Need Help:Someone Please Recommend Settings

JaySki · Jun 22, 2011

I am trying to take some pictures of some products for my website.
The products are mostly cans of spray paint and bottles of ink...
I am using a Nikon d5000 with a 55-200dx lens that seems to work great, only the outside edges of the products are not as sharp as I'd like to have them.
I'm taking all the pictures in a light box with those "full spectrum" 100 watt bulbs...2 in the front, 2 on the side being diffused through a white cotton sheet and one on the top of the box also being diffused through a cotton sheet...
the lighting seems to be pretty decent but I can't get the image as sharp as it should be (or can be).
I'm shooting in "M" with the camera set at f/11 and ISO at "low 0.3"...
could anyone recommend a different setting that would sharpen my images?
thanks in advance!

2WheelPhoto · Jun 22, 2011

I had that cam and lens. I always shot in ISO 200 (if i remember correctly there was no 100 and manual gave a reason to use 200).

If I was worried about "outside edges" and trashed/soft corners I used the lens at about 135mm and framed the pic in the shot in a manner I could crop the good stuff out.

Bynx · Jun 22, 2011

Close your fstop down to f22 and you can get the depth of field you need.

dxqcanada · Jun 22, 2011

Increase the lens focal length to 200mm.
Are you using a tripod ?

Kerbouchard · Jun 22, 2011

Perhaps an example may help us diagnose your problem. How far away is your camera to your subject? At what focal length are you shooting? That will let us know if it is a DOF problem or something else.

What are you using to keep the camera steady? A tripod? Handheld? If using a tripod, are you using mirror lock up, or a time delay or a remote? Any time you touch the camera to press the shutter, you are introducing variables and vibrations that can make the shot less sharp. What shutter speed are you using? With continuous lighting, shutter speed plays a big part in how sharp the image is. Do you have VR turned on? Sometimes, when shooting from a tripod, VR can actually make a picture less sharp.

My guess is you are shooting relatively close to the subject at a long focal length therefore f/11 isn't enough to keep the entire can inside the depth of field, but paying attention to the above things can make a big difference in product photography, also.

Bynx · Jun 23, 2011

Since he is using a lightbox to shoot his subject Id imagine he is using a tripod. Shooting around 50mm to 80mm shouldnt be a problem and give max depth of field along with f22. Time is not a problem so ISO of 100 or 200 whichever is lowest.

JaySki · Jun 23, 2011

here are 2 of the pics...cropped because they were too big to upload.
the problems I keep having are:
1-the background keeps coming up this greyish color...
2-edges are not sharp...

I am using a tri-pod...sorry for leaving that out.
I also have bright white 100w bulbs but the colors seem to show better when I use the full-spectrum bulbs. I thought the bright white would make the background show white instead of grey but I was wrong...
I just can't seem to get the settings correct...
just to make sure, I should shoot in 'M', correct?

Kerbouchard · Jun 23, 2011

If you use a separate light to illuminate the background, you can get the white background that you are going for and you will also get some subject separation so that your edges will look sharper.

As far as what color lights you use, that doesn't really matter as long as your white balance is set properly for the lights.

JaySki · Jun 23, 2011

I set the white balance before I take the pictures...that's what I can't understand....

Kerbouchard · Jun 23, 2011

What is your shutter speed? Since incadescents operate on a 60 hz cycle, if you are taking a 1/100th of a second shutter speed, you might get some weird colors since you only captured part of a cycle and it will be inconsistent from shot to shot. Try a shutter speed of 1/60th.

In any case, your background isn't grey because of the color of the lights. It's grey because it doesn't have enough exposure to make it white.

Bynx · Jun 23, 2011

Id say your bottles are too close to the back wall causing large shadows which shouldnt be there and why you are using a shadow box. Also you shouldnt be seeing those large light reflections on the bottles. Looking at your EXIF data for the purple bottle shutter speed is 1/320 sec -- way too short. Fstop 5.6 -- way too big -- should be f22. Focal length 125mm, try using 80mm and moving the lens closer. Finally your ISO 160 -- Id recommend 400 just to keep your shutter speed from going on too long from closing your aperture to f22.

JaySki · Jun 23, 2011

cool! I'll try what you guys suggested and post the images.
thanks!
:mrgreen:
*edit:
real quick- would you recommend the 55-200 lens or the 35mm lens for the product shots?
thanks.

Bynx · Jun 24, 2011

I think you will get better results and less distortion if you use the 55-200.

o hey tyler · Jun 24, 2011

Bynx said:
Id say your bottles are too close to the back wall causing large shadows which shouldnt be there and why you are using a shadow box. Also you shouldnt be seeing those large light reflections on the bottles. Looking at your EXIF data for the purple bottle shutter speed is 1/320 sec -- way too short. Fstop 5.6 -- way too big -- should be f22. Focal length 125mm, try using 80mm and moving the lens closer. Finally your ISO 160 -- Id recommend 400 just to keep your shutter speed from going on too long from closing your aperture to f22.

There's not a good reason to use f/22. It will detract from sharpness due to diffraction. Try Between f/8 - f/11 for best results.

bluebendphoto · Jun 24, 2011

i agree with most of what has been said.

1. move the bottle away from the backdrop.
2. smaller aperture f8.
3. use a light from above so your backdrop has some light and gets rid of the shadows.