Advice for 50 mm lens? OR a new Camera?

Anon_camnew1 wrote:

Hello

Big welcome to the forum M!

I have a canon EOS Rebel T1i

The good news is that I can tell you from experience that the T1i is entirely capable of recording archival quality images of artwork (I shot with the 50D for years, which has the same sensor as the T1i). A few tweaks is all you might need.

That said, you might certainly enjoy all of the improvements that a new camera would bring (such as a tilt screen). But IMHO a new camera wouldn't be essential to accomplishing your stated aims.

I am a painter, so I only use this camera to shoot work in the studio for stuff like catalogs and online documentation.

Though it may seem to be a pretty straightforward task at first glance, just like the other visual arts there is a bit of competence necessary to achieve (if not the best results) then at least adequate results. Don't worry though, it's not nearly as hard as working with watercolors!

This year a professional photographer documented my work and I was blown away by the quality granted he had a set up of lights...

This may be irrelevant... but lighting situation in the studio, lots of artificial light and about 40% norther daylight I used to do the two tungesten lights at 45 degrees but now I just flood the whole studio and it seemed to work okay until I saw the pros photos.

Actually (without seeing some samples) I'd hazard a guess that lighting would in fact be the biggest consideration for you. In particular the color of the light. Being a painter, you're likely to notice that the color of the two light sources (northlight and tungsten) are very different, and can never be balanced within the same image (without something like color-balancing gels placed on the lights). It's important to maintain consistent color balance from all sources.

I'd suggest replacing the bulbs in the tungsten lights with 5000K - 6500K CFLs or LEDs. These will balance with the window light and give you nice consistent color. These are the ones I like to use (they're fairly sizable)...

105 Watt CFL Bulbs

These particular bulbs actually measure 140 watts, and have a very high (lumens) output.

You should also set a Custom White Balance in the camera (using a white piece of paper) in order to make sure the color reproduction is faithful.

Also vary the light ratio (unbalanced output) between the two lights if you want to emphasize the texture/brush-strokes etc.

Depending on your paintings' surface, you might want to put a polarizing filter on the lens in order to minimize unwanted highlights (bright spots) caused by the lighting.

And as mentioned previously, a tripod would be ideal for this type of work (I'd say necessary with the equipment under discussion).

In ending the session I complained my own photos are a hair blurry and he looked at my camera and lens. Off that bat he he said I needed a 50 mm lens thats full frame and that a 35 mm might be okay enough. I have a standard 18-55mm general canon lens now.

A lens like the 18-55 should be stopped down (aperture at ~f/8) to give you adequate depth of field and corner-to-corner sharpness, and an appropriate focal length chosen to minimize distortions. To give you the most control, shoot in Manual Exposure mode (just check your shots on the LCD as you go). Make sure you don't overexpose.

Shooting using the back LCD (with Exposure Simulation) will give you a good idea of what the exposure will be before you even take the shot. And the autofocus will be the most accurate. Don't zoom after you focus though, as this lens is not parfocal (it'll change focus as you zoom).

Looking around at different 50mm lenses I am confused at which to choose. Sigma... Canon... other makes? Thoughts? I am told lens quality is actually one of the biggest issue overlooked by many.

If the recommended settings still yield unsharp images with your kit lens, then the aforementioned 35 or 50 would be good choices. Personally I'd go with the 50mm STM (if the coverage is adequate). Shoot at f/8. Avoid wider focal lengths than 35mm so you minimize distortion.

in walking through the local tech store I noticed all kinds of new Nikons, Sony etc and I have been reading about better sensors too etc... since my model was new.

I can't lie here; these new camera are FUN to use. You might actually find lots of other applications for your new toy!

Budget is a pretty big deal for me I need to spend money on paint and materials and not always new camera gear.

Yup, those darn art supplies will break the bank! See if improvements in lighting and shooting technique can give you the results you desire. If not, then upgrade the lens first (that 50 STM provides a lot of bang for the buck!).

I am reading about mirrorless cameras too...to open another can of worms.

Primary benefits are size and usability. All these cameras are perfectly capable for what you are doing. It really comes down to personal preference. Try the various cameras out before you buy though!

I basically put it on the auto setting but have some manual experience.

Keep shooting Manual. You'll love the consistency, customizability, and repeatability.

Happy shooting to you! Best of luck,

R2