Another DIY light box, with build and test pics

I got my first DSLR last week! Here's my picture from my lightbox. How does it look?

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RedCarpet wrote in post #5733466
Hey, I was just Googling Live Histogram and found a site that talks about "Supercharge Your Camera with Open-Source CHDK Firmware."

So apparently you can hack the Canon and make those Zebras flash live (I assume) just like you can make the Histogram live. Haven't tried it yet, but I think I will. Still, Canon should have enabled this already so you don't have to hack!

it's all true - worked very well on my S3is - unfortunately, there's no new firmware released to date that can operate the EOS DSLR's... but check the wiki and forums occasionally to see if this will change...

photobitz wrote in post #5750226
Very impressive.

How do you meter your exposures to get the background evenly whitened?

Thank you! I'm afraid I'm still too much of a noob at this to have it down to a science yet, more like shoot a few shots adjusting settings slightly then take the best ones to photoshop for touch up. For these I was using spot metering on the lenses themselves, the difference between the dark lenses and the white background seemed to have helped with the bg. Also, I do use just the background to set my custom white balance, as many on this thread have suggested. That seems to really be the key.

riyazi wrote in post #5750448
Indeed - very impressive (the pictures as well as the lens collection)

What paper have you used for the background - the slight shadow at the bottom looks grainy which might be the paper texture ?

Thanks! I wish they were all L's (and I wish the 100-400 was a 500 4) but until I can figure out how to make this hobby pay for some of it's toys itself, they'll have to do. I'm afraid I threw away the wrapper and label to the paper so I can't tell you exactly what kind/brand it is, it's just a roll of 36" wide by 120" long (I think), cheap, white craft paper from the local Hobby Lobby store. It does have a slight texture to it though, which kind of adds that effect to shadows sometimes. Not intentional, but I kind of like the effect.

I few more from the same evening...

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Back288 wrote in post #5751949
Also, I do use just the background to set my custom white balance, as many on this thread have suggested. That seems to really be the key.

Did you also compensate exposure by a stop or 2 in camera as suggeted in some posts ?

Back288 wrote in post #5751949
Thanks! I wish they were all L's (and I wish the 100-400 was a 500 4)

Ahhhh the human mind - never satisfied I wish I had the lenses you have but if I did I would be wishing they were Ls too

Back288 wrote in post #5751949
It does have a slight texture to it though, which kind of adds that effect to shadows sometimes. Not intentional, but I kind of like the effect.

I agree it does add something interesting to the slight shadow but at first glance it looked like a lot of noise / grain

Back288 wrote in post #5751949
I few more from the same evening...

Great stuff again - hardly noob stuff

Back288 wrote in post #5751949
Couldn't get the background very even on this one without making the light-gray car look white...back to the drawing board

How about setting the WB based on the Grey off the car ? Might seem like setting WB based on a 18% grey card.

wowwww tooo many posts to read through!!!

i am trying to find a step by step instruction on making the box..can anyone tell me or direct me to the proper post that has it? thanks!!

First make sure that it's evenly lighted. Then, try this:
First set the f-stop & shutter speed you need. Then adjust the ISO. Need an exposure crutch?

This shows how the subject can affect the exposure & why manual keeps me worry free: Post #47

Take a shot of the white ON the meter reading. The pic will look gray with the histogram right in the middle, which is as good as any other gray, as long as there's a difference in the RGB values so the compensation can be calculated.
Use that for a Custom WB.

There's one on the page before this & others scattered around. Find one you like.

riyazi wrote in post #5752132
Did you also compensate exposure by a stop or 2 in camera as suggeted in some posts ?

I agree it does add something interesting to the slight shadow but at first glance it looked like a lot of noise / grain

How about setting the WB based on the Grey off the car ? Might seem like setting WB based on a 18% grey card.

Thank you for the tips and kind comments! Most of these were taken with EC +1, I'll have to try bumping it up a bit next time. I thought it was noise at first too and started trying to get rid of it in pp, but after looking at it at 100% I could tell it was in the paper and decided to keep it in. I never thought of that...cool idea, more to try this weekend!

desi_xti wrote in post #5752146
wowwww tooo many posts to read through!!!

i am trying to find a step by step instruction on making the box..can anyone tell me or direct me to the proper post that has it? thanks!!

There are many different takes on it here and they're really scattered about, sorry I can't help you with individual pages. I just looked at many of the posts showing the box itself and the building processes, bought some supplies (went with the foam board technique) based on a combination of what I read, and put one together by trial an error (mostly error, I'm not handy).

PhotosGuy wrote in post #5752280
First make sure that it's evenly lighted. Then, try this:
First set the f-stop & shutter speed you need. Then adjust the ISO. Need an exposure crutch?

This shows how the subject can affect the exposure & why manual keeps me worry free: Post #47 Take a shot of the white ON the meter reading. The pic will look gray with the histogram right in the middle, which is as good as any other gray, as long as there's a difference in the RGB values so the compensation can be calculated.

Thank you Frank, great advice!

desi_xti wrote in post #5752146
wowwww tooo many posts to read through!!!

i am trying to find a step by step instruction on making the box..can anyone tell me or direct me to the proper post that has it? thanks!!

Depends on how much money you want to spend, compaired to how you want it built.

But if you don't have time to read... will you have time to build it?

There are MANY ways to build it. Its not hard. Here is one tutorial...
http://www.pbase.com/w​lhuber/light_box_light​_tent

A few more with a mirror. C&C welcome, Needs alot of work

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i like what "HOGSTER86" has...seems very convenient!! that's what im trying to find..

I like those, mindchatter They have a very magazine-finish to them Amazing how you haven't got the edges of the mirror, or any unsightly reflections in the images Unless they've been PS'd out?


David

They are great. The only thing I would pick on with any effort is, find a front silvered mirror. They are commonly the plastic type. Not glass. The reason is the glass is also reflecting, so you ehd up with a double reflection, or a fuzzy one. A front silvered mirror had the shiny stuff on top. Very easy to scratch, but no double reflections.

PhotosGuy wrote in post #5752280
First make sure that it's evenly lighted. Then, try this:
First set the f-stop & shutter speed you need. Then adjust the ISO. Need an exposure crutch?

This shows how the subject can affect the exposure & why manual keeps me worry free: Post #47

Yes, that's what I was thinking. I very rarely use auto modes so manual settings are no biggie.

So anyways, I decided to have a go at this last night. Went to the hardware store and bought a couple of cheap flood lights (AU$9 each - what a bargain!).

My pictures came out a little bit washed around the edges of the subject. I am thinking this is because of the following:

1. The box I used is too small so the diffusing sheets were too close to the subject.
   
2. The paper I used for the diffusers was too opaque - had to move the lamps really close to get a good light but that caused them to spotlight too much.

With stuff that does not move you don't need to be very bright. Right now I use 3 100 watt florescent bulbs in aluminum reflectors. Its not bright at all. But a slow shutter speed makes it alright!. You need a tripod, but you may have already known that.

I did have to crop alittle.. I tried my best to position them so that the backdrop would bounce off the mirror and not the diffuser on top..lol.. thank you very much for the kind response, makes me wanna go shoot more.