Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Medium Format / Film / Digital Backs – and Large Sensor Photography => Topic started by: geesbert on June 19, 2011, 01:58:00 pm

Title: Alpa for product photography
Post by: geesbert on June 19, 2011, 01:58:00 pm

Is anyone using an Alpa style camera for table top / product / still life / food photography? How do you call those cameras? Bellow-less technical camera?

I just wonder whether for this kind of work and with those focal lengths they offer any advantage over a 6x7 technical bellows camera like an Arca M or a Linhof 679.

Title: Re: Alpa for product photography
Post by: roskav on June 20, 2011, 05:18:56 pm

I've used a technical camera for architectural models but getting the focus right is hard and adds a lot of time to each set up.   If you were using live view it would be another matter.  Any close foccusing is out however with the normal set ups.  The system I use (Gottschalt) has an option with tilt (bellows) with certain bits of gear.  I end up using a hassy V system with extension tubes most of the time although I would invest in a plaubel, rollei exact or linhof if I had enough work in that field.

R

Title: Re: Alpa for product photography
Post by: pixjohn on June 21, 2011, 12:05:11 am

You could look into the new line of cambo tilt lens mounts on a cambo camera? If I was just in the studio and using live view I would look into a 4x5 style camera myself.

Title: Re: Alpa for product photography
Post by: Martin Kristiansen on June 21, 2011, 01:20:41 am

Product photography calls for longer lenses. It has always been my impression, perhaps incorrect, that the alpa was designed to use shorter lenses.

I used the leaf aptus7 for years with a 150mm lens but find with the 12 that the lens is a little short and would like to purchase a 210mm. How would a 210mm lens work on an Alpa?

Title: Re: Alpa for product photography
Post by: tom_l on June 21, 2011, 05:31:03 am

I'm not at all an Alpa specialist, but the problem is the same for all pancake cameras. For product photography you need a large focus range, from a few cm to several meters. How close do you come with a focussing ring? Some manufacturers have short- and long barrel lenses, others have spacers/extensions tubes to get closer.
Tilt is another issue, it really depends on the kind of product photography you're doing.
Maybe a bellow camera is a better choice for product photography. Even smaller, digital optimised view cameras should be quite cheaper on the used market.


Tom-