Suitable camera/lens for website product photography

I am building our second new website for our four year old on-line business. We have employed a company to help us with this. I am going to take the product pictures and need advice on an SLR camera and lens. I have taken pictures for our website products to date with an old fixed lens digital camera which has been limited. I assume the lens is more important. I have always had an interest in photography and am technically minded. Can anyone help please? Martin.

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Hi and welcome.

It can be the light that is most important. Images for the web can be shot with any decent brand name compact really.

What are you shooting? What size approx.? Do you need great depth of field? Is it for web only or prints as well? If so, what size prints?

Last but not least. What is your budget?

Chris,

Thank you for your quick reply. It might be easier if you have a look at our existing website.
www.electricalcarservices.com
The pictures are for the web only. It is the smaller pictures I have difficulty with, such as some of the tiny terminals we sell. The larger items are not too bad.
I have a tent with the correct bulbs. I can always learn more about lighting of course.
Am I right in assuming that if I bought, for example a level entry Canon SLR body, that this would be adequate? I would then need to purchase a lens suitable for this type of photography?
If the above is not applicable then as far as the budget is concerned it will have to be what it costs to enable us to have the best pictures. I know companies who have seen substantial increases in sales due to improved pictures of their products.
As you will see from our website we are based in the UK. I'm abroad at present.

Many thanks,
Martin.

I've had a look at your products. The lighting seems OK.

What are you shooting with at the moment?

Chris,

An old Minolta digital fixed zoom 28-100 with macro.

Martin

Chris,

Just checked- it's a Konica Minolta Dimage A2

Martin

Ok, well, what I suggest you do is buy a DSLR and Macro lens from Amazon. This will give you 31 days to try out your purchases.

Canon 600D (body only) with articulated screen http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-600D-D...2565091&sr=1-3
http://www.photographyblog.com/revie...s_600d_review/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tamron-AF-90...2564740&sr=1-3

The lens will in fact be a 144mm macro lens due to the sensor in the Canon being an APS-C size sensor. http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com/tec...uivalents.html. It also means you will not have to get so close to your subject that the lighting becomes tricky.

You can spend a fortune on cameras and lenses so have tried to keep costs to a reasonable amount. If you don't like the Tamron, then you will have to pay for a premium Canon lens...

Try it first and see how you get on...

I assume you know all about post processing of images and how to enhance them etc?

Cheers!

Chris,

I will have a look at what you have sent me.

I'm not sure about the post-processing of images, but I will look at that subject once I have sorted a camera and lens.

Thank you for your time and advice- really appreciate it!

All the best- Martin.

Okey dokey Martin.

Here is my post processing blurb...
Post processing is such an important part of photography and should be used to sharpen and enhance pictures taken with your camera. If you don't have an imaging editor, then use the one in my signature below. There are http://ictpublish.com/pixlr/ to get you started. The most useful is the http://ictpublish.com/pixlr/Videoes/...06_Levels.html and for even more adjustment. The http://ictpublish.com/pixlr/Videoes/...07_Curves.html is a must (it's my favourite all-in-one adjuster). My Resize-Crop-Sharpen tutorial below, will get your pics ready for the internet or whatever :cool:

Cheers!

.

Chris,

Thanks again! This is really useful information.

Of course if you ever need any advice on the electrical side of life- you know where I am. Just nudge my memory banks if you do.

Cheers- Martin