Ian,

Harold wrote an article on photography in MEW no 158, but that is probably available on his website.

Don't use flash, it's too harsh and the light reflects. I surround the subject with reflective material -cardboard! – and use natural light whenever possible. A tripod when possible to ensure no shake, which is a cause of lots of problems with the little compact cameras, which otherwise give excellent results.

Halogen floodlights can be used for illumination, but not too close. Light at different heights from in front and both sides usually works.

I use a Nikon Coolpix 995, the one that twists in the middle so it is both an eye-level and reflex camera. This also has both Auto and Manual modes, so I can choose the setting if I want the background out of focus say.. I think these are known as "bridge" cameras these days. It is quite old, like the user.

Phil

Hi Ian,
Harold Hall wrote an article on workshop photography in MEW issue 158 (December 2009) I agree with Graham about using natural light when possible. You do not need a camera with a fantastic number of pixels but choose a camera with a macro setting so that it will focus close up. I have made a ring light using 12 1 watt LEDs for use where natural light is not available. Details are here. If possible use a tripod or other means of holding the camera steady particularly in poor light when the shutter speed will be slow. If the subject requires a good depth of focus try to use a small aperture. (This will be a compromise as reducing the aperture will require a slower shutter speed for a given amount of light.)

Les.

Ps I have just seen JasonB's reply. Jason, I too have a Minolta Dimage 7i but most of the time I use a Canon  "PowerShot A560" compact camera as it seems better at lower light levels.

Edited By Les Jones 1 on 25/05/2013 10:18:04

I used to use a Fufjichrome compact with about 3 megapixels, then a HP compact with 4.

I now have a Nikon L810 which I got for about £70 as end of line stock. It will do macro down to 1cm, has a 26x optical zoom and something like 13 megapixels.

Experience shows that any basic compact that has a macro function is adequate for photos for ME. What really matters are patience and plenty of lighting. Good workshop lighting, one strong light toone side and a white card reflector on the other is as sophisticated as you need to get. Don't worry about the type of lighting as the camera's auto function will sort it out. Try to keep backgrounds uncluttered

Most of my pictures are 'could do better, but below are three pictures from the three different cameras. I think most would agree there isn't, in practice, a huge difference.

Neil'

Old Fuji compact:

HP Compact:

Nikon bridge camera:

Stew

I dont want this to sound picky, but I think you meant 1/4" WHITWORTH not BSF for the tripod thread.

It is amazing that after all these years even the most high tech brand new camera still has the good old 1/4 Whit thread it has had from all those years ago.

Phil

I use a compact Panasonic Lumix T27 which I suspect has been superceded by newer models, it has a good lens (Leica) and more controls than I either need or know about. I also have a Canon 350D but hardly ever use it now because the little Lumix is so much easier to carry about, and the results are more than satisfactory. Flash is never complimentary to the subject (any subject) but sometimes unavoidable. If you have to use it, and it has automatic exposure, then take care with the background and the reflectivity of other objects in the FOV. With flash the camera usually takes an average light reading which may not suit the subject you are trying to image. Also it is better to stand back and use some optical zoom if the camera offers it, there will be less distortion and the flash will be less harsh.

A good after-market image processing program (like Corel PaintShop Pro) may be able to transform a poor photo into something acceptable, and useful for re-sizing and cropping.

Ian,

I agree with most of what Norman said above, and you won't go far wrong if you follow his steps verbatim. I do differ in my own practice in a few areas; not that my approach is better, it just suits the equipment I have.

I use a Canon DSLR which is probably wildly over-specified for the job. Since my workshop has no windows, I use flash. I don't find it necessary, or even desirable, to use manual focus unless using a macro lens for ultra close-ups; the AF on the DSLR is sophisticated enough to get it right provided you know how to use it. On flash, I always use a separate (and reasonably powerful) flash – indeed my DSLR does not have a built in one anyway, and they are pretty horrible. The secret is to bounce it off the ceiling and walls behind me; these are painted white – always a good idea, and I used to use it as a darkroom, for which white is the only remotely sensible colour. Using a reflector is much better than direct flash (yuk) but bouncing from the wall/ceiling is as much better again, but you do need a gun witha rotating head, or one which is capable of being held separately.

As has been said, digital pictures are free (well, to be more accurate, they effectively have a zero short-run marginal cost), but they also have the advantage that you can look at the result immediately. With a bit of experience you can soon tell from the review picture whether the focus is sharp and the exposure is acceptable. Even the latter is a lot less critical than in film days, especially if you use RAW files and process later. I find it's rarely necessary to take more than 2 or 3 pictures unless I want a variety for composition.

David

Edited By David Littlewood on 25/05/2013 17:41:57

If you reach a point where in spite of flat lighting you still have a reflection, the old fashioned "smear of vaseline" will kill it. In the workshop, a drapped white sheet works wonders for even lighting. If I am on the lathe and intend to take several "stage" photos, I set the camera up on a tripod and shoot all from a known viewpoint.

Neil

I have sent you a pm

Norman

Another big no-no is getting a window in the picture when shooting inside the shed. The outside sunlight will overpower the inside lighting and either cause an incandescent square in your picture, or it will upset the camera's automatic light meter and the whole shot will come out way dark. If you have a window in your shed, try to get the light from it coming in over your shoulder on to the subject as you shoot. Work with the sunlight, not against it.

Using flash, which I prefer in the workshop, it is best to use a clip-on flash that can be angled up to bounce the light off the ceiling and back down onto the subject. A small white card rubber banded to the back of the flash and sticking up an inch or so will direct enough light directly forward to fill in the shadows from the bounced overhead light. Or you can buy a frosted plastic screen device to put over your camera's flash to soften the light.

For outdoor shots at loco meetings etc, the soft light of a cloudy day makes way better pictures than harsh sunlight. To shoot machinery such as locos or motorcycles, it always helps to use the flash as well as teh natural light. The sideways light of the flash will fill in the shadows of the overhead sun light and bring out the details of teh motorcycle engine shaded under the tank or the loco valve gear shaded under the boiler.

Edited By Hopper on 26/05/2013 07:03:08

Hi Norman,

This is becoming a challenge!

I tried local equalisation in Corel (I hadn't used it before) results were good with larger sizes, but there were Jpeg squares apparent and artefacts around the edges. I imagine this would give the 'HD' look one a less processed original.

I then tried histogram equalisation with preserve colours checked, and then made a tiny tweak to the gamma to bring out the yellow around the shield. Still not perfect, but much better than my tries at manually adjusting the tone curve, saturation etc.

Not off topic, because I shall use these new-found ideas on my workshop photos!

Neil

The camera that I use, for better or worse, is a SonyDSC- W5, its 6 or 7 years old now, and Is a 5.1 Mega Pixel type, I got it because it uses 2 AA Nickel Metal Hydride batteries, and it has a 2.5" screen, which was large at the time, I could get a better? camera today for less than half the price. The web cam that I got, when I got my new computer is 12 Mega Pixel, the 5 seems quite OK. Ian S C