I've been looking for a digital camera that will be used solely for taking product shots in a studio setting. The shots will be used in a medium to high quality catalog. I don't really want to spend more than $7,500 if I do not have to.

I have looked at the new Nikon CP950, but am not sure if this will be sufficient. I have also read as much as possible on the high-end/professional cameras from Kodak (mega expensive, seemingly), Polaroid, Sony, etc. but I haven't seen anything that fits the use as well as the wallet.

Even if I could be pointed in the right direction for more info like web sites, books, etc. to complete my ceaseless quest to find exactly what I need. I tried going to prorental.com but that site did not exist - at least that is what came back to me several times.

Also, info on what I really need to accomplish the high quality photos that I need for printing in a high quality catalog would be very much appreciated. One answer I read talked about non-portable cameras hooked directly to a computer in the studio seem ideal, yet I have only found info on one from Sony, no other brands, any ideas?

Thank you.

-- Darrell Perkins (dperk@glassdimensions.com), March 05, 1999

Answers

Dor this type of requirement, I still think the right answer is to use a good film camera and a film scanner if you need a professional level of quality and control over studio lighting. There are numerous choices, but fundamentally, for this type of work, direct digital cameras aren't there yet for under $10,000 or $20,000.

Good film scanners will run around $1000 - $2000

-- Doug Green (dougjgreen@yahoo.com), March 05, 1999.

For highest quality, I agree with the suggestion to go with a conventional pro SLR and film scanner, but that does remove some of the immediacy of working with digital. Depending on how large you need to print the images, some of the new 2 megapixel cameras could do a very good job. For studio work, the forthcoming Oly C-2000 Zoom provides very fine control over aperture size, which could be important in getting good exposures with pro flash systems.

One thing NONE of the digicams under $10-15K will do for you though, is provide tilts/swings for perspective correction and extreme depth of field control. If you need "high quality" that includes view-camera type controls, you won't find anything cheaper than $12K or so. (Scanning back for 4x5 from PhotoPhase/Phase One.)

-- Dave Etchells (hotnews@imaging-resource.com), March 09, 1999.

One more point: The $12K digital back doesn't include the cost of a conventional view camera, which will be another $2-$5K.

Best bet is, figure out what you need, and buy a conventional film studio setup, with a Polaroid back. You might be able to get by with 35mm, but Medium Format such as a Hasselblad, Mamiya RZ67 or Fuji 680 system is probably the way to go. Then convert to digital afterwards via a scanner. View Cameras are another option, but they are for people who know how to use them, and are prepared to control everything manually.

The biggest problem with what you are trying to do is, that the secret to high quality studio images is not so much the camera, but rather, the lighting. And none of the reasonably priced digital cameras out there are set up to allow the flexibility in lighting that any good studio film set-up would provide. If you go the film route, you should probably budget about $2K for the scanner, $2K for the lighting, and $1-5K for the camera/lens combo (~ $1K in 35 mm, $3-5K for medium format)

-- Doug Green (dougjgreen@yahoo.com), March 09, 1999.