Photo Studio

[Jason Christenson]

I am hoping that someone here who is knowledgeable about such things will comment on this. (http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=312182) Is it worth the money? Are the lights adequate? Inquiring minds want to know.

Jason

[Greg Savage]

Looks like junk to me.....What kind of lights are they?........They look like a couple of Mag-Lights to me.....I'd save my money.

Here is a link with all kinds of photo lighting and light tents.....Some more expensive than others. I firmly believe that you get what you pay for. You don't need to dump several thousand dollars into a set-up, but I think that you can do better than this mini-photo studio for not a lot more $$$$.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist.jsp&A=FetchChildren&Q=&ci=1161

[Bernie Weishapl]

I am with ya Jason. I would also like to know.

[Gary DeWitt]

I think you all can do better for a lot LESS money. Here's a link to more than you ever wanted to know about product photography:
http://www.tabletopstudio.com/documents/TTS_Product_Photography_Tips.htm#five%20steps

Here's a link to step by step building a light tent for nearly next to nothing:
http://www.instructables.com/id/EKTSDWUR5HEP286OV2/?ALLSTEPS

And another on building a more permanent solution for a bit more, but much less than the commercial version:
http://www.pbase.com/wlhuber/light_box_light_tent.

I'm using reflective board, white foamcore 5 sided box that breaks down for storage, with a background draped inside, usualy fabric. Four 75 watt bulbs in cheap clip on fixtures are clipped to the front of the box, shining into the box but not directly on the "product". Gives a nice diffuse light. I'm thinking about building the pvc one and using fabric.
Here's a sample pic I took with this setup. As you can see, there is still some glare from light spilling directly on the subjects, so some improvement is still possible. With a little ingenuity, It's pretty easy to come up with a substitute for the commercial versions, at a much lower cost or nothing at all depending on what you have laying around.
Good luck, and have fun!

[Jim Becker]

Ritz sells that same package (for $20 more...) generally aimed at folks selling non-jewelery merchandise online. That tells me the lighting is probably not adequate.