best camera for jewelry photography?

[marioncage]

Hello,

I am a jewelry designer and am looking to purchase a camera + lenses for photographing my work and would love any advice on this subject. I am not a professional photographer so the camera would need to be "user-friendly".

 

[rtex42]

In my opinion the camera is less important than the lens and lighting. You, of course, will want a decent camera but there is no 'best' camera for macro/close-up photography.

You did not mention a budget so it is hard to make specific recommendations.

I would suggest one of the many macro lenses in the 90mm to 105mm range, they are pretty much all f2.8 and range from around $400 to around $1100 depending on brand, etc.

For jewelry photography, I prefer a light box arrangement. A google search will find lots of info on them and they can easily be made DIY.

Lighting itself can be as simple as a few inexpensive LED lamps. You should be able to find recommendations for using a light box to photograph jewelry on Google.

Once you get a setup that works for you you will not need to make many changes so the learning curve should flatten out quickly.

Hope this helps,

Rick

 

[D Cox]

There are plenty of tips on this web site:

http://tabletopstudio.com/HowTo_page.html

As for cameras, there are many that would do. You might look at the Olympus models with M4/3 size sensors. Olympus have a long tradition in close up photography.

Check out the Olympus OM-D EM-10 II for example.

Alternatively, Sony models such as the A6000 or A6300 are good.

 

[Michael Benveniste]

Hello,

I am a jewelry designer and am looking to purchase a camera + lenses for photographing my work and would love any advice on this subject. I am not a professional photographer so the camera would need to be "user-friendly".

The bad news is that there's no one best camera. The good news is that there are a number of excellent choices. It really depends on how you plan to use the photographs. For online sales, you might want to choose a compact camera with macro capability, or even to use your mobile phone. For print advertising, you might want to step up to a "bridge" camera or interchangeable lens camera with macro capability. For posters and larger prints, you might want an interchangeable lens camera with "stacking" capability.

Here are some suggestions, but if at all possible you should visit a camera store and choose the camera that feels right to you. I've deliberately chosen quite a few different brands -- the brand is less important than getting a camera you feel comfortable using.

• Compact Camera -- Olympus TG-5
• Bridge Camera -- Sony RX-10 IV
• Mirrorless (small) -- Fuji X-T20, Panasonic GX-9 (60mm lens with either)
• Mirrorless (professional) -- Sony A7III (90mm lens), Nikon Z7 (105mm lens)
• SLR (professional) -- Canon EOS 6D Mark II (100mm lens)

Light travels at 2.13085531 × 10^14 smoots per fortnight. Catch some today!

 

[Geenine]

I have been hired to shoot jewelry for a business. My employer has a decent DSLR and a choice of macro lenses, but they want more DOF than I can get with a DSLR. So I'm looking for a good compact with a hotshoe to fire studio flashes. I'm limited to Canon cameras, new or old. I have a chance to get a Canon G11?

I'm grateful for any advice

 

[Michael Benveniste]

So I'm looking for a good compact with a hotshoe to fire studio flashes. I'm limited to Canon cameras, new or old. I have a chance to get a Canon G11?

I'm grateful for any advice

I've never handled a G11, but the challenge with that or any compact camera is going to be the short working distance. Getting the light from studio flashes evenly onto the subject when the camera is so close is not easy. I would suggest considering something like an LED ring light.

 

[Sranang Boi]

The cheapest option would be to get a Panasonic G80 with its 12-60mm kit zoom. Fit a +1 dioptre macro lens to it, and then shoot the jewellery using focus bracketing, which the G80 supports. That will give you DOF that can't br achieved via any other means. Do a search on focus bracketing.

I use the same technique for my wife's custom jewellery business.

 

[Richard B99]

I have been hired to shoot jewelry for a business. My employer has a decent DSLR and a choice of macro lenses, but they want more DOF than I can get with a DSLR. So I'm looking for a good compact with a hotshoe to fire studio flashes. I'm limited to Canon cameras, new or old. I have a chance to get a Canon G11?

I'm grateful for any advice

The answer may lie elsewhere. That is in focus stacking multiple images from the DSLR.

Before you spend money on another camera, have a look at focus stacking software like Zerene or Helicon Soft Focus. Both do 30 free trials. I find the latter a bit easier to use and more economical but many think Zerene has the ultimate edge. Certainly, Helicon is pretty quick to experiment with from a standing start. Loads of info on their respective sites and the web.

If that looks like it will do the job it sounds like you have almost everything equipment wise. I’m guessing your employer may well have a decent tripod with head. In which case a buying a focussing rail is all you will need to create stacks of images.

Ultimately, focus stacking will give much better ‘DOF’ than any single out of camera image.

HTH

 

[Sranang Boi]

Why the need for a DSLR and a focus rail. Quite a few M43 cameras can do it even hand held.

 

[Richard B99]

Why the need for a DSLR and a focus rail. Quite a few M43 cameras can do it even hand held.

Well, OP states his employer has DSLRs and he is limited to Canons. Likelihood is the DSLRs don’t do auto focus stacking so my suggestion was for a sensible minimum cost to get good results without needing to re-gear.

 

[friendlycombatant]

Hello,

I am a jewelry designer and am looking to purchase a camera + lenses for photographing my work and would love any advice on this subject. I am not a professional photographer so the camera would need to be "user-friendly".

As has been mentioned there is no one camera that is right for the job. However your request for a "user-friendly" camera really misses the point because unless you are prepared to learn the basics of operating a modern DSLR to understand how to set it up for the job at hand you are really going to waste a lot of time and money.

The idea you can set the controls to Auto and expect the camera to do the job is quite frankly absurd. Find someone who knows how to take macro photos and ask for help. A few hours basic instruction and after you have taken a lot of pictures, another few hours correcting your mistakes.

This won't be the end of your education, this is just to get you started. You will never stop learning.

Here's a couple of suggestions to get you going:

go for a late model DX camera, either Nikon, Canon or Sony. I don't recommend FX as the gear is expensive, the lenses are heavy (and expensive), the file sizes are too big and the DOF is not good enough. Yes I know focus stacking fixes the DOF problem but that takes time and if you have a lot to get through good luck finding the time.

Don't get the cheapest camera in the range, once you get going you will be looking for features that aren't available in the bottom line model.

The comments made about the lens is true, buy the sharpest macro lens you can afford. If you don't buy it the first time around you will be back for one later. And with a DX camera you need a 60mm lens, I have a 90mm which I almost never use. It gets too close. And I am sure someone will want to mention that a 60 on DX is the same as a 90 on FX.

Then there are the accessories. If you don't live somewhere where you have good available light then a light box is essential. It isn't necessary if you receive good sunlight but that does present other issues. I have a floor to ceiling window alongside what passes for my studio. However I have to tape white plastic over the glass to block the yellow rays of sun coming through. All white gold and silver comes up yellow if I don't. Please note I am talking about ambient light, the direct rays of the sun, even through the plastic, are far too harsh.

The items I do need are a tripod (I honestly don't know how anyone can do the job without it), a shutter release and a reflector. One of those big pop-out reflectors that come with a handle. There's nothing like it for directing light straight at gemstones and diamonds to "light them up".

I am currently using a Nikon D7200 which I notice has just been discontinued. If you can pick one up it is an excellent choice but one of the other major brands will be fine. I have a Tamron 60mm lens on the front, a few years old now but it hasn't missed a beat and continually impresses with its sharpness.

My advice is probably not what others will suggest and I am sure others have far more impressive gear but I have been making my living from this for 10 years and if you are serious about taking good jewellery photos then I can tell you this will do the job. Good luck.