Homemade Light Tent

I have no personal use for a light tent, but I use it for work now and then. I feel I have a decent setup but not sure of the results.

I'm using a 400D and 24-105L IS lens, 100ISO, f/16 or so. I guess a 30D would be better for this type of work, but looking for some helpful tips.

These are compact flourescent bulbs, I believe 5300K. White balance is not a problem, these lights work great and PP is minimal.

Honestly I have no idea as this is new to me. Would it be best to zoom in tight, or go wide and just get the camera close? I'm using the center focus...good idea?

Here's a sample

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Nothing wrong with your light tent, your lights, or your camera. With a custom white balance, they should work fine.

You'll get fairly slow shutter speeds, so you'll want a cable release or use the self-timer to avoid camera movement.

Focal length vs. distance - probably won't matter much. I would just try to set it up so the camera is in a comfortable position for aiming. Experiment and see what works. I would recommend getting the whole works up on a table.

Thanks for the info! It is very uncomfortable on the floor, but I'll have it set up permanently on a table at work.

I think the biggest problem will simply be the product I'm shooting. My company manufactures and sells T-Slotted aluminum framing (www.faztek.net). It is all clear-anodized aluminum, which is very plain and boring to shoot. I won't be using this blue backdrop, since the aluminum reflects the color, so maybe a gray or white.

This stuff is sold in longer lengths, but I'll be shooting some 2" samples. Here is an example which I absolutely hate, so I will need to practice.

p.s. These lightbulbs are amazing. When I do a custom white balance with my WhiBal card, there is little or no change at all. Very nice balanced light!

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Bravo on getting the cool fluorescent lights. They're dimmer than hot lights, but I've sweated some mighty bullets working closely with the little heat generators!

I think you've got a very nice start on things. I've used a variety of focal lengths to take similar pictures. Some lenses have issues with distortion, etc. at the extremes, so somewhere in the middle may not be a bad idea, but the lens you have is great.

On your lighting, might I recommend that you bring the light on the left side around to the front somewhat? The front side of the items is lacking in a little bit of "punch" that may be aided by adding some light there.

Your light tent doesn't have a panel on the front, but you may have decent luck with some clips or tape to bring out some of the fabric and attach it to the tripod - admittedly, a quick and dirty solution....

Best of luck!