Avoid These Common Mistakes: 3 Focus Techniques for Perfect Product Photography 

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My number one go-to method for focusing is: Swallow my pride and put on my glasses! I went for a long time with inconsistent focus results simply because I didn't realize how out of wack my peepers were getting. A pair of reading glasses from the thrift store solved that though.

Good explanation of the different methods. Those of us that started doing photography with film and view cameras learned the value of using lens and film plane movements quickly. Too bad cameras with movements are so rare today.

"3,200 joules of light". Every time someone mentions joules I do the mental conversion 1 joule ~ energy to lift an apple one metre. So I imagine thousands of apples dropping on the floor at once when the flash fires. It's a lot of energy.

Totally absorbing video. Thanks Scott!

Excellent demonstration!

Scott - I use all the methods you mention - mainly lens tilt and on occasions use Focus Stacking (with Zerene Stacking software) - again with anything up to a few hundred frames. I noted that you progressed each frame by refocussing the rear standard; by doing this you are actually not only moving the point of focus - but are actually changing the magnification of the whole image. My own preferred method is to focus pin sharp on the front edge - rail the fixed camera to the rear focal point - note the distance travelled. Come back to the front and split the rail-distance into however many frames required. My own Actus rail is mounted on an intermediate 100mm shoe to which I've fixed a micrometer drive. There is even a secondary (coarser) adjustment. The micrometer is used for high end macro/micro images and the coarse adj is used for general. As this yields no magnification change, there are less artifacts and edge-ribbon noise and the software copes far better with image blending. Obviously not a commercial approach but the more regimented method allows focus stacking to be replicated in adjacent, shifted frames - so stacked frames and be stitched together seamlessly (massive file sizes though if required). It might be noted that the order of the stacking process is occasionally better if it is reversed especially if there are complicated structures in the frame. Love the presentations - can only wish you continued success.

I’ve been following along with your technical videos in my studio. They’ve been so helpful. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise!

Focus stacking: first image focus on the front of subject - next image don't touch focus ring or the bellows - move the camera x mm closer to subject for each additional shot and so on - otherwise you get the same effect as focus breathing and the stacking will be harder. When using stopping down - don't focus in the middle of your subject - focus closer to 3/7 into the subject as there will always be more sharpness behind the point of focus than in front

These kinds of videos are very helpful for me. Every year I pick a new skill to work on and this year is product/still life photography. As part of my photo a day challenge, I needed to do food photography last week. Not great, but not as bad as I thought they would be.

Loving these more technical videos...and it seems you do too!

That was brilliant, thank you for sharing! What you said about flash duration vs power was like a light going off in my head! I know i learned that before, but it has not been part of my shot planning, and omg i feel like an idiot, lol

Lots of adapters available today. Just bought a $300 Pentax 645 lens and adapter for my Nikon D800. Brilliant

All I shoot is little cars that are 3 inches long….. I’m an amateur but the only way I’ve found to pull off the look I want is to combine all of this. I use a 90mm tilt-shift lens at F16 and stack a few images. Macro is a bitch. I would love to see how you would set up shooting something tiny on its own… like a little hot wheels or something of similar size.

90mm T/S lens is the best photography thing I ever bought. Stacking something that will be composited is a nightmare. Every time you add a highlight or flag something off, you have to stack that as well. T/S lens makes life a whole lot easier.

Not ever going to own such a marvellous rig, so no, not actually useful in future, but it was very instructive. Clarity of narration was excellent. Thank you.

I use Helicon regularly, it is great for bringing out the detail but, its also great at bringing out every tiny flaw, scratch and imperfections, oh and every fckn speck of dust too.

I can’t afford the Cambo but the Canon 50 TS-E is on my list for this year. Most of my stuff is not studio based but for exteriors and some detail shots, that lens looks clutch.

Well, it took me nearly 40 years to progress to a 4x5 view camera. Well, I'm an amateur, and I'm not into product photography. But still, the movements (even the simplest ones) are addictive!

Hey Scott, great video! Do u have to deal with LCC on the cambo?

Now if I could use that sort of system for product video on a slider, that would be sexy!

can tilt-shift lenses do the same job as the Cambo MV does?

I have a question about focus stacking. You always hear that it's better to use a Crop Senso because you can take multiple pictures with it. How do you see this and what software do you use for focus stacking?

What if you just used a tilt shift canon lens if you don't have a bellows like yours?

What if the client wanted the vertical part of the product also in focus?

Hi. What kind of bellows are you using ? Thanks

Can I use my horseman 4x5 body with the Sony A7iii body? What adapters should I need?

Schiempflug is the old way we used to shoot large format with film.

Does this method work for macro photography?

which lens are you using for this?

What exactly is technique 3? I could do with a video on bellows 😅

Nice work Scott… Most impressive is how you emphasised the best way of doing it without mentioning the name of the secret sauce…. You know: your best mate, the ’Scheimpflug Principle’…👀😱 (Shyme - flu - g) 😂 (Dyslexia rules k.o.) May the Force be with you.🌀 Jim🌀 (-: :-)

that system sure looks fun to use, wondering how the movement wide open for portraits would effect the outcome

And you forgot to mention that by focusing the horizontal plane, you can move your object anywhere in this plane without needing to refocusing

I notice your files took long to load i have old computer like 2013 and it takes 3 seconds compared to 2s on an iPad M2 guess you are using a wrong cable (yes in 16bit raw)