Best Camera for Product Photography (lots of it)
May 5, 2024 1:00 PM Subscribe
I have a website that requires a lot of product photography in a lightbox, around 200-300 pics per week, usually done all in one day. When it was just me, I used my iphone with Lightroom and that worked fine. Now I have employees and need a dedicated camera for product photography without spending a fortune.
I'm wondering if the best solution is to just buy a used iphone? My employees are currently using an older iphone of mine which is nice because the photos appear in realtime in my Lightroom account, so there's no transferring files back and forth. Is there an affordable camera that could also automagically either upload to lightroom or pass them to a computer via wifi? I think a DSLR is probably overkill. So, is there a better alternative to a $500 used iphone?
I'm wondering if the best solution is to just buy a used iphone? My employees are currently using an older iphone of mine which is nice because the photos appear in realtime in my Lightroom account, so there's no transferring files back and forth. Is there an affordable camera that could also automagically either upload to lightroom or pass them to a computer via wifi? I think a DSLR is probably overkill. So, is there a better alternative to a $500 used iphone?
Seconding doomsey. For simple product pics in a lightbox, an iPhone is, honestly, ideal.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:14 PM on May 5
posted by Thorzdad at 1:14 PM on May 5
I just searched [used camera store in toronto] and came up with a couple of promising stores.
The camera store near me literally has multiple bins of slightly-too-old-or-uninteresting cameras on the floor -- and that's separate from the bins of old film cameras.
Look on Craigslist for used cameras and see if one of your local outlets lists all their inventory on there, or on their website; call them and tell them what you need (and include the type of products you'll be photographing - that matters), and go there. Spring for a great tripod, maybe a remote shutter control, and tell them you want one that will automatically upload photos somehow.
Oh - I just learned about the existence of lighting cones. If you're doing small reflective items like jewelry, check those out.
posted by amtho at 3:29 PM on May 5 [1 favorite]
The camera store near me literally has multiple bins of slightly-too-old-or-uninteresting cameras on the floor -- and that's separate from the bins of old film cameras.
Look on Craigslist for used cameras and see if one of your local outlets lists all their inventory on there, or on their website; call them and tell them what you need (and include the type of products you'll be photographing - that matters), and go there. Spring for a great tripod, maybe a remote shutter control, and tell them you want one that will automatically upload photos somehow.
Oh - I just learned about the existence of lighting cones. If you're doing small reflective items like jewelry, check those out.
posted by amtho at 3:29 PM on May 5 [1 favorite]
The best production still camera is one that can connect directly to your post-processing software, obviating a lot of file transfer and management crap. You know this, and for less than $$$ that will be a used iPhone. Put the phone in a clamp on a tripod and plug it permanently into a charger. Done.
posted by seanmpuckett at 5:13 PM on May 5
posted by seanmpuckett at 5:13 PM on May 5
If you want to explore something a little different from an iPhone, the keyword you probably want is "mirrorless" - a mirrorless camera. They're smaller than DSLR cameras, and less expensive, but often fully featured. High end mirrorless cameras can be 16-20 megapixels.
posted by amtho at 8:00 PM on May 5
posted by amtho at 8:00 PM on May 5
Unless you want to spend a bunch on lights and equipment and your employees already really, really know how to use all of it, stick with iPhone.
The post-processing that happens on iPhone covers up a multitude of sins. Once you switch to a DSLR, it takes a decent amount of skill and equipment to just back up to the level of "just as good". Especially since you are doing 200-300 products a day. Unless all 300 are basically identical, you aren't going to be getting through all if you are adjusting c stands and power levels on your strobes and moving this light over here because of reflections there etc etc.
posted by Back At It Again At Krispy Kreme at 9:20 AM on May 6 [2 favorites]
The post-processing that happens on iPhone covers up a multitude of sins. Once you switch to a DSLR, it takes a decent amount of skill and equipment to just back up to the level of "just as good". Especially since you are doing 200-300 products a day. Unless all 300 are basically identical, you aren't going to be getting through all if you are adjusting c stands and power levels on your strobes and moving this light over here because of reflections there etc etc.
posted by Back At It Again At Krispy Kreme at 9:20 AM on May 6 [2 favorites]
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by doomsey at 1:07 PM on May 5 [2 favorites]