options for macro are very limited. The cheapest I can think of is the Novoflex M extension tubes, which allow 1:1 macro of almost any M lens at $200...you could hypothetically reverse mount the lens, i.e. mount the filter end to the body and get reasonable macro performance, but frankly I have no idea how to do it with the M bayonet.

Strobes shouldn't be a problem since you'd want to stop down for close-up performance anyways. The M sync speeds are pretty dismal, but that shouldn't be a problem for fixed setups.



That could work. IMO if you use a slow enough shutter, you can use a tablet or even a phone as a faux "ring flash" for head-on light.

Very simple - Visoflex 3, bellows, Tele-Elmar 135 lens head, Compendium (optional)

Not only is this combo spectacularly good, it is also one of the easiest, if not the easiest macro setup to handle that I know of.

 

[TennesseJones]

I did it! Everyone happy!
Thanks to all for kind advice...

 

[Godfrey]

Just wanted to ask quick advice from the wise here..

I'm taking some documentary style shots for a friend, of his company and for his website. So far so excellent, done a lot of that, always gone ok.

However just been asked to take a few product images as well. Going to be small, for the web. But I only have the m9, and a 90mm. Do I just use that and crop? Or rent a DSLR? These images don't have to be exciting, just simple and sharp.

All wisdom gratefully received!

Glad it worked fine! Did you catch those products at the decisive moment ... ]'-)

G

 

[TennesseJones]

I think I did! Found their soul. So I passed the HCB test..
Without a lens that focuses close I sadly failed the Capa test (if your photos aren't good enough you're not close enough..)
But the job got done...

Glad it worked fine! Did you catch those products at the decisive moment ... ]'-)

G