First attemtps with an EZcube photo tent

dugmardugmar Registered Users Posts: 756 Major grins
edited February 16, 2005 in Technique
Here are my first attempts. We bought this for product photography. It came in from www.ezcube.com yesterday. I got the complete kit with the 30" cube, mini-cube and the lights. Pretty nice stuff!

Comments / Camera setting suggestions / General pointers / Lens recommendations all welcome. I shot these at f11, ISO 200, from about 3' away. Both are cropped images.

Shooting with Digital Rebel with the standard 18-55mm lens, 5000K lights, tripod.

jager_sm.jpg

12760462-O.jpg

Comments

  • Michiel de BriederMichiel de Brieder Registered Users Posts: 864 Major grins
    edited December 16, 2004
    looking goooood!
    And not so pricey!!! Thanks for the link, I'm very interested in more results if you're willing to share!! I've given the heads-up also to my sister who works at a dancing- and brides-shoes factory that I do some product shoots for once in a while, maybe I can convince her to get that mwink.gif
    Thanks for sharing, looking forward to more results!
    *In my mind it IS real*
    Michiel de Brieder
    http://www.digital-eye.nl
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited December 16, 2004
    What a good idea..... & now cats all over the world will be happy to have their photo taken.
  • dugmardugmar Registered Users Posts: 756 Major grins
    edited December 16, 2004
    Michiel de Brieder wrote:
    And not so pricey!!! Thanks for the link, I'm very interested in more results if you're willing to share!! I've given the heads-up also to my sister who works at a dancing- and brides-shoes factory that I do some product shoots for once in a while, maybe I can convince her to get that mwink.gif
    Thanks for sharing, looking forward to more results!
    Thanks,

    So far so good. I love the lack of harsh shadows, this think basically eliminated all of it. I will post more for sure, as I get better at this. Here is a shot I took today of the lens I am selling...

    12788730-O.jpg
  • fishfish Registered Users Posts: 2,950 Major grins
    edited December 16, 2004
    That's really cool, dug. Could you post an overview photo of your setup?
    "Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk." - Edward Weston
    "The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
  • dugmardugmar Registered Users Posts: 756 Major grins
    edited December 16, 2004
    fish wrote:
    That's really cool, dug. Could you post an overview photo of your setup?
    Sure! I'll snap a shot when I'm back in the shop tomorrow morning. We set it up pretty nice, with a power strip, lights on both sides with holes in the table for them to pass through.

    Doug
  • fishfish Registered Users Posts: 2,950 Major grins
    edited December 16, 2004
    dugmar wrote:
    Sure! I'll snap a shot when I'm back in the shop tomorrow morning. We set it up pretty nice, with a power strip, lights on both sides with holes in the table for them to pass through.

    Doug


    Great...looking forward to it.
    "Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk." - Edward Weston
    "The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
  • dugmardugmar Registered Users Posts: 756 Major grins
    edited December 17, 2004
    As promised...

    You can see, we stapled down white cardboard. We did this for two reasons, 1.) The dark wood wouldn't bleed through the white fabric and show up in the photo and 2.) to keep the cube clean. Cardboard is nice because if it gets dirty we can easily replace it.

    Also see how we made a large hole in the table for the lights, allowing plenty of adjustment.

    Doug

    12815375-O.jpg

    12815376-O.jpg
  • mercphotomercphoto Registered Users Posts: 4,550 Major grins
    edited December 17, 2004
    light cubes are fun
    Nice setup. I think you'll find if you move the lights further away still, you might like the results a touch better. The highlights will get that much softer. Not huge diff, but noticeable. The other thing is, with the open front like that, you might find situations in which you can see the camera (and whatever is behind it) relfected in the product if you are shooting highly reflective items. In that case, use a white bed sheet in front and poke the camera lens through a hole.

    I don't have that light box, I have a slightly different one, but the end result is the same:

    http://mercphoto.smugmug.com/gallery/290218/1/11596273

    They are fun toys to have!
    Bill Jurasz - Mercury Photography - Cedar Park, TX
    A former sports shooter
    Follow me at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bjurasz/
    My Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/mercphoto?ref=hdr_shop_menu
  • dugmardugmar Registered Users Posts: 756 Major grins
    edited December 17, 2004
    mercphoto wrote:
    Nice setup. I think you'll find if you move the lights further away still, you might like the results a touch better. The highlights will get that much softer. Not huge diff, but noticeable.
    I acutally found the opposite to be true. I will experiment more.
    mercphoto wrote:
    The other thing is, with the open front like that, you might find situations in which you can see the camera (and whatever is behind it) relfected in the product if you are shooting highly reflective items. In that case, use a white bed sheet in front and poke the camera lens through a hole.
    This kit actually comes with a velcro door with a tiny slit in it for the lens that covers the entire front. Pretty cool!

    Doug
  • fishfish Registered Users Posts: 2,950 Major grins
    edited December 17, 2004
    Very cool! I'm looking forward to seeing more of your shots with that apparatus. thumb.gif
    "Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk." - Edward Weston
    "The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
  • DoctorItDoctorIt Administrators Posts: 11,951 moderator
    edited December 17, 2004
    Get that shift knob in there!
    Erik
    moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]

  • Aaron WilsonAaron Wilson Registered Users Posts: 339 Major grins
    edited December 17, 2004
    were is a good place to buy cubes?
    www.dipphoto.com
    All feed back is welcomed!!

    http://www.dipphoto.com/

    :lust :lust
  • dugmardugmar Registered Users Posts: 756 Major grins
    edited December 17, 2004
    Aaron Wilson wrote:
    were is a good place to buy cubes?
    http://www.ezcube.com/
  • Aaron WilsonAaron Wilson Registered Users Posts: 339 Major grins
    edited December 17, 2004
    :) I saw the link after I post... I see there on ebay for the same price.. what are they made out of? easy to clean?
    www.dipphoto.com
    All feed back is welcomed!!

    http://www.dipphoto.com/

    :lust :lust
  • PerezDesignGroupPerezDesignGroup Registered Users Posts: 395 Major grins
    edited December 17, 2004
    I have one too. Rock solid and made of nylon parachute material. Easy to clean and the lighting is superb. Samples below. Exact same setup as indicated above except I throw mine on my bed to shoot :D

    6417349-M.jpg
    6417377-M.jpg
    6417351-M.jpg
    Canon Digital Rebel | Canon EOS 35mm | Yashica Electro GSN | Fed5B | Holga 35 MF

  • dugmardugmar Registered Users Posts: 756 Major grins
    edited December 17, 2004
    Aaron Wilson wrote:
    :) I saw the link after I post... I see there on ebay for the same price.. what are they made out of? easy to clean?
    Well worth the money. Tough nylon material. A machine washable velcro'd backdrop comes with it.

    Doug
  • dugmardugmar Registered Users Posts: 756 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2004
    Latest one...

    wheels_bbs_rgr_lg.jpg
  • DoctorItDoctorIt Administrators Posts: 11,951 moderator
    edited December 23, 2004
    now that's purty thumb.gif

    can i come over and do all my ebay photos at your place??? mwink.gif
    Erik
    moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]

  • Michiel de BriederMichiel de Brieder Registered Users Posts: 864 Major grins
    edited December 27, 2004
    thanks for all examples and the setup dugmar!
    me wants it :D
    *In my mind it IS real*
    Michiel de Brieder
    http://www.digital-eye.nl
  • DoctorItDoctorIt Administrators Posts: 11,951 moderator
    edited February 16, 2005
    dugmar wrote:
    As promised...

    You can see, we stapled down white cardboard. We did this for two reasons, 1.) The dark wood wouldn't bleed through the white fabric and show up in the photo and 2.) to keep the cube clean. Cardboard is nice because if it gets dirty we can easily replace it.

    Also see how we made a large hole in the table for the lights, allowing plenty of adjustment.

    Doug

    12815375-O.jpg

    12815376-O.jpg
    Hey what happened to the photo of the setup here??? I just passed this thread on to someone else who was interested in similar shooting...
    Erik
    moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]

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