Product photography is a growing business, especially in an age of websites and social media. You need stunning photos on social media to capture people’s interest, and crisp, sharp images on your website to best showcase your products.
The best product photography setup
So what’s the ideal product photography setup? We’re about to go into detail on the best product photography equipment you need, including cameras, lenses, backgrounds, and lighting. Ready?
The best product photography cameras
There are plenty of potential digital cameras that could work for product photography. Indeed, many professionals even use their smartphone alongside their high-end camera to achieve a variety of shots.
We've listed our top 3 product photography cameras for 2021.
1. Sony Alpha A7R Mark IV mirrorless camera
Easily one of the best mirrorless cameras on the market for professional product photographers, the Sony A7R Mark IV was made for stills photography with a great long battery life and huge sensor.
The A7R Mark IV boasts an enormous 61MP full-frame sensor, guaranteeing images of outstanding quality and exceptionally high resolution.
You can choose from a vast range of native Sony lenses to help you with different product photography styles, including macro photography.
This mirrorless camera is great for low light shooting, with 5-axis in-body image stabilisation and an ISO range of up to 32000.
Check out the Sony Alpha A7R Mark IV camera for product photography today.
2. Nikon D850 DSLR camera
On the Nikon end, the full-frame Nikon D850 is a professional DSLR that proves a powerhouse camera for product photography.
An impressive 45.7MP sensor accompanies an ergonomic design so the camera is a delight to hold during long shoots.
This Nikon DSLR captures incredible detail, which adds control and flexibility to your post-production editing.
You’ll have plenty of lenses to pick from the extensive Nikon lens range, as well as a host of options from third-party companies, such as Tamron and Sigma.
A large touchscreen helps you work in Live Mode, so you can zoom, focus, and shoot using the rear screen alone (although the highly detailed optical viewfinder is also a pleasure to use).
Take a look at the Nikon D850 DSLR camera today.
3. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR camera
Canon’s high-end 5D Mark IV DSLR features a decent 30.5MP full-frame sensor, which produces crisp images with high detail, perfect for product photography.
Of all the cameras we’ve listed, this Canon camera is arguably the easiest to use, with an intuitive menu, simple placement of buttons and command dials, and a second, monochrome screen above the handgrip for quick access to essential information.
You won’t be left wanting with Canon’s epic lens lineup, including plenty of Canon lenses as well as third party lenses.
We love the quick autofocus on the 5D Mark IV, which has 61 cross-type AF points that can be selected from the rear touchscreen. A maximum ISO of 32000 ensures high-quality low light shots.
Have a look at the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR camera today.
The best product photography lens
The right product photography lens will all depend on the type of photography you engage in the most (whether it’s close-ups or with models, for example). Of course, the type of camera you have will also largely affect the type of lens you can get.
We always prefer prime lenses over zoom lenses for product photography, since they have fewer moving parts and so produce sharper images.
But there are also a few high-end zoom lenses that produce incredible quality, such as the Tamron 70-200mm lens we list below.
Product photography demands longer focal lengths. Between 80mm and 200mm is ideal (with 100mm being the sweet spot). You’ll avoid any distortion that comes with wide-angle lenses.
1. The 100mm f/2.8 macro lens
A 100mm macro lens is made for product photography with the perfect focal length. At 100mm (or 105mm for some brands), it’s a ‘true’ macro lens, meaning you can capture intense close-up pics (1:1) of your products.
You can work comfortably with your product without feeling like you’re too close or too far away. And you’ll get crisp images without much chromatic aberration.
Here are our top picks:
- The Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro lens
- The Nikon 105mm f/2.8 VR micro lens
- The Sigma 105mm f/2.8 OS macro lens for Nikon
- The Sigma 105mm f/2.8 OS macro lens for Canon
3. The 50mm f/1.8 lens
While we said 100mm is ideal for product photography lenses, 50mm lenses can be a great starting point, thanks to their crisp image quality and often more affordable price tag.
Even though a 50mm lens isn’t a true macro lens, you can achieve decent close-up focusing and capture images with high detail. Our favourites?
4. The 70-200mm macro zoom lens
A great zoom lens, the 70-200mm spans the ideal focal range for product photography and produces sharp image quality across the range.
The best 70-200mm f/2.8 macro lenses for 2021 are:
- Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 macro lens for Nikon
- The Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 macro lens for Canon
- The Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM telephoto lens
A tripod for your studio
Many product photographers will shoot freehand to be able to capture their products from different angles. But if you want crisp images, you’ll need a tripod too.
A tripod keeps your camera in place, which is perfect if you need to capture multiple products with the one background so that you can switch out the products without worrying about your camera.
A tripod is particularly essential if you opt for natural lighting or you need to use a low ISO to keep your photos as sharp as possible. Using a tripod eliminates any potential camera shake and ensures you capture professional-grade images every time.
Your complete product photography lighting
Product photography usually demands a quality photography studio setup, complete with a combination of natural lighting and artificial lighting.
While natural lighting produces beautiful image quality, artificial lighting gives you far more control over your shoot. But it demands more lighting accessories.
Professional product photographers usually opt to have at least one key light aimed directly at the product and a secondary fill light (or bounce reflector) that diffuses the light.
The primary lighting often comes from a flashgun or speedlight, which can be attached to your professional camera or to a separate mount to help you better control the direction of the light.
Alongside a flashgun, you may need a bounce reflector or umbrella, which can be attached to the flashbulb to diffuse light from the camera flash or can stand alone on a stand.
A bounce reflector creates softer, more even lighting and can reduce long shadows trailing behind your product.
Brilliant product photography backgrounds
Alongside lighting equipment, props and backgrounds are popular investments for product photography.
Photography backdrops in particular can transform a shot. You can step up your game with a stand-mounted backdrop, such as these dual-sided Promaster black/white backgrounds. Just remember, you will need a backdrop stand as well.
Are you ready to build the product photography setup of your dreams?
At Camera House, we have a huge selection of cameras and accessories to bring your product photography to life. Whether you’re looking for new lighting accessories or a solid tripod, shop our selection online today for free delivery across Australia for orders over $49.
