Good Still Camera Setup?
 

Hello, I am looking for the simplest camera setup to get Decently High Quality shots; I really like the quality of Ann Angels indoor shots - would that be possible with a camera mounted flash - or are they using strobes or still lighting? I saw the camera in one vid and it looked really small and simple, I don't think it was an SLR - and I would prefer something smaller/cheaper than an SLR.


Any recommendations on the camera? and on lighting? Thanks!

Ebay is your friend...

Canon makes the Rebel, and I dont think that it is the SLR. it is a smaller version of the 20D. Awesome shot.

Now Im no photographer but I have seen a couple of people say that you can use a ring flash pretty well indoors and not have to have all the umbrellas. Might want to look into that.

Yes, I have thought about a ring flash - problem is I used a shoe flash on a canon SLR before and it would blind the models.

I was kind of hoping to find a good one-piece camera with the lens attached, that would work; but then lighting is always the problem it seems.

There are good point and shoots that have a hotshoe mount, so if you bought a nikon p&s with the hotshoe mount you could use any nikon flash, or any aftermarket flash, as well as a trigger if you used strobes. to use a ringflash, you could probably have to get a hotshoe to pc connection adapter, as I dont know if any p&s have a pc connection.
As for the ring flash blinding the models, your going to have to deal with that if you use a hotshoe flash as well.

you can find second hand Nikon D50 as an entry and SB600 flash as an entry level...

I just peeked at ann angels .. they're using off camera lighting with at least a medium sized softbox. You're not gonna get that quality of light with any on-cam flash.

If you want amateur images, shoot like an amateur. If you want pro images, hire one.

Well Said.

I'm a photog and it is one thing to want to learn photography from scratch but i think it is funny when people are like... whoa those are great shots! What kind of camera you used?

I tell them I got the camera from the same place Shakespeare bought his pens!

It's not the camera and the lights, its the photographer.

If you want to learn, take the time to REALLY learn the craft!

You can use small camera with fixed optics, but this camera must can work in full manual mode. You can use it with 2-3 compact flash sources with light sensors, these compact devices can work with batteryes and you can place em in different places directing their light to ceiling or not dark walls. It will brings you interesting light scheme without strong shadows. All these devices you can carry in medium size bag.
This decision is not better than normal external lightning system with softboxes and umbrellas, but better than internal camera flash and flash at hotshoe. It's cheap way to get photos with acceptable quality.

Off Camera Flash is without doubt the way to go but I've used a "Ringflash" adapter on a Nikon Speedlight and it works a treat..
Do a google for a ringflash adapter product called "Rayflash"

This is my set up. It isnt the cheapest on the block but it is quality at a good price.

Nikon D300 with a 15-200 lens. This camera can set you back up to $3500 with warrenty.
Lights are SP System's Excalibur 3200 lighting kit. Its a nice 2 main light kit with 2 filler lights. It set me back only $800 for the whole kit on B&H

www.smokieflamexxx.com/samples/photos

This is the quality i get, i shoot in JPeg Fine (averages to about 12-13meg files), i can shoot in Tiff or Raw tho and the files will be triple in size being the camera is a 12.7mp camera.

The camera is light, very easy to use. and the setting dials for the shutter, f-stop and ISO are very easy to change on the fly. I always recommend Nikon camer's over Canon they are more user friendly for non pro guys if you ask me. Being i am a model and can use the camera without going to school for it is something to say lol.

Smokie your stuff looks great.

Johnny you can certainly get good results with a simple 'smaller' or point and shoot as long as you do have manual control over some of the features as mentioned above. Also the lens (or glass) quality makes a big difference.

If you are looking for glossy type results you will need to learn a little about lighting i.e. fill light which is really not hard to grasp. Also a good working knowledge of photoshop will help.

Get a very basic lighting book at the library or Barnes & Nobles and just start shooting. Practice really does make perfect when it comes to photography.

Good luck and post some stuff when you get going!

Yes, ringflash is acceptable for SLR cameras and maybe it will be best choice but for compact cameras it's impossible.

An interesting option for a ringflash look using a speedlight:

www.orbisflash.com

Buy a good book on photography. A knowledge of photography will lead to better pictures. An expensive camera without the know how is wasted money.