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lens for D70s
- Thread starter giganten
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Good copy work is more about lighting than lenses. Being able to produce flat, even lighting over a good-sized surface area without hotspots and reflections can be a challenge. There's a fair bit of stuff out on the Internet, read lots of it- look hard at the common elements.
In terms of lenses, it all depends on how large the work is and how much space you have to work with. Look at minimum focusing distance specs and calculate the angle of view necessary.
You might also want to look at copy stands for positioning.
If you need to match colors, it's also good to invest in a color chart to get your lighting calibrated as closely as possible.
In terms of lenses, it all depends on how large the work is and how much space you have to work with. Look at minimum focusing distance specs and calculate the angle of view necessary.
You might also want to look at copy stands for positioning.
If you need to match colors, it's also good to invest in a color chart to get your lighting calibrated as closely as possible.
Thanks for the tips.
The size of my paintings is mostly between 56 x 76 cm to very small 10 x 15 cm.
Do you think this lens will be good for paintings and details on illustrations, Sigma EX 50/2,8 DG Macro? Or would it be better to get some good lights and take the pictures with the kit lens?
The size of my paintings is mostly between 56 x 76 cm to very small 10 x 15 cm.
Do you think this lens will be good for paintings and details on illustrations, Sigma EX 50/2,8 DG Macro? Or would it be better to get some good lights and take the pictures with the kit lens?
If the kit lens produces acceptable corners, then all you need is lighting. I don't know about the Sigma, as I don't own it- vignetting and distortion vary from lens to lens and you have to see what's acceptable to you, and what's correctable too.
I'd suggest Chapter 4 of "Light, Science & Magic" as a good starting point.
I don't see how you can get consistently well-lit images without controlling the light. If you're going to have the images near one another, then the consistency of that light is going to be very important as well.
I probably wouldn't risk hot lights around art work, a couple of low power strobes and some diffusion material should work for most situations.
10cm? Will the kit lens focus that close? If so them you can use it. But shoot at a small aperture like f/11 or close to that. Soyou have enough depth of field to take care of any focus error or non-flat field in the lens. IIt should go without saying that you will be using a sturdy tripod and the self timer or IR remote.
As for lights you don't need to spend much. You can buy what you need a Home Depot or any hardware store. usually peope use two lights one one either side of the camera aimed so the light hits the artwork at 45 degrees to the paper. Don't put the ligh to close and shade the lens so the light doen not hit the glass lens elments. If the artwork has some "3D" aspects like thick oil paints or paper fiber you may have to defuse the light or reflect it off some white cardboard to soften the shadows.
All that said, why not just use a scanner? Flat bed scanners work well for this kind of thing, as long as the artwork is not reflective and produce glare from the scanner's straight on light source. I just did a few old photos, one of them 100+ years old. The came out much better han if I hade tried to re-photogrph themwith my D50.