Photography Guide: Killer camera setup as cheap as possible

[CannaDaTaBiz]

Thank you for this information. I had to bookmark it because my brain was overheating trying to grasp these new concepts.

No problem

Keep in mind that a good camera setup doesent automagically make good pictures and there is tons to learn about photography if you want to take professional looking pics with DSLR setup. You can get decent pics from watching a few tutorials, but mastering the use of light is something that takes a bit longer and looking at some pro photos, it might not be apparent how much work goes into those pictures and setting of lights etc if you really want to take superb photos. That sort of ring flash thing is good for getting an even light, but smetimes you might want to use hard light from behind also and take that front light to a side slightly. So you might need more than one light source. But you can also do some tricks like take the photo in pitch darkness with long exposure time, camera on stand and flash one flash multiple times from different directions. But if you try to get every light just right, its not that easy doing it that way. You can also paint with light using long exposure in dark and a flash light. It can give a pretty nice effect.

I dont want to scare you away Its a nice hobby, but if you just want to take ok shots for documentation and not try to be an artist, well you can see from my last post what some age old cheap as shit point & shoot camera can do with macros. I bet you could get much better results if you spent even like 60 dollars wisely to a point & shoot. Point & shoot cameras are also much easier to use and dont have the same learning curve, but you also dont get as good results. But is good results worth a new hobby and spending a few hundred on it? Well it just might be! Also if you buy this stuff used and dont overpay, you can resell for same price or even perhaps for a little profit, in case you decide that you want to buy something else instead. Its ofc a hassle and an investment, but you dont really lose anything, unless you overpay.

I recommend watching some tutorials on youtube about product photography and macro photography

 

[LittleMT]

Ps. Sweet colors you got going on there with the blackberries!

Oh and i googled that camera of yours. Sony website says it costs 900 dollars, but i found many retailers selling it for around 550 bucks, i guess there is a new model coming and you got INCREDIBLY lucky if you got that new for 300 dollars. I think its a bit false advertisement to call it a 300 dollar camera, even if you managed to get it for that.. unless talking about used prices ofc, but i got the idea that you paid 300 dollars new.

You're right, its the SONY RX100 Mark 1 that is 359..... The sensors are identical, a 20mp 1 inch sensor so image quality will be the same, in fact the Mark 1 zooms to 100mm so it would probably get a even better macro.

 

[CannaDaTaBiz]

You're right, its the SONY RX100 Mark 1 that is 359..... The sensors are identical, a 20mp 1 inch sensor so image quality will be the same, in fact the Mark 1 zooms to 100mm so it would probably get a even better macro.

Yea but longer focal length means smaller depth of field and one of the downsides of point & shoot cameras and macro is that the depth of field is too small. While it can create nice effect for some shots, more often it just means that you cant get enough stuff in the field of focus, as its too thin.

Depth of field is really important thing to be able to adjust large enough if you want pro looking macro pics, other than just some artsy stuff. Point & shoot cameras really suffer from this and they also almost as a rule have ugly bokeh, but some DSLR lenses also have equally ugly bokeh, so..

Getting large enough depth of field is also the main reason why you need powerful lights with DSLR setup. You need to use so high f-values that not much light gets on the sensor, so you need an extra strong light source or long exposure times(that requires a tripod and you need to make sure that plants stay absolutely still), or high ISO values(that make the pics noisy and take away from the color depth).

 

[LittleMT]

But then we come back to a 1 inch sensor in the SONY RX100 which will not have the shallow depth of field of a APSC or Full Frame...... So shooting the Sony vs any APSC or FF at say f16, the larger sensors will have more shallow depth of field, which is what we don't want in these macro shots...

In this regard it is here where the smaller sensor wins.

It is also very difficult to get enough stuff in focus using a full frame sensor at even f22, which is why the better images are often stacked images with different fields being in focus and all combined in post.

For sharp shots I agree, use a tripod, I prefer led white lighting (though I often shoot under a blurple) and shooting at a high F-stop, which would decrease the light hitting the sensor so you compensate with a slower shutter speed which if to slow can cause camera shake or motion blur if the plants are moving just a little bit, also bumping at ISO, which the Canon 40d sucked at, one of the many reason I sold mine though it was a nice unit in its day, some of the modern full frame sensor are very clean at high ISO's.

With that said I never use a tripod with my little Sony RX100 MIII, but I do with my full frames depending on subject.

the Sony RX100 I tend to shoot at F10, shutter speeds between 1/800 to 1/1600 depending on the lighting, sometimes I go lower, and ISO at around 400, though again I adjust for each and every shot. I never shoot in Auto mode btw, you seem to not realize many of these point and shoots do offer a manual mode to control your exposure to ones own liking. I also use manual focus and rely on focus peaking which is a very nice feature found in Sony cameras....

 

[CannaDaTaBiz]

But then we come back to a 1 inch sensor in the SONY RX100 which will not have the shallow depth of field of a APSC or Full Frame...... So shooting the Sony vs any APSC or FF at say f16, the larger sensors will have more shallow depth of field, which is what we don't want in these macro shots...

In this regard it is here where the smaller sensor wins.

It is also very difficult to get enough stuff in focus using a full frame sensor at even f22, which is why the better images are often stacked images with different fields being in focus and all combined in post.

For sharp shots I agree, use a tripod, I prefer led white lighting (though I often shoot under a blurple) and shooting at a high F-stop, which would decrease the light hitting the sensor so you compensate with a slower shutter speed which if to slow can cause camera shake or motion blur if the plants are moving just a little bit, also bumping at ISO, which the Canon 40d sucked at, one of the many reason I sold mine though it was a nice unit in its day, some of the modern full frame sensor are very clean at high ISO's.

With that said I never use a tripod with my little Sony RX100 MIII, but I do with my full frames depending on subject.

the Sony RX100 I tend to shoot at F10, shutter speeds between 1/800 to 1/1600 depending on the lighting, sometimes I go lower, and ISO at around 400, though again I adjust for each and every shot. I never shoot in Auto mode btw, you seem to not realize many of these point and shoots do offer a manual mode to control your exposure to ones own liking. I also use manual focus and rely on focus peaking which is a very nice feature found in Sony cameras....

Yes i talked about the sensor size effecting depth of field in the original post i think. This is why i recommended for example canon 40d that is 1.6x crop factor or at maximum for macro oriented work a canon 1d series with 1.3x crop.

Yes i know that many point & shoots also offer manual mode, some rare ones also allow you to connect external flashes etc almost like to DSLR, and then there at least used to be these 2x crop factor cameras, which could use old lenses, i dont remember from what manufacturer, but those also would make a nice macro cameras and im sure they are dirt cheap on used markets. However manual mode doesent allow you to use higher f-numbers that the lens is capable for. From your pics too low depth of field is very apparent. Also i see tons of noise on many of them, you should not use 400 iso. Even if the pic would look the same in terms of noise when it comes to straight out of camera jpg, 400 iso especially on some small sensor will get noisy once you start post processing and dont apply the noise reduction that the camera puts on the JPGs. I would say that increase f-value greatly for those point & shoot pics of yours if you can, lower the ISO to 100 and see if you can get enough light for short enough shutter speed to get sharp pics. If you cant, then raise iso to 200, if you still cant get enough light and your iso 400 is as noisy as mamy of those pics, then i say you need stronger lights. Having to raise ISO from 100 when using external lights, means that your lights arent strong enough.

And dont get me wrong, your pics do look good, very good for a point & shoot, but im sure i could manage to pull out a DSLR setup buying used that would take clearly higher quality pics for the sae price than what that camera is worth. Im not saying these things to trash your photos, im saying them to point out that there is no comparison to a DSLR if you want a killer camera setup, not just decent or not just very good for a point & shoot, but a killer setup, best the relatively low budget can get you.

And yes i knew about the trick of stacking pics with different focus points. But that trick again kinda requires a DSLR.. Maybe some pro level point & shoot could also manage to do it in some very limited situations, but no way you can do it like you can do it with a DSLR. This is just another reason to stay away from point & shoot if you want pro looking photos with advanced photography techniques.


It could be me being stoned, but i still dont get whats yor point in all of this? I do think its good that people get an idea of what a point & shoot can do and that it can also be a viable option for some, but i think that point has been made ages ago and you could had just written it like that from the beginning. Instead you started arguing about something relating to some high level point & shoot camera being good enough for you.

 

[LittleMT]

And dont get me wrong, your pics do look good, very good for a point & shoot, but im sure i could manage to pull out a DSLR setup buying used that would take clearly higher quality pics for the sae price than what that camera is worth. Im not saying these things to trash your photos, im saying them to point out that there is no comparison to a DSLR if you want a killer camera setup, not just decent or not just very good for a point & shoot, but a killer setup, best the relatively low budget can get you.

Well then you should, instead of starting some camera guide as if you are some authority on the subject, then when I ask you to provide some examples of images you have shot, come to find out you admit you have never even taken a single image following your own 'guide'... Since you couldn't show your own work, you kindly linked others images and then shared the 'Cat Shot' with a f/1.4 as if that convinces anybody.

This is like somebody coming here, posting up a grow guide with buy this, do this, get these nutes, ect, ect, ect and come to find out they have never grown in their life... Absurd.

 

[CannaDaTaBiz]

Well then you should, instead of starting some camera guide as if you are some authority on the subject, then when I ask you to provide some examples of images you have shot, come to find out you admit you have never even taken a single image following your own 'guide'... Since you couldn't show your own work, you kindly linked others images and then shared the 'Cat Shot' with a f/1.4 as if that convinces anybody.

This is like somebody coming here, posting up a grow guide with buy this, do this, get these nutes, ect, ect, ect and come to find out they have never grown in their life... Absurd.

lol what the fuck, man you are delusional.. I posted this guide to help people buy a good camera setup without wasting money in stuff where money doesent need to be wasted if you want to stay in a tight budget and maximise bang for the buck, thus be able to get a killer setup even if you stay in quite limited budget. Im not trying to be some authority, you must have some weird head fucks to draw that conclusion and come here attacking as if you were protecting people from some tyrant who tries to be some authority in cameras, when reality is that someone who has tons of experience with cameras, has beed a semi pro photographer and had experience with tons of gear wanted to help people who want to take best possible pics to find cheap as possible setup and to show that pro setup does not require as much money as most think.

I havent had a DSLR for a while and when i had my good camera setup, i did not grow, so i dont have pics of buds with my old setup. I already explained this and i dont get whats your problems with that. The examples from other people i gave are the type of pics you can get with skill and gear not worth not many hundreds of dollars if you buy your gear smart. This guide is for buying smart.

LOL at you thinking that the cat shot was at f-1.4. That just goes to show how little idea you have. That cat pic was taken with f-18. Maximum of the lens is f-1,4 tho, but that pic is f-18

The reason why i chose that specfic cat shot was because it was taken with a DSLR that can be bought for bit over 100 dollars and with lens that is equivalent to another lens that can be bought under 100 dollars used. Flash on it doesent matter and you can get some random flash for 10 bucks. I posted that cat example because it is an example of a kind of quality you can get for around 200 bucks with DSLR setup if you buy smart.

I never said get some specific camera or specific lens, i said what type of camera and lenses are best bang for the buck in used markets and what you need for DSLR setup.

Me writing this guide with your grower analogy is more like someone who has been grower for almost 15 years and someone who made a living from growing for a while during that, would explain how to get cheap DIY hydro setup thats just as good if not better than some new really expensive commercial one or to guide you into looking the parts separately from used markets and explaining that some parts from a certain era are still just as good as the old ones.

If you are trying to project some image from your head onto me that im trying to be some camera authority, well then you are just a delusional fool with some issues.

Im sure your camera is good overall camera, you dont need to start feeling bad that there is a better and cheaper setup, because that cheaper and better setup is not better for everything. Point & shoots can be a great overall camera, but as a dedicated camera for product photography(which bud shots really are) and for macro, its no comparison. If thats the real reason you get so delusional and argumentative about your camera being good. So yea you did your purpose here. You proved with examples that even an expensive pro point & shoot camera is no comparison for a cheap DSLR setup, but that it can take more than good enough pics for many and then i then showed you that a 25 dollar point & shoot is also good enough for many that dont require the DSLR quality and flexibility. Thanks for that, now you can go away.

It could be me being stoned, but i still dont get whats yor point in all of this?

 

[LittleMT]

Says the guy that makes guides, pontificating from the pulpit, and has never even shot a budding plant with a DSLR......

Kinda like somebody whom makes a driving guide, yet has never driven..... I could go on....

Do us a favor, show us your work, it might be good, and don't hide behind others, linking to their shots, if you are going to make a guide, please, have experience......... there's a clue for you. Trust me I don't view you as a authority when it comes to cameras, however, you just might be the best authority there is when it comes to making guides and how-to's and yet you have never even done it, not even once... Bwaahaaaa...

Or make a how to on getting them Cat shots with a f/1.4..... You Rock!

 

[CannaDaTaBiz]

Says the guy that makes guides, pontificating from the pulpit, and has never even shot a budding plant with a DSLR......

Kinda like somebody whom makes a driving guide, yet has never driven..... I could go on....

Do us a favor, show us your work, it might be good, and don't hide behind others, linking to their shots, if you are going to make a guide, please, have experience......... there's a clue for you. Trust me I don't view you as a authority when it comes to cameras, however, you just might be the best authority there is when it comes to making guides and how-to's and yet you have never even done it, not even once... Bwaahaaaa...

Or make a how to on getting them Cat shots with a f/1.4..... You Rock!

Do you have some mental problem man?

Read what i wrote:

LOL at you thinking that the cat shot was at f-1.4. That just goes to show how little idea you have. That cat pic was taken with f-18. Maximum of the lens is f-1,4 tho, but that pic is f-18

And still you claim that im claiming that im shootin at 1.4. I can show you the metadata if you want and cant get it from that pic to prove you that it is not f 1.4. And if you had any idea of what you talk about you would instantly see that it is not f 1.4. You are the fool using too low f numbers for your pics. But hey, your camera most likely cant do higher, so yeah. Thats a point & shoot for ya. At least i know that the dof in my point & shoot camera pics is too small and know that its just an inherit flaw in design of of point & shoot camera lenses. Its good enough for documentation, but not for art or truly professional looking pics other than for those times where small dof fits. Which is rarely really

Why the fuck do you think it matters is a subject is a bud or some other flower or some object that you shoot for a product pictures? Jees you are out there if you think that bud shots are something special and not related to same stuff as any other photography.

Do us a favour and switch you weed to some psyche meds..

 

[Death The Cultivator]

@CannaDaTaBiz I'm working from a OneOlus 6T that I use Lightroom to process. Could you give me some pointers on improving manual mode shots?

I set everything to auto currently but I don't have a deep understanding of photography compared to my knowledge of Photoshop.

Here are some shots