dennis_young2 Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 I have to live with the times to stay in business, so I need a camera that will provide good images for the web, along with fairly large prints to display on the wall of my furniture gallery. Trying to sell high end items from photos requires good resolution and attractive photographs. I was going to get a D70, until I picked one up and looked through the viewfinder, and it seemed nearly as chintsy as the Canon EOS sitting next to it. It could be that I'm not used to the feel of a modern camera! That about maxes out my budget. Maybe I can get by with a point and shoot camera for my purposes? I only will be photographing art indoors, no moving subjects, unless a nude model should happen to walk by. Thanks in advance for the help. Dennis in Japan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben conover Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 I sympathise about selling high end work with photographs. For my own work I use film cameras because they do not feel chinzy and they produce great results. However I would not rely on the web to sell anything for me based on screen resolution. I use a Fujica g690bl and a Nikon F4s. I guess you will probably bite the digital bullet, try not to! For the fine art prints you want to hang in your studio, a medium format film camera would be fine. You may want to buy both digital and film, or save money and just buy a good film camera and scan for the web. All the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob_malkin Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 as far as quality and feel of the camera, you get what yoyu pay for r Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben conover Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 Also Dennis, digital is really optimized for cheap proccessing, so ask yourself how much you will use the camera and what results you want from it. For my high end small scale purposes medium format film is perfect, but if I wanted something easier and cheesier I would simply get a digital point and shoot, buy one used, save some $$$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellis_vener_photography Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 On a limited budget the best DSLR right now under $1500US is goingto be the Canon EOS 350 (rebel XT). That may do the job for you. But high resolution is only part of the story. (If I am reading you right, you say you want to creative attractive photographs for both wall and web display that will help sell furniture. The bigger part ofthe story will be how you light the object you are photographing to make it appear attractive and therefore desireable. You don't need a lot of fancy & expensive lighting equipmentto do this with -- although that might make it easier or faster to do ,once you've learned how to use it, and do you really want another set of technical skills to learnand money spent on gearthat is at best, tangental to your business? -- you can create great light with sunlight or the lights you may have in your showroom. I have a good friend back in Texas who shot a very successful (from the client's cash register's point of view, as well as her own desires), award wiinning, & beautiful series of ads for a custom furniture maker using jsut natural light outdoors. But my friend has a very good eye for what makes a compellingly beautiful photograph. <P>So get your EOS 350D and a tripod and start experimenting. You probably have antural eye for what makes your products look best. Alll you'll need to do now is to learn how to translate what is in your head into what the camera sees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gib Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 If it was me....something like a Nikon N8008s (excellent viewfinder, metering: spot, center weighted, and matrix modes; works well with manual Nikkor lenses and Nikon auto focus but not G lenses), could be a simple manual focus 50mm f2.0 AI Nikkor lens; a good tripod; and some flavour of Nikon Speedlight Flash, and a little film..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vivek iyer Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 Nikon does offer a range of PS cameras with tons of accessories to go with them. Although, Sony's offerings in this area are difficult to beat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben conover Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 I agree with WJ Gibson because of the budget in mind. Although your title was 'Not interested in photography really' I think if you do start using a camera that feels good and makes memories (nude or not) then hopefully you will get some enjoyment out of it too. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew_kendall Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 How about an old Nikon FE or something, then just get your lab to scan the negs to a CD. See how it goes for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spearhead Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 Ellis gives the only answer that is going to help. Product type shots succeed because of the lighting and the care given to the lighting, not the camera. A properly lit photo taken with a 4MP digicam will be better than a poorly lit photo taken with a medium format camera. And that properly lit photo taken with a 4MP digicam should be able to sell a product just fine. Music and Portraits Blog: Life in Portugal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben conover Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 Excellent advice from Ellis but not the only solution or answer. Feel free to delete this if it is not worthy of your esteemed thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben conover Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 True that a 4mp camera can sell a product fine if the lighting is good. True that a 4mp camera may capture the atrocities of war. True that Dennis wants a real camera not a chinzy toy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albert_smith Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 <I>Trying to sell high end items from photos requires good resolution and attractive photographs.</I><P> This is true. That is why car companies, jewelers, food preparation experts, and countless other dealers in "high end items" do what is right for their presentations and hire photographers to make their products look their best.<P> Simply buying a fancy camera does not make the user a photographer equal to the capabilities of that camera. If as you say, you are not really interested in photography, you might just consider the cost of a real photographer part of the cost of doing business. Build the furniture with your expertise in this area, and allow an expert photographer to do justice to your art.<P> I know you were asking about a camera, but this is advise that might be more important to your goal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben conover Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 Take the plunge Dennis, press the shutter button, it gets easier every time. Plus then you don't have to worry about corporate overheads like hiring a sharp shooter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsbc Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 Lighting is crucial. The good thing about digital is that it allows you to experiment with lighting, cheaply. Second, even if you are very budget conscious, the fact that digital aloows white balance adjstment means you can dispense with a lot of gels, filters etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spearhead Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 <i>True that Dennis wants a real camera not a chinzy toy.</i><p> Magnum PJs are using digicams for assignment work in war areas. I seriously doubt that they would consider using a "chinzy (sic) toy."<p> But Albert really hit it on the head, more than me or even Ellis. If you're not interested in photography, don't take on work like this. Hire somebody really good. A different camera won't make your photos anywhere near good enough. Music and Portraits Blog: Life in Portugal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_walter1 Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 One other thought... As far as selling over the internet, screen resolution is on about 70 - 90 dpi. Therefore, scanning a picture at 150 dpi (or even greater) for viewing on a screen is a waste of time. I think I would enlarge the negative for a wall display, but scan a smaller print for internet use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jose_angel Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 Hi Dennis. I am in the same opinion as above. I don`t know what level of quality you need; you can use a coolpix or a 8x10" camera to do the work. You could need a complex flash system or a small single flash. I have already ordered some high resolution scans from Vevia 100F slides, to be then enlargered at the size of 100x70cms. Quality will be very good enough to be exhibited at a commercial department. More than 200USD each. Here is a fast sample of some images made for a odonthopediatric office. This ones were made for desk printing, brochures and a web page. We used my coolpix 5400 (my opinion is not so good about this camera, but works) with its built in flash, another $15 Metz flash, two $10 or less plastic toy-tripods, one Metz slave sensor, some colored files and towels for the background. Hundreds of images. Quality was enough for the needs at a very low cost.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben conover Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 Magnum PJ's can use what they like, Steve Mc Curry does it very well with film. I prefer film too. Sure Dennis, why not hire a sharp shooter and pay through the nose. Then can you live with the times to stay in business? Buy a camera and use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellis_vener_photography Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 <I> Plus then you don't have to worry about corporate overheads like hiring a sharp shooter.</I><P>Here is the difference between a professional or commercial photographer's point of view and that of an amateur. A professional knows that he is being being hired to help a client market a product -- to put a salary in his staff's pockets, to pay the rent, and to make a profit for his business. our job is to effectively communicate the client's message to the intended audience. An amatuer doesn't have or need these concerns: I'm both a professional photographer and an amatuer photographer. what being a professional means I have already explained. By amateur I mean that I love making photographs just for myself, to see how things look when photographed, so I can let myself screw up and the only thing I 've spent is my own money and my own time. I work equally hard at both aspects of my photography and the amateur side of my photography sometimes leads me to new ways of seeing or thinking. At the beginning of a professional job I know that if I screw up somehow -- not just technically but through mis-hearing or mis-understanding or not paying attention to the details other people pay a price for that as well. Pure amateurs like Ben don't have these kinds of pressure to deal with. <P>I'm not telling Dennis not to try it -- I think he should try it -- but I am warning him that a high resolution camera doesn't automatically equal great usable images. And Ben, if you read Dennis' post he is in a business setting, and marketing expenses aredefinitely part of that overhead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jscown Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 Ellis, you are exactly right... Great advice, as usual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 Sorry guys, I decided to trim some of the posts. Please keep the discussion civil. Thanks in advance for your cooperation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve g Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 If you aren't interested in photography, and thus most likey...not very good at it, a better camera won't help. A higher resolution camera will allow you to print big images that look just as bad as the small images you are used to getting printed. Hire a photographer to do your photography. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben conover Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 Thankyou sincerely Ellis. Very true, I do not have any pressures to deal with, and that is my want. I am a beginner and I like it that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis_young2 Posted March 31, 2005 Author Share Posted March 31, 2005 Thanks everyone for the thoughts, it is much appreciated. I certainly didn't wish to stir any conflict. I can appreciate the hire a pro approach, but here in Japan the cost of hiring a professional to shoot my furniture is cost prohibitive, being that it would have to be a regular thing. I have hired out before, and it runs me about six hundred dollars for two hours work, and not with the greatest of results. As was pointed out, I can see the best angle to shoot the pieces, and trying to convey this to the pro while sometimes peeking through the viewfinder, is not the best way to do it, so cost is not the only consideration. Experience dictates that I really need to do it myself. As for how good photos I need, I guess that I would want people looking at them to first think how attractive the woodwork is, then also be impressed by the quality of the photo, and it seems that it can never be too good. I see that lighting is also critical , I forgot about that. Yes indeed, having to invest in even more equipment beyond what I already have that allows me to be in business as a studio furniture maker, is not so compelling, but a camera for work photos is necessary. I'll wait for the new Nikon DSLR models to come out and have a look. As I mentioned in an earlier post, they are making space on the shelves for them at the local camera shop. Dennis in Hotaka, Japan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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