Lens recommendation for product photography please

[mikeyg]

Hello.

I'm looking for some advice on lenses for product photography.

I do design and creative work for direct mail product companies. Products such as camera's, stereo's, phones, cutlery sets, clock radios, etc. I get the product, design the flyer, get it approved from the client and then take the product to the photographer. The final photography and my files then go to the printer.

I decided to do my own photography instead of spending many thousands of dollars with outside purchases.

I have both a Digital Rebel 6.3 and a Canon 20D. I do have 2 light tents and plenty of lights (spots, reflectors, booms, etc.) All shots are done on a tripod. My biggest concern is which lenses to use.

Both the cameras came with the Canon 18-55 but I'm not very happy with the results. I was getting too much distortion depending how close I was to the product. If the product was on an angle, the part closest to the camera looked TOO BIG and distorted, kinda like a fisheye bulge.

I then purchased a Canon flat 50mm f/1.8 and that works really well especially when I need to be 8-15 ft away. But what about the shots where I am only going to be 18" to 4ft away from the product? A local camera store recommended the Canon 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5, but I'm always hesitant when a commissioned salesperson recommends something.

Just looking for some good, solid advice.

Thanks VERY much!

Mike

[skyphix]

What about some of the Macro lens choices?
This thread may be of help
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=64091&highlight=Macro

[DaveG]

Hello.

I'm looking for some advice on lenses for product photography.

I do design and creative work for direct mail product companies. Products such as camera's, stereo's, phones, cutlery sets, clock radios, etc. I get the product, design the flyer, get it approved from the client and then take the product to the photographer. The final photography and my files then go to the printer.

I decided to do my own photography instead of spending many thousands of dollars with outside purchases.

I have both a Digital Rebel 6.3 and a Canon 20D. I do have 2 light tents and plenty of lights (spots, reflectors, booms, etc.) All shots are done on a tripod. My biggest concern is which lenses to use.

Both the cameras came with the Canon 18-55 but I'm not very happy with the results. I was getting too much distortion depending how close I was to the product. If the product was on an angle, the part closest to the camera looked TOO BIG and distorted, kinda like a fisheye bulge.

I then purchased a Canon flat 50mm f/1.8 and that works really well especially when I need to be 8-15 ft away. But what about the shots where I am only going to be 18" to 4ft away from the product? A local camera store recommended the Canon 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5, but I'm always hesitant when a commissioned salesperson recommends something.

Just looking for some good, solid advice.

Thanks VERY much!

Mike


A lens you should look at is one of the Canon tilt-shift lenses, either the 45 or the 90. Both are non AF lenses but you can maximize depth of field and perspective control with this kind of lens. My guess is that your previous photographer was using either one of these lenses or was using a view camera with these movements while shooting medium format.

Now the key to this stuff is actually knowing what you are doing. Having the tools is one thing, making them go is another. Mostly this is going to be about lighting. I have a friend who does this kind of stuff and his toy collection is emmense, but he can also make the lighting sing. If you haven't done this kind of stuff before, all I can say is that it's not as easy as it looks.

[cc10d]

The Canon 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5, as recomended to you by the salesperson will let you close but so did your 18-55. The perspective distorion would be just as much or more with the 10-22. The tilt swivel will help with that or you need to figure out how to use the 50. The closeness is what gets the apparent distorion. Small things, get close larger things back up. :) Enjoy the adventure!

[radar-eclipse]

Canon makes a 50-some macro lens. I use the 100mm macro and it is dead on great. However, this may be too much mm for some shots but consider it.