best setting for Canon 18-55 lens for photos of paintings

[Hillel]

Can anyone simplify something for me: I want to take photos of my partner

[neuroanatomist]

My recommendation:

use a tripod, level and make sure the camera is square with the wall and centered on the painting
use mirror lockup, and a cable release or self-timer to reduce vibration
~40mm
f/8
ISO 100
distance somewhere between 10" (the minimum focus distance for the lens) and however far back you need to be to fill the frame



I recommend 40mm because zoom lenses (and especially consumer-level ones) usually perform best in the middle of the zoom range, not at the ends. A narrow aperture gives better performance with most lenses (the 18-55mm does poorly with the aperture wide open), but too narrow an aperture and you lose sharpness due to diffraction. For that lens and camera, f/8 is a good compromise. The lower the ISO the less noise, ISO 100 is the lowest your camera will go.


Make sure the paintings are well lit, with even lighting, off-angle to reduce reflections.


Good luck!

[Hillel]

thanks so much for your ideas. Very helpful and will give us a good starting point. Over time we can experiment with the lens, but your advice gives us the start we need.

[barba]

I would also consider your lighting pretty carefully. On color, use the custom white balance function on a few test frames. I would not rely on the auto white balance.

[neuroanatomist]

I would not rely on the auto white balance.


Goodness no! Shoot RAW, and once the lighting is set up, put a gray card ("http://www.The-Digital-Picture.com/Reviews/Gray-Card-Review.aspx) in the spot where the paintings will be and snap a shot. When processing the RAW images, apply a click-white-balance from the gray card to the other images.

[Daniel Browning]

So what ISO, speed, distance, f-stop combination would give be the best result?


ISO 100, f/8, speed doesn't matter because the subject isn't moving, and the distance depends on the focal length. I don't know which focal length is best, but I would probably try 55mm first.Other important factors that you may consider is the tripod and lighting.If you can spend $100 on the Canon 50mm f/1.8, that will give you much better results than the kit lens for a one-shot.



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Art reproduction is a difficult endeavor. The best result is definitely from stitching: you take multiple shots (e.g. one for the top left, one for the top right, etc.) and combine them with special software in post. That requires the right rig for moving the camera and keeping it pointed the right way. A good macro lens would be necessary for that. You can get a nice Nikon 55mm f/2.8 with an adapter for $100 from KEH, or spend the big bucks and get a Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8.


If you're using flash without any modifiers, the color accuracy will mostly depend on post processing.


Good luck.

[Hillel]

couple of quick questions to Daniel: 1) an earlier response suggested I start with 40 mm focal length, but you suggested 55mm. Do you have any particular experience that is behind your suggestion?


2) You said the Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens would give me "much better results." This is really important for me to understand - are you saying that the non-zoom lens will give me noticeably different results - say with a decent (?) printer (canon pro 9000) - that can be noticed on a B4 size print or on the web? If so, then I won't waste my time playing with the kit zoom lens and just pay $100 for the 50mm f/1.8 lens.

[barba]

The 50mm 1.8 will be noticeably sharper than the kit lens. It is sharper than many of the L lenses.

[Daniel Browning]

: 1) an earlier response suggested I start with 40 mm focal length, but you suggested 55mm. Do you have any particular experience that is behind your suggestion?


Nope.



are you saying that the non-zoom lens will give me noticeably different results - say with a decent (?) printer (canon pro 9000) - that can be noticed on a B4 size print or on the web?


On the web - probably not. But on a B4 print - yes.

[Hillel]

thanks, Daniel and Barba. Anyone else want to comment about "noticeable" differences before I run out and buy the Canon 50mm f1.8???

[neuroanatomist]

Anyone else want to comment about "noticeable" differences before I run out and buy the Canon 50mm f1.8???


No other comment on difference for shooting paintings on a wall, no. But, a fast prime is a very different lens than a slow zoom. Assuming you intend to shoot subjects other thanpaintings on a wall, the 50mm f/1.8 can enable you to learn a lot about aperture, depth of field, and composition (by restricting you to a single focal length).

[Firestarter]

Just my 2 cents...


You did not quite understand the difference between those two posts saying about starting with the 40mm focal length (that regards your zoom lens) and employing the 50mm prime lens (which is a different lens).


The lens is certainly of utmost importance and I agree with everything that neuroanatomist has said. Suggestion that you use a prime lens instead of your kit zoom lens is a valid one, but not critical - if you use neuroanatomist

[neuroanatomist]

You did not quite understand the difference between those two posts saying about starting with the 40mm focal length (that regards your zoom lens) and employing the 50mm prime lens (which is a different lens).


I thinkHillel was referring to Daniel's statement about the zoom lens, "I don't know which focal length is best, but I would probably try 55mm first," vs. my earlier suggestion of setting the zoom to 40mm. I suggested 40mm based on the fact that zoom lenses show barrel distortion at the wide end and and pincushion distortion at the long end, and for the 18-55mm lens, the distortion plot in the SLRgear review ("http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/zproducts/canon18-55f35-56is/1geodist.gif) shows the least distortion at ~40mm). Obviously, it's important to minimize distortion when taking a documentary-style picture of a flat object.


Hillel, I see from your profile that you have a new baby - congratulations! It's a wonderful, exciting, magical (and sometime terrifying!) time...enjoy it! I do think you'd benefit from the 50mm prime - besides the paintings, that focal length works well for portraits on a crop body like the 60D, and the wide aperture gives very nice subject isolation.

[Hillel]

thanks so much for your good wishes and good advice. My camera just came in today, so I