Medium Format or DSLR for specific style of pics

[bilbob96g]

We are a small manufacturing company that deals with knitted products. I have 2 "photo gurus" in house and we want to take specific product shots of our products for the web and print.

An example of what we need to produce can be found at the following link. Just wait for the page to load and hover over the image and you can see the zoom pic details we need to reproduce.
Baltimore White Black on Orange Strapped Fit

No, we are not Strideline but we do have our stuff made in the same factory but we are MUCH smaller and thus have a smaller budget.

The images taken above are from a Phase One P25 as I am told by my people. I have also been told I do not need a $30,000 dollar set up to get these results. My people have told me we can do this with a Nikon d7200 with a Nikon 58mm f/1.4G AF-S Nikkor Lens and most definitely get the results with a D810 and the same lens.

Is this possible? I am no photography expert by any means and this would be a major investment for our small start up. I just want to know who is right as one of my guys say this is possible because the P25 is an older model. I know I can get a used P25 for around 6,000 and up. The nikon d810 is just over 5,000 dollars with the lens above which costs 1,900 in itself. The d7200 wth the lens would be about 3,000 dollars.

I have searched high and low and see great results with the Nikons above but the general opinion is that the medium format is better. But is it better for my specific needs. this set up would only be for product shots lke the one above and mainly for the web. I just like the fact you can see the fuzz on the edges of the socks and clear detail of the knitting.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[jaomul]

I'm not sure if you're just advertising or serious about a camera.I'll give benefit of doubt. A good photographer could get shots like that with an entry level camera, a good lens, a good lighting set up and some knowledge

 

[sashbar]

Using medium format for this type of photography is akin of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, really. Product photography pros here will give you a more detailed prescription, but in my view Nikon d7200 is absolutely adequate to say the least. Something cheaper like D5200 will do just as well. What you need to factor in, though, is the lighting system, a good, solid tripod and a good convertor/editor for pp.

 

[bilbob96g]

Thanks Jaomul. No it is not advertising. I just couldn't get the pic to upload in the bigger format so I gave the link. Hope that isn't misconstrued in any way here. I am nothing more than a Phone camera user and am at the mercy of the two employees I have.

I have been looking through the web ofr any info and I have found a lot of good advice but it is not specific to my needs and covers more landscape and stuff like that.

I know from reading that the lens is a big factor. I just don't want to buy a ferrari when a Chevrolet would work just fine.

 

[bilbob96g]

Sashbar,
Thank you for the advice. Yes I have been looking at lighting and what would be required also. that is a minor expense compared to purchasing a 5000 dollar camera set up. At least with two opinions here I am getting the feeling that I would be able to buy the cheaper camera.

One thing was about the lens needed. that lens is 1900 dollars online but i had asked if it would be better to have a multiple lens that goes from like 24 to 100mm. I was told by my guys that this lens would be all that is needed. Again, just worrying about spending 1900 bucks and then I get another cost on top of that because they were wrong.

Thanks again

 

[jaomul]

A good kit lens could do this. There are many here will correct me if I am wrong. I am not great. I have a friend who is good at this type if set up. Id be confident he could do this with a d3200 and 18-105mm kit lens if he had the right lights at his disposal. It's about light and knowledge,These shots will have controlled light, the lenses will likely be at f8 or at there sweet spot anyway. Expensive lenses, or at least very expensive lenses would not really be required I think

 

[bilbob96g]

Thanks again Jaomul I really am kinda stunned at the fast responses here in this forum.

 

[sashbar]

Sashbar,
Thank you for the advice. Yes I have been looking at lighting and what would be required also. that is a minor expense compared to purchasing a 5000 dollar camera set up. At least with two opinions here I am getting the feeling that I would be able to buy the cheaper camera.

One thing was about the lens needed. that lens is 1900 dollars online but i had asked if it would be better to have a multiple lens that goes from like 24 to 100mm. I was told by my guys that this lens would be all that is needed. Again, just worrying about spending 1900 bucks and then I get another cost on top of that because they were wrong.

Thanks again

Re lenses my opinion is - 56mm 1.4 is an overkill, a much much cheaper 50 mm 1.8G ( $217 on Amazon) is more than adequate. A very good lense.
Zoom is more convenient if your product differs in size, and should you go for a zoom, I would look for a good used older pro zoom like Nikon 35-70mm f/2.8 (1987-2007), that is a pro quality and built like a tank. You can pick it up quite cheap. And you do not need a modern IS (image stabilization) since you will be using a tripod. Note that with D3xxx and D5xxx series auto focus will not work with older lenses (you will need to adjust it manually) but D7xxx has an internal AF drive and therefore works well.

Anyway do not throw away your money until you know exactly what is needed.

 

[Dao]

The important ingredient of the result of the sock photo is not the camera itself. It is part of the ingredient, but not the main one. The key is the knowledge of how to execute it. The knowledge, experience of the setup and the light is more important than the camera and lens. An entry level DSLR with a decent lens should be able do it with the similar setup. I believe even a high-end point and shoot camera is able to do that if it can trigger the lights.

Looks like the sock photo is based on a 3 lights setup. 2 narrower beam on each side and one diffused light above the camera and on the slight right side.

 

[tirediron]

Let's ask the important question: What is the intended use of the images? If you (for some odd reason) want to print 30x48, 300ppi with full detail, maybe you do need the Phase 1, but if you're planning to do this for web use only, then ANY current (or previous generation) DSLR and kit lens will produce an image of equal quality, given appropriate lighting.

 

[Buckster]

Let's ask the important question: What is the intended use of the images? If you (for some odd reason) want to print 30x48, 300ppi with full detail, maybe you do need the Phase 1, but if you're planning to do this for web use only, then ANY current (or previous generation) DSLR and kit lens will produce an image of equal quality, given appropriate lighting.

Even that poster-sized print wouldn't require the Phase 1, and certainly wouldn't justify the cost. A DSLR can still handle it just fine.

And if you REALLY had to have some crazy level of super-fine detail on a poster that size so that people can get their eyeballs within millimeters of it and still see every molecule of the sock in ultra-sharp detail (which is not how people view large prints), you could do it by shooting that sock in 4 shots (or even more!) and stitching them together in software.

That's one of the beauties of product photography. The subject doesn't move unless you move it. You can re-position the camera, adjust the lights, change out the background, etc., etc., etc., and the subject kindly just stays in place.

 

[The_Traveler]

What they all said.^

An important point is that, once you have the setup - even if it takes a week of fiddling to get it right - it will be right essentially forever.

 

[Ysarex87 81]

Seriously?

A D7200 would be major overkill for that. I just ran out on the front porch and took my $300.00 point and shoot with me. The inset is just an enlargement of the underlying photo. I could have gotten closer and taken a 2nd photo for the weave inset.

Joe

 

[bilbob96g]

Thanks for all the replies here. I am going to look at all the info and see what we can do. Tirediron and Buckster and Traveler. I appreciate your advice. No these won't be for large print but could be used in smaller print like our product books.

Ysarex, you have given me an idea. I have a Samsung Camera that was purchased a couple of years ago for my wife. I don't remember the model number but it is the one that had what looked like and android phone built into the back. I am going to go ahead and get some high quality lights as suggested above and start from there.

We are small so I have time to grow this and realize I don't need to spend a huge amount of money on all of this.

 

[Derrel]

I looked at the small photo and also the zoom magnified image, which is of very high technical quality. First off, the 58/1.4 is a lens with simply dreadful field curvature; it would be a simply AWFUL lens for close-up technical or product work. Not that long ago I downloaded and examined about 75 images from the 58/1.4...mathematically, somebody in your employ has multiplied its length x 1.5 and thinks that makes it a good lens for the task at hand...I can assure you, it is not a good close-up lens.

What you should have is some lighting gear, a shooting table set-up, some background and table-top materials on hand, and so on, and a good macro lens: a lens designed to be shot at close ranges, with a flat image field, and good detail rendering. I would use a Nikon 24 to 36 MP d-slr and a 60mm, or 90mm, or 105mm macro lens. I would light it with a large sotbox and two smaller lights to provide the dual "separation lighting" on both sides of the sock. Surely you can see that the sock is lighted on left and right with two light sources which are "hotter" and also "crisper" than the main light that softly illuminates the front of the sock.

You do not need a medium format digital camera for this type of shot!