What lens for closeup

jandrewnelson

I've got a friend that makes jewelry. Mainly glass, but some metal and semi-precious stones. He wants me to shoot some of his pieces and has told me he'd buy the lens. I'm using a Canon EOS 20D. What lens would you recommend?

Thanks and blessings
Jerry Nelson
www.meesoon.smugmug.com

ziggy53

It's almost hard to find a "bad" true macro lens.

For Canon cameras, the following are the macro lenses I would both consider and recommend:

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM macro
http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/16...report--review

Sigma AF 105mm f/2.8 EX macro DG
http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/30...report--review

Tokina AF 100mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro D macro
http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/27...w--test-report

Tamron AF 90mm f/2.8 Di SP macro
http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/28...report--review

Remember that the lens is only part of the solution. Lighting plays a major role in quality macro and close focus photography. Light tents and other light modifiers are often part of the lighting solution.

Also ask whether the subject needs "clipping paths" for your friend's application. (For catalog work this is often a requirement.) If so, a "product table" with background sweeps can be a tremendous time saver.

jandrewnelson

ziggy53 wrote:

Also ask whether the subject needs "clipping paths" for your friend's application. (For catalog work this is often a requirement.) If so, a "product table" with background sweeps can be a tremendous time saver.

Wow...thanks for the thorough answer. What is a "clipping path". And by "background sweep" is that another term for backdrop?

Thanks for the help
Jerry Nelson
www.meesoon.smugmug.com

ziggy53

jandrewnelson wrote:

Wow...thanks for the thorough answer. What is a "clipping path". And by "background sweep" is that another term for backdrop?

Thanks for the help
Jerry Nelson
www.meesoon.smugmug.com

http://www.graphic-design-employment.com/photoshop-clipping-paths.html

A "background sweep" is a specific method for laying a background without creases. Used in conjuncion with a product table it can greatly reduce the time to separate the product from the background. Google for more information.

Manfr3d

jandrewnelson wrote:

I've got a friend that makes jewelry. Mainly glass, but some metal and semi-precious stones. He wants me to shoot some of his pieces and has told me he'd buy the lens. I'm using a Canon EOS 20D. What lens would you recommend?

Thanks and blessings
Jerry Nelson
www.meesoon.smugmug.com

Hi Jerry,

The lighting setup is the most important thing when photographing jewlery
and the likes. Here are some setup shopping list ideas:

+ White acryllic plate to shoot trough - light background
+ Black acryllic plate - dark background
+ LED Lights for sparkling stones, (a LED ringlight would be even better)

You will probably be shooting from an angle above where you don't have to
worry about a seamless background. If you use continous lights (instead of
flash) just be sure that all lamps (including the led's) have the same color
temperature.

Here is some more reading material that should help you approaching this
shoot: http://www.tabletopstudio.com/documents/jewelry_photography.htm

Concerning lenses, I would like to add these to ziggys recomendation list:

+ Canon 50mm f/2.5 Macro 1:2 (super lens)
+ Sigma 70mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1 (anoter iq gem)
+ Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 SP Macro 1:3 (versatile)

and in the high price segment:

+ Canon 90mm f/2.8 TS-E plus an extention tube (close focusing plus tilt)
+ Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L (also does Macro 1:3)

I would love to see the results of your shoot. Keep us posted

paddler4

I shoot a lot of macro, but so far only with short lenses. If you are considering a short lens, I would strongly recommend the EF-S 60mm f/2.8 over the EF 50mm f2.5 that Manfred recommended. I have owned them both, and I think the 60 is a MUCH better lens. It is true 1:1 (so twice the image size at closest focus as with the 50mm); it is USM, so it is quieter; it has full-time manual focusing; and it has much nicer bokeh (not so much an issue for your use, I guess). The image quality is simply superb. It does cost more than the 50mm, but it is not too expensive. It also makes a nice multi-purpose lens on a crop sensor camera like yours--good for portraits, and not bad, if a tad long, for a walk around lens.