Portable product studio

[nightwolf75]

found this portable product studio on sale @ Funan 2 days ago at (of all places) Standard Stationary on the 2nd-floor (above QiJi cafe). it is very similar to those studio-in-a-box that are readily available online, except that it has self-contained florescent tubes unlike those that you have to separately purchase your own slave flashes or halogen table-top lamps.

this is how it looks like

(without the front covers)

(with 2 of 3 front covers)

i am not a macro/product shooter most of the time cos i find it such a hassle setting up all the flashes with those collapsible light-tents. plus, i still need to adjust the lights etc... takes the fun out of shooting especially since i do it only once in a while. so when i came across this product, i thot i give it a go.

overall, it is a breeze to set up. it comes with a diffuser panel, and 6 pieces of covering boards (depending on your preference). took me about a minute to set up. it is powered by (at least according to the shop manager) 5000K florescent tubes that are not readily available yet in the hardware shops. however, for the current promo, they are giving away 3 extra tubes for free.

(the accessories in the carry case)

(the tubes)

 

[nightwolf75]

so how does it work? pretty good actually! the 3 tubes are bright enough that i didn't have to shoot at high ISOs. also, it is bright enough that you can actually use your PnS/prosumers to shoot. below are some pics straight from my sony NEX3, resized only in PSE8. the reflection is caused by my personal acrylic board that does not come with the portable studio

it comes in 2 sizes. i got the slightly smaller one (flat - 60cmx54x13, opened up - 53cm (tallest end) and 22cm (shortest end). the bigger one is about 5cm (IIRC) taller but only has 2 tubes inside. however, the "bad" thing is that you are stuck with the white continuous background. so there is no variation for people who wants different colours. i think you can play with some cellophane paper for the florescent tubes, or get those background cloths to modify. not a big deal for me cos i like to shoot in white.

for those blogshop people or anyone who buy/sells regularly and would like to have good looking pics for your sales thread, this is worth a look by you. currently, it is on offer at $249 (usual price $599).

 

[coolthought]

it comes in 2 sizes. i got the slightly smaller one (flat - 60cmx54x13, opened up - 53cm (tallest end) and 22cm (shortest end). the bigger one is about 5cm (IIRC) taller but only has 2 tubes inside.

How large can product be to fit in and shot inside there??

How is the colour temperature from the tubes?

Thank you.

 

[eleveninth]

pretty steep.

 

[Odyssey-Boy]

I came across this too, but pricing wise, very very steep.

 

[nightwolf75]

How large can product be to fit in and shot inside there??

How is the colour temperature from the tubes?

Thank you.

like i said, for my tent, once opened up, the tallest end is 53cm. so give or take mebbe 40cm tall objects so that you won't hit the top?

the tube is rated at 5000K as i've mentioned... translate to WB, dat would be your florescent WB setting on your cam.

and yes it is steep. i am paying it for the ease of use.

 

[fabianaino]

mm .. 40cm tall object.
how deep is the box?

 

[NeTHaCk]

ive seen this being sold during popular sale before .. the next popular sale is coming up in december .. might sell again considering i saw it numerous times .. it was marketed as product photography that anyone with any cam can use ..

*ps* didnt know nightwolf75 has lego star wars and is a fan

 

[nightwolf75]

ive seen this being sold during popular sale before .. the next popular sale is coming up in december .. might sell again considering i saw it numerous times .. it was marketed as product photography that anyone with any cam can use ..

*ps* didnt know nightwolf75 has lego star wars and is a fan

haha... i am. i still have one more lego star destroyer to build. but dat is over 1m in length when done.... and my wife said no.

anyway, i did some measurements. when opened up, the depth from the edge of the opening to the back of the tent is abt 56cm. so, if you are like me and put things in the centre, you have roughly 40cm depth. and, starting from the centre, i have roughly 35cm of height before it hits the florescent tubes. hope dat answers some questions.

 

[Anson]

Based on the setup in the review, I feel that it's an haste-free solution that can be used for general product shooting.

I thinking it would be more attractive to blogshop owners or everyday people who don't want to spend time messing up with the lighting setup.

However for most product photographers for commercial jobs, it may limits their setup which often involves positioning of lights based on the product. And also for the discounted price it seem that it's more expensive (please correct me if I am wrong) then getting a light tent setup complete with constant lights and stands that would do the same job but with greater flexibility (but more haste for beginners) :think:

I was thinking if we were to mix the florescent light (from the kit) with speedlight, do we need to put gel to correct the colour temperature? :dunno:

 

[nightwolf75]

Based on the setup in the review, I feel that it's an haste-free solution that can be used for general product shooting.

I thinking it would be more attractive to blogshop owners or everyday people who don't want to spend time messing up with the lighting setup.

However for most product photographers for commercial jobs, it may limits their setup which often involves positioning of lights based on the product. And also for the discounted price it seem that it's more expensive (please correct me if I am wrong) then getting a light tent setup complete with constant lights and stands that would do the same job but with greater flexibility (but more haste for beginners) :think:

I was thinking if we were to mix the florescent light (from the kit) with speedlight, do we need to put gel to correct the colour temperature? :dunno:

you are right! which is why i put right at the start of my own personal review that this is probably meant for blogshop owners or frequent buy/sell people.... pls lazy people like me who don't want to be bogged down with fiddling the lights! i have a couple of light tents over the years but it is always the hassle of setting up dat made me quit shooting macros. :bsmilie:

oh yes... the price. apparently this is made in japan... which means give it a couple more months, the people in china will be manufacturing this by the millions.

i think you are right abt gelling ur speedlights to correct the green-cast. but, IMO, the florescent tubes are bright enough without resorting to speedlights. remember, i am lazy. :bsmilie:

 

[Numnumball]

Nice.. saw it at Funan.. seeing ur review tempts me to get it oneday :devil:

 

[Anson]

i think you are right abt gelling ur speedlights to correct the green-cast. but, IMO, the florescent tubes are bright enough without resorting to speedlights. remember, i am lazy. :bsmilie:

No lah... it's not lazy, rather I think it may increase the efficiency for photographer doing on-site product shoot for clients which faster setup time is required. :think:

Personally for me it's about cost and profit to get the work done. Ultimately for working photographers your equipment is "paid" from your customer's pocket. If by using this increase my turnaround time and allow me to serve more customer, it would in time offset the cost.

If my memories serve me well, I have seen a similar product sold in Thailand mainly used to take photos of "Buddha Pendant" which is make of wood and can be folded into a carrying case too.

 

[otarr]

i saw this too. wanted to buy but too pricey for me.

 

[ortega]

is the flo tubes exposed and the light direct?
or behind some sort of diffuser material?

 

[nightwolf75]

is the flo tubes exposed and the light direct?
or behind some sort of diffuser material?

oh... for my test pics? they are exposed. there's a piece of diffuser provided, but i didn't use.

you wanna try? ;p

 

[ortega]

oh... for my test pics? they are exposed. there's a piece of diffuser provided, but i didn't use.

you wanna try? ;p

i worry about reflective surfaces that the bare tubes might create unsightly hotspots
i am looking for a solution that enable non photographers with simple P&S cameras to take product shots

currently using a light tent, but my users do not know or wish to set up and position lights

 

[nightwolf75]

i worry about reflective surfaces that the bare tubes might create unsightly hotspots
i am looking for a solution that enable non photographers with simple P&S cameras to take product shots

currently using a light tent, but my users do not know or wish to set up and position lights

haha... aiyah. if u want to test it out, just yell lah. i'll send it over your office.

 

[ortega]

thanks bro

 

[larlarloo]

I also saw this and each time I pass by, I'd take a close look at it again n walkaway. I feel the itch to buy and play around with it, but I find the price a bit high n heck I'm no pro or anything If only I could make some income out of it... thanks for the review tho, appreciate it!

Btw, do u guys think this might be useful to shoot those macro waterdrop-in-a-glass photos? Or would the height restrict the nature of the water splash/ripple? Cheers! :think: