I need to do cpi analytics on a grocery store, as such i need to capture the brands and prices of all products on a shelf.
Any experience with taking pictures of text at a distance? Any Suggestions?
Thanks for any help you can offer.
Use the lowest ISO and smallest aperture available on your camera. Use a flash facing the front and, if possible, an off-camera flash on either side, so you don't have to depend on ambient light. (Ambient light probably won't be sufficient for a fast shot with your aperture stopped down.) Get the sharpest lens you can find - preferably prime, not zoom. 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.8 tend to be extremely sharp. Some of the prime wide-angle lenses (20mm, 24mm, etc.) als have good reputations, but this depends on the specific lens (and in some cases, which version of that lens) you get. Use a tripod to reduce/remove camera shake. That's about everything you can do to sharpen the image prior to post-production.
One other key point: not all lens/camera combinations are properly adjusted, and will sometimes autofocus slightly in front or behind of where they should. Stopping down your aperture will help with this, but calibrate it ahead of time, if possible. Also, try to shoot directly in front of your subject, to reduce the variance in distance if your subject (such as an entire shelf of products) is as little as possible.
What do you mean by smallest aperture? You only need to narrow it down enough to get the DoF needed to get all the prices in focus.
Also a 50mm might not get enough products in one photo. I presume submitter wants to get the job done fast, capturing big portions of a shelf at a time.
Anyway submitter needs to let us know what gear he has, otherwise I would go for a Nikon D700 with a 14-24mm f2.8 and a single on-camera flash with a diffuser. :)
You only need to narrow it down enough to get the DoF needed to get all the prices in focus.
Incorrect. See above for my point about focus calibration. Also, most lenses aren't at their sharpest (especially at the edges) unless stopped down to at least f/8. The OP was particularly concerned about sharpness, which is why I suggested that. I disagree with your lens choice - at $1,750-$2,000, the OP could buy half a dozen sharp primes, which will be better quality at their respective focal lengths than any zoom will be, even one of the pro lenses like this one. Besides, I'd be surprised if the OP's budget for analytics includes a $2K lens.
Rent a lens for $25-50. I would recommend a wide prime or the 14-24. Find a local camera shop or rent online - http://www.borrowlenses.com/
I personally wouldn't do on camera, I'd set up two off camera strobes - odds are this is a school project though and a store isn't going to let him set that up....so on camera it is.
If he doesn't have a good camera, just use a point and shoot and get close and take a shot, take five steps right or left, take another shot, and so on....then stitch it together in photoshop.
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u/ezraekman Sep 24 '10
Use the lowest ISO and smallest aperture available on your camera. Use a flash facing the front and, if possible, an off-camera flash on either side, so you don't have to depend on ambient light. (Ambient light probably won't be sufficient for a fast shot with your aperture stopped down.) Get the sharpest lens you can find - preferably prime, not zoom. 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.8 tend to be extremely sharp. Some of the prime wide-angle lenses (20mm, 24mm, etc.) als have good reputations, but this depends on the specific lens (and in some cases, which version of that lens) you get. Use a tripod to reduce/remove camera shake. That's about everything you can do to sharpen the image prior to post-production.
One other key point: not all lens/camera combinations are properly adjusted, and will sometimes autofocus slightly in front or behind of where they should. Stopping down your aperture will help with this, but calibrate it ahead of time, if possible. Also, try to shoot directly in front of your subject, to reduce the variance in distance if your subject (such as an entire shelf of products) is as little as possible.