Best Gear For Product Photography | Where To Invest?

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Product photographers love gear. It’s no wonder given the shear volume of stuff that we can easily accumulate. But where should you be spending your money? Photography equipment can be extremely expensive so it’s important to spend your money wisely and invest in the right places.
In this video, I wanted to cover where I think the best place for still life photographers to spend their money is. What gear will have the biggest impact to the quality of your photos? Is it camera’s, lenses, lighting, or something else?
LINKS FOR KIT IN THE VIDEO
Lee 129 - fave.co/2q4BaTE
Savage Translum - fave.co/2IsZpS3
Matthews 48x48 Trace Frame - fave.co/2q71RXy
48x48 trace frame (UK) - fave.co/2v6sNeY
Matthews Knuckle - fave.co/2uKFWu5
Extension Arm - fave.co/2q4WBny
Manfrotto Super Clamp - geni.us/DmQmnKf
Manfrotto Magic Arm - geni.us/rAyO84
Profoto Reflector - geni.us/mqwrzOr
Profoto Gird kit - fave.co/2q6E61S
VISIT SQUAREMOUNTAIN.CO.UK TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT US
squaremountain.co.uk/
CHECK OUT THE BLOG FOR EVEN MORE PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS
squaremountain.co.uk/product-...
FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: / square_mountain
Facebook: / sqmountain
Pinterest: / squaremountain
Square Mountain: squaremountain.co.uk/
LINKS TO MOST OF THE STUFF I USE…THERE’S A LOT!
CAMERAS AND LENSES
Nikon D810 - geni.us/cwHFb
Nikon D750 - geni.us/yya8gC
Sigma 150mm Macro - geni.us/B56E
Nikon 50mm - geni.us/F8mw9
Nikon 85mm - geni.us/oye1
Tamron 15-30mm Macro - geni.us/fzAJn
TRIPOD AND HEAD
Manfrotto 410 Junior - geni.us/9FB5b7
Tripod - Need a better one for the home studio
LIGHTING
Profoto D2 - geni.us/8uMYmJ
Profoto Air Remote - geni.us/ssbMlqc
Godox Speedlight - geni.us/HUKtxA
Shutter Release Trigger - geni.us/kxzt8I
MODIFIERS
Profoto 3x3 - fave.co/2q4RKTk
Profoto 1x1.3 - geni.us/dbBF4
Profoto Reflector - geni.us/mqwrzOr
Impact strip small 9 x 36 - fave.co/2q4Q3W0
Profoto Gird kit - fave.co/2q6E61S
Acrylic Mirror - geni.us/tHHV6X
Opal Acrylic - bit.ly/2EfVV2V
Lee 129 - fave.co/2q4BaTE
Savage Translum - fave.co/2IsZpS3
Cinefoil - geni.us/uz7rAbd
Polarizing Gel - fave.co/2q4IjTJ
GRIP
20-inch C-stand - fave.co/2It9q1M
40-inch C-stand - fave.co/2uOdQhG
Matthews Knuckle - fave.co/2uKFWu5
Matthews 48x48 Trace Frame - fave.co/2q71RXy
48x48 trace frame (UK) - fave.co/2v6sNeY
Baby Wall Plate - fave.co/2uIlqdH
Overhead Boom - fave.co/2q54M3j
Extension Arm - fave.co/2q4WBny
Manfrotto Super Clamp - geni.us/DmQmnKf
Manfrotto Magic Arm - geni.us/rAyO84
MISC
Acrylic surface - bit.ly/2Emr7xC
Acrylic blocks - bit.ly/2Emr7xC
Acrylic Ice Cubes - setshop.com/special-effects/ic...
Matt Paint Primer - bit.ly/2GuhHFY
Vegetable Glycerin - geni.us/oEGj
Label remover - geni.us/xjYcFyB
X-rite Colour Checker - geni.us/iDhK1
Wacom Tablet - geni.us/wJ5z
SOFTWARE
Adobe Creative Cloud - fave.co/2qe3JxV
Capture One - captureone.sjv.io/c/1331257/5...
Helicon Focus - store.payproglobal.com/r?u=ht...
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
RGG EDU - rggedu.com/collections/availa...
SLR Lounge - www.slrlounge.com/store/?refc...
Fstoppers - fstoppers.com/store
Phlearn - phlearn.com/affiliate/199/

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29 май 2018

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Комментарии : 60

@scottmurphy650 4 года назад

Light Tables are something that, although not a necessity, are an immense help when doing product photography. Ones with thin white plexiglass sheets are ideal for lighting from front, back and below. You can spend a $100 bucks or $1000. I spent just about $100 for a 24x51 table and it works fantastic. I recouped nearly 3 times the purchase price with the very first shoot.

@gavinferrie3161 6 лет назад

Translum is great, i use the heavyweight (2 stops of diffusion) and the medium (1.5 stops), just be aware that it is plastic, so if your modelling lights are too close for long periods, it can cause the Translum to melt/distort.

@maxbridge8921 6 лет назад

Thanks Gavin great to know. I'd like to try the heavy but I'm pretty happy with the Lee 129 stuff I have now. I've never had an issue with the lee diffusion melting. It gets used on film sets with very hot lights so must be a little more heat resistant. Will definitely give it a go one day!

@danieljohansson6334 4 года назад

@@maxbridge8921, excellent to-the-point and very well explaining video for a product photography beginner like me, thanks for that ! Liked and subscribed.

@NazimMotiwalla 11 месяцев назад

Hey Max. Amazing and very helpful video. I wish you would have shown practically how you use the arm and knuckles and trace frames. Also not forgetting to show what difference does light makes with that grid on.

@SusanneGeert Год назад

Another great video from you 🙌 I am curious about the Lee filters. I do product and food photography and was about to buy a roll of the 250 (half diffusion). But you recommend a thicker one. How big is the difference, do you know?

@chrisfor 4 года назад

I've used an opaque shower curtain instead of trace. You can make a frame for it with PVC pipe.

@sunilchitolie6771 3 года назад

Interesting. I’ve just been using some white cloth stretched out haha

@leonardrou 6 лет назад

I love your videos!Cheers from Greece..

@maxbridge8921 6 лет назад

Planet Of The Humans Thanks!

@Maniaquin 3 года назад

Really enjoyed the video, just a question - what power studio flash would be enough for the main light in a home studio? Choosing between Godox Ad series...

@maxbridge8921 3 года назад

My Profotos are 500 w/s. For most things that's fine but occasionally I need more power in which case a 1000 w/s head or even power packs are used.

@manoharmgr8235 3 года назад

வீடியோ மிகவும் பயனுள்ளதாக இருந்தது மிக்க நன்றி இரா.மனோகர் சென்னை . Very useful This video sir, , big thank you sir R.MANOHAR ,Chennai.India

@nonvegnani5560 3 года назад

thank you

@MarinaBrumpton 5 лет назад

Hi Max, a response would be awesome. I am photographing flat shots of clothing. I am really in a pickle. I looked at the Sony Alpha 6500 but that is very expensive at over 1k. I am after depth capturing all the detail. Is there a recommendation you can make? I already use the NEX 10 for my You Tube channel I have a macro lens 2.8/16 SEL no. 16F28. As kit lens I have model 1855 optical steady shot 3.5-5.6/18-55. is it worth sticking with Sony for the lens or can I use a cheaper model? Garments are all I photograph

@maxbridge8921 5 лет назад

Hi. Photographing clothing flat is not very demanding for your camera. The same is said for "capturing all the detail". So long as your camera sensor is parallel with the flat lay clothing, this should be pretty easy. In terms of the camera you mentioned, I'm afraid I don't know that end of the market very well but I'm fairly certain that most modern. Cameras would be ok for this. However, it totally depends on the requirements of your client. I'd advise using that info to base your decision

@markharris5771 5 лет назад

You can buy proper diffusing material now which is fire resistant, but I still use trace for my still life images. Nice video, thank you.

@maxbridge8921 5 лет назад

Thanks Mark. Far as I'm aware you've been able to buy fire resistant diffusion material for a long time, they use it on films all the time. They have lots of different types which are suitable for a range of things. I've not used it myself but been on plenty of film sets where they have. Trouble is, from what I've seen at least, that in still life it's not as flat and uniform as trace, sometimes you can even see threads in the fabric; from what I've heard anyway. I'd love to do a test with a bunch though.

@markharris5771 5 лет назад

Square Mountain That’s really interesting, I’ve only ever used trace but Karl Taylor swears by the material.

@russianhackee 5 лет назад

This is actually more helpful than you might think :) What are the clamps (?) called you used to hold bounce cards (?) in the bottles video I think? P.S. More vids pls?

@maxbridge8921 5 лет назад

Thanks, glad you found it helpful. Not sure which clamps you mean but the larger ones, which can hold heavy items, are called super clamps. I also use knuckles on occasion for heavy things. For lighter items I often use A clamps. The super clamps and knuckles are linked in the description, I have a whole section which lists most of the kit I use. I don't think there's a link to A clamps though. You can find those at camera stores but they tend to overcharge. I'd recommend finding a good hardware store for those, they usually sell them for a fraction of the cost. Will definitely be making more videos soon! Have been really busy but hopefully will find some time soon.

@russianhackee 5 лет назад

Thanks for the reply, yes, those would be A clamps that stand up (at 3:45 in the bottle photography video).

@booradley3146 4 года назад

Hi there. I'm a product photographer and portrait photographer. Lately I'm doing a lot of products and so I'm looking to invest in a new light. Currently I have a b1 and I love it, but it's not useful at all for product photography where I need the modeling light on a lot of the time. It just kills the battery. So I'm looking to get maybe a either a d1 1000 or a d2 500, but I can't seem to decide which one. All I see is profoto promoting the d2 1000 and not I'm sure how the 500 fairs. I also shoot a lot of look books. So I figured I'd reach out to you and see which one you would get given the options.

@maxbridge8921 4 года назад

Happy to help. In an ideal world you'd have both, plus a power pack for even more power, but that answer doesn't help much. I have 5 500w/s heads, if I need more power I rent. One day I might invest in a power pack, something like a D4 4800 but for the moment I'm happy renting when the need arises. There are definitely times when I need more power than a 500 head but given how good cameras are these days, I have no issue raising the ISO to 400, depending on the job and client of course. I hope that's helpful and let me know what you decide

@carlomarchi8611 5 лет назад

any advice to buy knife blade frame for guys who cames from italy? thanks

@maxbridge8921 5 лет назад

I'm afraid I don't now where in Italy but I'm sure you can buy them. You guys do have a pretty big photography industry so I'm sure somewhere stocks them

@user-zw1db4jp5n 6 месяцев назад

Hey Max. If I photograph large products such as chairs, sofas, strollers, beds, etc. a lens on the order of a 35mm f/1.4 or 1.8 at an aperture of f/8-16 would do a good job or would another focal length of the 24-70mm variety be needed.

@maxbridge8921 6 месяцев назад

Depends on the look you want to achieve. If it's just packshots then the 24-70 would be good

@fasttracksportsphotography6311 4 года назад

Best gear for a whole lot of money

@user-sc3ey6sv7f Год назад

What is the color grid 3-layer box that is kept on the table?

@maxbridge8921 Год назад

X-rite color checker passport

@Houston1906 2 года назад

Would a crop sensor camera be sufficient or is an upgrade to full frame necessary? By the way, Very informative video! Hope to see more content.

@maxbridge8921 2 года назад

No need to upgrade straight away. I always prefer to work with full frame cameras, it's what I'm used to, but there's nothing stopping you from taking a great shot on a crop sensor. If you needed a wide field of view or very shallow depth of field, which isn't very common in product work, then full frame has its advantages.

@Houston1906 2 года назад

@@maxbridge8921 Thanks for the insight!

@jdib1080 4 года назад

What if I have an extension tube instead of a macro lens. Will serve?

@maxbridge8921 4 года назад

I've not used extension tubes but I don't see why not

@adamk1520 4 года назад

Hi Max, Thank you for sharing these items. I'm looking to purchase equipment like this to take photos of my own product. My goal is to take more detailed photos on a white 255 background. Is a white 255 background achieved with lighting equipment and set up, or is it based on photoshop? I've always used photoshop, but I'm guessing that is the short cut method. In other words, I take a photo of my product, I then use photoshop to cut the item out and place it on a white 255 background, add shadows etc. I don't think this is the proper method. Do you have any recommendations on tutorials that show how to set up a white background photoshoot? Thank you again!

@maxbridge8921 4 года назад

You can do it either way depends what's best for the item, however, if it's ending up on pure white I usually get the background close to 255 (240 ish). That way the edges will show some of that bright highlight and it sits well on the background. That said, with extremely glossy items I often use Photoshop as they would reflect the background which can be tricky if it's pure white. I never make the background 255 in camera, just get somewhere close. I've not got any tutorials on this, sorry. Hope that was helpful.

@adamk1520 4 года назад

@@maxbridge8921 Thank you, Max. Is there a device or tool that is used to determine background color prior to snapping the picture? Or do you determine that once you've snapped the picture and uploaded to Photoshop?

@maxbridge8921 4 года назад

@@adamk1520 I'm not exactly sure what you mean but you always need to accurately set your white balance. The simplest method being to use a grey card, getting more complex you can use a colour chart and create a custom profile. Personally I never really do that 2nd step, just white balance using a grey card then make tweaks in C1 or PS if necessary.

@macktolentino8097 4 года назад

what camera do you prefer for product shooting?

@maxbridge8921 4 года назад

Honestly, I don't care that much about the camera. The most important thing to me are the lights and modifiers. However, since you asked, I currently have a Sony A7R iii and think it's great. I've shot with Canon and Nikon and prefer it to both of those. I can't comment too much on the medium format side.

@myvision4success 4 года назад

I was wondering if anyone can lead me in to product photography how to get started were to get clients Thanks

@eccentricsmithy2746 4 года назад

If you need to ask, then you are not ready to get into product photography

@myvision4success 4 года назад

Eccentric Smithy I’m ready

@no-trick-pony 2 года назад

Is there a reason not to use constant lights?

@maxbridge8921 2 года назад

Every light is different so it depends what lights you're talking about but in theory no there's no reason you can't. I know lots of photographers that use constant lights

@jdib1080 4 года назад

My camera is 18MP. Will work?

@maxbridge8921 4 года назад

18mp is a little low but it depends what you're using it for. If it's just images for the web then it's fine. If you plan to print large and be close to the print then I'd want more.