Bobble head photos: Lens help

[Darryl Roberts]

I own a Nikon D800 full frame camera. I’d like to photograph bobble heads. What lens would you suggest. I don’t want any distortion.

The setup a tabletop background setup.

Thank you

 

[loccdor]

Sounds like a good application for a 100mm macro lens.

 

[koraks]

bobble heads

I had to Google that. Basically small model puppets a few inches high with a disproportionally big head, yes?

Any decent macro lens in the 90-200mm range will do. Which makes for easy picking since it's pretty difficult to find a really bad one. Micro Nikkor, Tamron, Sigma etc.; take your pic(k).
Distortion in the sense of barrel/pincushion won't be much of an issue with virtually all dedicated macro lenses.

Heck, you could even get away with a long-ish standard lens and an appropriate extension tube.

You got the lighting covered?

 

[wiltw]

I own a Nikon D800 full frame camera. I’d like to photograph bobble heads. What lens would you suggest. I don’t want any distortion.

The setup a tabletop background setup.

Thank you

Hmmm...for human subject portraiture you do not want nduced perspective distortion that is caused by a camera position which is closer than about 8' away from the subject, or by too far of a shooting distance. Here is an example of extremes of camera position. These examples show the induced perspective distort of too-close and slightly-far camera position (necessitated to fully frame the human head, due to the FL chosen)..The 100mm shot is 'about right'

So human portaiture is typically best done from about 9-10' shooting distance, with 100mm lens on 135 format. Not having shot bobble heads, I do not have insight into what would work best, but it might very well demand accentuation of the curvature of the bobble head rather than using a longer FL to shoot from farther away... 35-50mm might be the FL to use

 

[MattKing]

I'm just intrigued that "lack of distortion" is a primary criteria for bobble heads!

 

[wiltw]

I'm just intrigued that "lack of distortion" is a primary criteria for bobble heads!
View attachment 383064

You apparently did not read to the end of my post..."... it might very well demand accentuation of the curvature of the bobble head rather than using a longer FL to shoot from farther away... 35-50mm might be the FL to use"

 

[MattKing]

You apparently did not read to the end of my post.

I did - my comment was in relation to the OP's request