What setup is recommended for taking FOOD?!?!

[terrencepang]

Hi all,

Newbie here who has little knowledge....

I am trying to assemble a setup to take pictures for my restaurant menu/poster.

I'm looking at a body with live view, so that i can output to a LCD screen while taking photo. Setup will be used mostly indoor.

So,
1) which body is recommended?
2) what lens is recommeded?
3) what flash light is recommeded?

PS: I'm trying to spend the minimum to achieve the primary objective.

For all experts here, please help me on this...

Thanks

 

[GavinTing]

What budget are you looking at?

 

[terrencepang]

Honestly, i dunno. The cheaper the better.

I'm looking at Canon 450D.

As for the lens, i know nuts. Friend mentioned using marco lens, but i think it's too ex. So if any cheap lens can do the job, i'll go for it.

 

[Leong23]

If you have no knowledge on photography, why spending money on unfamilar equipment and time wastage on trial and error.......

Use your budget to enage someone to do the job for you will be more cost and time effective.

 

[terrencepang]

Professional charge $2000 for 35 pics...

 

[Reportage]

why not just engage someone to do it for you?

A DSLR system is quite an intensive investment so unless you be using the camera often, like wasted. By engaging someone, you get the job done for a fraction the price of the gear needed.

Just put up an ad and ask them for quotations + image samples.

 

[terrencepang]

basic photography i do know... but the technical part (i.e. lighting and lens), i'm still learning

 

[Rashkae]

I'm looking at a body with live view, so that i can output to a LCD screen while taking photo.

Why? you know nuts about photography and then want to do this? For what reason? There's no need for this, and you can just use tethered shooting to output the just-taken image to a PC, rather than go through the whole live-view setup.

 

[Rashkae]

basic photography i do know... but the technical part (i.e. lighting and lens), i'm still learning

That IS the basic.

 

[Leong23]

It is your restaurant menu/poster, one of the main advert to your product.....and time is definitely part of your concern.....why risk it.

 

[Octarine]

basic photography i do know... but the technical part (i.e. lighting and lens), i'm still learning

About 75% of the costs for the professional guy you will need to spend for equipment (cam, body, flash, misc other stuff). Using an hourly rate of SGD 50.00 for your time - will you be able to produce the same results as the professional guy after 10h training?
You are scrimping at the wrong end.

 

[Leong23]

Professional charge $2000 for 35 pics...

I'm not a pro photographer....$2K is really very reasonable price for 35 pics......

 

[Leong23]

Entry DSLR = $1000
Tamron 90mm Macro lens = $600
Nissin flash = $250
Cheap tripod = $100

Total = around $2K.........good luck.

After finish shooting can sell off cheap cheap to us at CS buy/sell section.

 

[terrencepang]

Thanks for all your concerns... but may i ask how many of you guys have actually taken photos for a menu?

- The reason of outputing the image to LCD while photo-taking is to help me for the food arrangement.
- my rstnt is a small setup, therefore i am trying to do everything myself. In fact I am looking for second-hand gear.
- restaurant menu must consistently improve in order to attract customers. I am targetting my next menu revision next March. My last revision was last july.
- as and when i plan for any promotion or new item, i can use the setup readily.
- With this constant revision, i calculated that it is more worth to own one DSLR.
- my current menu is taken by me using my friend's 40D.
- i have been to Perfect Graphic System at AMK industrial park and i have seen how they have done it. So i had done it at a fraction of the cost.
- i am not a pretender who is trying to own a DSLR. this setup is purely considered as a investment for my company for the long run.
- my initial post is to ask experts for help... why are my questions being questioned???

 

[terrencepang]

Entry DSLR = $1000
Tamron 90mm Macro lens = $600
Nissin flash = $250
Cheap tripod = $100

Total = around $2K.........good luck.

After finish shooting can sell off cheap cheap to us at CS buy/sell section.

Thank you Leong23 for your recommendation.

1) Which model of the Entry DSLR do you recommend?? Is 450D good enough, or too good?

2) Can those kit lens do the job??

 

[Leong23]

Thank you Leong23 for your recommendation.

1) Which model of the Entry DSLR do you recommend?? Is 450D good enough, or too good?

2) Can those kit lens do the job??

Actually 450D is good enough, kit lens can't do close-up shots and the aperture is not wide enough to isolate the product. So a macro lens is good to have.

One more to add, you need to learn digital post-process too. Just some basic cropping, saturation, level and curves.

 

[terrencepang]

I'm not a pro photographer....$2K is really very reasonable price for 35 pics......

I have been to the PGS at AMK industrial park and i have seen their setup.

Definitely, $2K for their service is reasonable.

However, i am just a small restaurant operator and trying to keep cost as low as possible.

 

[Cartman2000]

Actually 450D is good enough, kit lens can't do close-up shots and the aperture is not wide enough to isolate the product. So a macro lens is good to have.

One more to add, you need to learn digital post-process too. Just some basic cropping, saturation, level and curves.

Some kit lenses like the Canon 18-55mm IS have MFDs of 25cm, decent for close ups

 

[terrencepang]

Actually 450D is good enough, kit lens can't do close-up shots and the aperture is not wide enough to isolate the product. So a macro lens is good to have.

One more to add, you need to learn digital post-process too. Just some basic cropping, saturation, level and curves.

I have a friend who does freelance for PS and Indesign. So post-process is taken care of already.

As for the Macro lens, is there any cheaper ones around??

 

[Cartman2000]

I have a friend who does freelance for PS and Indesign. So post-process is taken care of already.

As for the Macro lens, is there any cheaper ones around??

Get a used Tamron 90mm, it is probably the best for the lowest