Nikon 55~200 AFS

[Designer]

Maybe at a distance there is less light? so shots are less focused?

Yet another misconception.

As I wrote in another lifetime; the amount of light does not affect the focus. If there is not enough light for the camera to focus, it will keep hunting for focus.

If you move the lights away from the handbag, then less light on your subject, but if you didn't move the lights, then you should have the same amount of light on your subject.

 

[Quovadis]

This is the correct answer that should have been given at the beginning of the thread. Not as much the lighting problem. I have learned a lot on this thread.
Thank you so much for explaining this in an easy way.
Basically, I was asking my 55-200 to do the impossible. The problem with the 18-55 is that it's way too sharp if I stand close to the bag. If I stand back, it too loses sharpness. However bags look natural at 6-9 feet away, as opposed to 2 feet away. So my problem now is to find a lens that looks totally sharp at a longer distance from the bag.
Small details on a bag (the creed or serial numbers) can be shot with the 18-55 at 1-2 feet away, but I have to find a prime that can handle the whole bag at a distance. (probably a 100 or 200 prime). I remains to be seen how far back I can stand with a 100mm. On my 55-200 i was standing back at least 8 feet and i was at 145mm or thereabouts.
When I joined this thread i was focusing manually now I'm using the automatic focus mostly, it's less time consuming, and works well.
If my understanding is correct, prime lenses are all manual? No auto focus motor? Is this correct?

 

[Quovadis]

Maybe at a distance there is less light? so shots are less focused?

Yet another misconception.

As I wrote in another lifetime; the amount of light does not affect the focus. If there is not enough light for the camera to focus, it will keep hunting for focus.

If you move the lights away from the handbag, then less light on your subject, but if you didn't move the lights, then you should have the same amount of light on your subject.

I'm pretty sure I have enough light, the lens has never denied me an automatic focus, Last night I added 6 fluorescent 105 watt bulbs, there's way too much light. I can tell because the metal parts of the bag are way too bright compared to the leathers. My tent is not able to diffuse all this light. I may be totally wrong, but i think for a bag it's better to have multiple weaker light sources coming from different angles than one or two huge 500 watt light sources. I have no clue, I know more about Chinese literature than I do studio lighting.

 

[astroNikon]

All modern AF-S lenses are auto focus.
AF-S lenses have a motor in the lens. Nikon d3x00 and d5x00 REQUIRE AF-S lenses for AutoFocus.

AF-D lenses do not have a motor in the lens, and REQUIRE a focus motor in the camera body which the d7x00, d500, and all FullFrame d6x0, d7x0, d8x0, d4, d5 etc bodies have.

Older AI-S lenses are Manual focus only.
Nikon still makes all types for certain purposes.

 

[astroNikon]

I'm pretty sure I have enough light, the lens has never denied me an automatic focus, Last night I added 6 fluorescent 105 watt bulbs, there's way too much light. I can tell because the metal parts of the bag are way too bright compared to the leathers. My tent is not able to diffuse all this light. I may be totally wrong, but i think for a bag it's better to have multiple weaker light sources coming from different angles than one or two huge 500 watt light sources. I have no clue, I know more about Chinese literature than I do studio lighting.

repeat ==> Light Science & Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting: Fil Hunter, Steven Biver, Paul Fuqua: 9780415719407: Amazon.com: Books

 

[Quovadis]

I just went to the Coach website and I am not at all impressed by the shots the photographer takes. WOW. They are all out of focus (They are using a soft lens) and the photographer has not bothered removing (toning down) the white dots of reflection from the leather...
Rogue Bag 36 in Colorblock Python

 

[astroNikon]

I just went to the Coach website and I am not at all impressed by the shots the photographer takes. WOW. They are all out of focus (They are using a soft lens) and the photographer has not bothered removing (toning down) the white dots of reflection from the leather...
Rogue Bag 36 in Colorblock Python

You must have a more acute eye than me .. I do wear glasses

If you look closely at the shadow(s) you can figure out that they may be using just one large strobe from the top, shifted slightly to the right. I'm no expert at it, but that's what I see.

with speedlight/strobes/diffusers you can direct and control your light
unlike light bulbs which just splatter light in every which way direction..

also that image is

1,034 × 1,034 JPEG (1.1 megapixels)
171,337 bytes (167 kilobytes)
Main image displayed here at 44% width (19% the area of the original)

definitely scaled down from the original, thus losing detail.

 

[Quovadis]

The 70-200 is way out of my budget for now. Also I do not need VR.
I think i would need a good 105mm.
I have a DX so 105mm would be about 130mm is this correct?

 

[astroNikon]

The 70-200 is way out of my budget for now. Also I do not need VR.
I think i would need a good 105mm.
I have a DX so 105mm would be about 130mm is this correct?

Nikon DX is about a 1.5x crop factor
so 105mm x 1.5 = 157.5

the 105/2.8 macro is an excellent and sharp lens. I was going to recommend it but unsure of your setup, etc etc etc. and I use FullFrame.

 

[Quovadis]

The 70-200 is way out of my budget for now. Also I do not need VR.
I think i would need a good 105mm.
I have a DX so 105mm would be about 130mm is this correct?

Nikon DX is about a 1.5x crop factor
so 105mm x 1.5 = 157.5

the 105/2.8 macro is an excellent and sharp lens. I was going to recommend it but unsure of your setup, etc etc etc. and I use FullFrame.

Do not hesitate to make recommendations.. I can buy try and return if need be.

 

[Designer]

I just went to the Coach website and I am not at all impressed by the shots the photographer takes. WOW. They are all out of focus (They are using a soft lens) and the photographer has not bothered removing (toning down) the white dots of reflection from the leather...
Rogue Bag 36 in Colorblock Python

The Coach photographer has a thin DOF, which makes the rear portion of the subject out of focus. The parts nearest the lens are in focus, IMO.

If you've got the time to tone down all the hot reflections, then be my guest. It would save time for you if you would set up the shot(s) to avoid most of the specular reflections in the first place. Get the book and read it.

 

[Quovadis]

I just went to the Coach website and I am not at all impressed by the shots the photographer takes. WOW. They are all out of focus (They are using a soft lens) and the photographer has not bothered removing (toning down) the white dots of reflection from the leather...
Rogue Bag 36 in Colorblock Python

The Coach photographer has a thin DOF, which makes the rear portion of the subject out of focus. The parts nearest the lens are in focus, IMO.

If you've got the time to tone down all the hot reflections, then be my guest. It would save time for you if you would set up the shot(s) to avoid most of the specular reflections in the first place. Get the book and read it.

Takes me 1 minute or less to tone them down...I have actions specifically created for those little buggers. I do agree it would be better if they were not there in the first place. I find all the bags on Coaches website could do with and unsharp mask 0.6 pixels x 130%

 

[Quovadis]

I just measured and I find bags look best (most natural) at 9~10 feet back. Which prime lens would be good for this distance? Obviously also 7~8 feet back would also be acceptable.
For the small details I can use the lens I have now the 18-55.

 

[Braineack]

if there was only a way for you to tell what focal length you were shooting at...

 

[Quovadis]

if there was only a way for you to tell what focal length you were shooting at...

Wait i will mount my 55-200 and tell you, Im pretty sure it was around 160mm