Table top photography 4x5 vs macro DB vs D800

[Lorenzo Pierucci]

Hi everybody!

Once again asking for some experience here. Tomorrow i have a shooting for W Hotel Taipei

We talking about 2 portrait of the new Hong Kong chefs and 12 table top food. Im in the studio packing up and i really start wondering which system will be the right one to use? Here my options:

D800 with 84 1.4 = fast, easy, C1 and do all with a camera.

Leaf back on AFD 80mm for portrait and 120 macro for table top. Slow, have to use Leaf capture but macro state art lens.

Leaf back on 4x5 with 90 mm Rodenstock ( not digital ) or 55mm Apo-Sironar. Slow, but movements and impress clients. Then use AFD for portrait. 

Im knee for the last one DB + 55 mm but I'm not sure the 55 is good lens for table top….  and if i m going complicate my life.

Any previous experience is always more then welcome

[MrSmith]

take it all use, whatever is best for the time you have allocated.

[Lorenzo Pierucci]

Better safe then sorry right 

Thats what I'm going to do i guess……

[John Nollendorfs]

Use what ever you are most comfortable and experienced using. Nothing worse that "fumbling around" with a camera with a client watching.

[Justinr]

Use what ever you are most comfortable and experienced using. Nothing worse that "fumbling around" with a camera with a client watching.

+1

If you are going to have time to use it then I'd go for the MF. The LF is probably over complex and the dSLR a little too ordinary if you want to have that certain 'look' about the pictures.

[Lorenzo Pierucci]

Thanks guys, yes i do end up shooting with the Large format. First timer with a big client gave me the bump of stress in a couple of shoots. Compose with it is way more long, but once u nail the composition the movement of the plane of focus, plus MF, plus the rodenstock really make my day.

This is one shoot, i know is not great but i think the D800 will not give me something like this, and probably neither the 120 Macro on the AFD.

comments welcome

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

I like that shot…

Something I appreciate from the technical side is that I don't see any color fringing in the out of focus areas.

Best regards
Erik

Thanks guys, yes i do end up shooting with the Large format. First timer with a big client gave me the bump of stress in a couple of shoots. Compose with it is way more long, but once u nail the composition the movement of the plane of focus, plus MF, plus the rodenstock really make my day.

This is one shoot, i know is not great but i think the D800 will not give me something like this, and probably neither the 120 Macro on the AFD.

comments welcome

[Lorenzo Pierucci]

Hi,

I like that shot…

Something I appreciate from the technical side is that I don't see any color fringing in the out of focus areas.

Best regards
Erik

Thanks so much Erik

[geesbert]

why do you have to impress the client when you are already booked for the job?

[chez]

why do you have to impress the client when you are already booked for the job?

Future work, referrals etc...

It's always good to impress your customer both with your professionalism and your results.

[Lorenzo Pierucci]

Future work, referrals etc...

It's always good to impress your customer both with your professionalism and your results.

indeed

[ripgriffith]

Without trying to be snippy, how on earth did you land a really A-list shoot when you don't even know what camera to shoot with?

[geesbert]

No client will ever be impressed by your camera. that would be too easy. (you could even rent this impression!)

They might be impressed by your files, your work in general, your professionalism, your kindness, your humor, your way of life, your manners and so on.


Clients usually don't know shit about cameras. They don't care.

If you really want and need to impress them with your technical skills, use a light setup which they never could do themselves. this often looks like magic to them. that still doesn't help if your pictures are not up to the brief.

[melchiorpavone]

No client will ever be impressed by your camera. that would be too easy. (you could even rent this impression!)

They might be impressed by your files, your work in general, your professionalism, your kindness, your humor, your way of life, your manners and so on.


Clients usually don't know shit about cameras. They don't care.

If you really want and need to impress them with your technical skills, use a light setup which they never could do themselves. this often looks like magic to them. that still doesn't help if your pictures are not up to the brief.

Carry a Hasselblad 500 ELM with a 40mm Distagon on it at all times. Wave it around and act bossy. Say "that's good" a lot.

Don't use it, of course. It's just for "show".

Sort of like this:
http://youtu.be/wygqlfUoJEs

In case you don't know what lens I am talking about, here ya go:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X49hMCDoETg/UC9mAtGn2JI/AAAAAAAABFY/GtsLopeRl9c/s1600/d40-2012_08_18_DSC_1676-onflickr.JPG

Oh, heck, just show up with this:
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20095/big_1439_Hasselblad_Pro_roller_mini_1.jpg

[melchiorpavone]

Thanks guys, yes i do end up shooting with the Large format. First timer with a big client gave me the bump of stress in a couple of shoots. Compose with it is way more long, but once u nail the composition the movement of the plane of focus, plus MF, plus the rodenstock really make my day.

This is one shoot, i know is not great but i think the D800 will not give me something like this, and probably neither the 120 Macro on the AFD.

comments welcome

Overall good, except the bright space at the upper right is distracting. The eye is attracted to the brightest part of a photo, so...

[Lorenzo Pierucci]

Without trying to be snippy, how on earth did you land a really A-list shoot when you don't even know what camera to shoot with?

Social, i meet a guy that like to talk and have fun at the woobar of Taipei. Turn out to be the GM of the hotel. A solid friendship and some good cases come out of that night.

[Lorenzo Pierucci]

No client will ever be impressed by your camera. that would be too easy. (you could even rent this impression!)

They might be impressed by your files, your work in general, your professionalism, your kindness, your humor, your way of life, your manners and so on.


Clients usually don't know shit about cameras. They don't care.

If you really want and need to impress them with your technical skills, use a light setup which they never could do themselves. this often looks like magic to them. that still doesn't help if your pictures are not up to the brief.

They do get impressed by your camera and your gear in general a lot. Go there with a D800e and a tilt shift lens... then go there with a 4x5 camera plus digital back.
They might don't know if is a Leaf or a Phaseone, but they know that that are not amateur tool.

I know is might sound silly for people "in the business" as u can get "almost" the same result, but for them see me moving the lens and using a light meter mean something. I thing the problem is that as u say "they don't know nothing about cameras", reason why a D800e is exactly the same of a d7000 to them.

 

[Lorenzo Pierucci]

Overall good, except the bright space at the upper right is distracting. The eye is attracted to the brightest part of a photo, so...

Thanks! thats really the kind of comment that make the difference.

Much appreciated