First attemtps with an EZcube photo tent

dugmar · December 16, 2004

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.

Michiel de Brieder · 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

Thanks for sharing, looking forward to more results!

gus · December 16, 2004

What a good idea..... & now cats all over the world will be happy to have their photo taken.

dugmar · 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
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...

fish · December 16, 2004

That's really cool, dug. Could you post an overview photo of your setup?

dugmar · 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

fish · 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.

dugmar · 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

mercphoto · 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!

dugmar · 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

fish · December 17, 2004

Very cool! I'm looking forward to seeing more of your shots with that apparatus.

DoctorIt · December 17, 2004

Get that shift knob in there!

Aaron Wilson · December 17, 2004

were is a good place to buy cubes?

dugmar · December 17, 2004

Aaron Wilson wrote:

were is a good place to buy cubes?

http://www.ezcube.com/

Aaron Wilson · 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?

PerezDesignGroup · 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

dugmar · 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

dugmar · December 23, 2004

Latest one...

DoctorIt · December 23, 2004

now that's purty

can i come over and do all my ebay photos at your place???

Michiel de Brieder · December 27, 2004

thanks for all examples and the setup dugmar!
me wants it

DoctorIt · 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

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...