Favorite focal length for tabletop photography

Allthink · Sep 12, 2024

I want to hear those doing tabletop photography, what are your favorite focal lengths shooting products (macro, maybe wide angle for creative shots, some medium f.l. like 50-80mm)?
Which ones gives you some special look and what are the most used ones? Format 35mm but if you shoot MF or LF, mention your 35mm equivalent.
You are welcome to share your works (Website/social n.)
Maxim

Carnie Bob · Sep 12, 2024

I do table top with normal to long lenses on 4 x 5 or 8 x 10 film. I am not trying to achieve any special effect other than recording the subject plainly then abstracting it with development and then printing.

Allthink · Sep 12, 2024

Carnie Bob said:
I do table top with normal to long lenses on 4 x 5 or 8 x 10 film. I am not trying to achieve any special effect other than recording the subject plainly then abstracting it with development and then printing.

Which 35mm equivalent lenses you usually shoot with? What subjects? No macro and wide angles?

xkaes · Sep 12, 2024

You don't specify a format, but for full-frame (35mm), I use a 28-200mm with a #1 close-up lens. That means I can't focus more than five feet away, but I can get very close when I need to.

bdial · Sep 12, 2024

For 4x5, my usual would be a 210mm
For MF, my starting point would be my 150.
For 35, I would use my 105 macro

The reason for going long is to get a convenient working distance and avoid distortion. For 35, something like 85mm or longer should work well, depending on your specifics.

Allthink · Sep 12, 2024

bdial said:
For 4x5, my usual would be a 210mm
For MF, my starting point would be my 150.
For 35, I would use my 105 macro

The reason for going long is to get a convenient working distance and avoid distortion. For 35, something like 85mm or longer should work well, depending on your specifics.

Interesting. in 4x5 210mm is like ~63mmm in 35mm equiv. but you will not use 63mm in 35mm but only starting from 105mm.
For m.f. it's 93-118mm range.(40*53 /33*44)
Only macro?

xkaes · Sep 12, 2024

For some people, "table top" photography means "macro", for others -- like me -- it just means "close up". I deal with things bigger than a bread box, down to postage stamps. I don't consider either "macro".

Pieter12 · Sep 12, 2024

MF, I use a 90mm Macro. I would probably use a 55mm Macro in 35. Sometimes when I want a shallower depth of focus, I will use a longer lens as long as it is Macro. Table-top photography is all close distance, you want the lens to perform well there.

MattKing · Sep 12, 2024

A lot will depend what you intend to put on your table top.
Also, the answers are likely to vary in response to what people have available to them with respect to working space and light sources.
Your intended purpose will also affect the question.
For example, if you are keen to do the sort of table top re-enactments involving models and toys and replicas that can be hard to tell apart from real life, you would be better served in most cases by shorter lenses.

loccdor · Sep 12, 2024

For 35mm closeup photography, I use the Canon EF 100mm f/2 with extension tubes, or the Tamron EF 45mm f/1.8 which can do 1:3 magnification without tubes. Both are very sharp and the Tamron is image stabilized if you need to handhold. For the camera, Canon EOS Elan 7E which has a nice mirror lockup option on a timer.

Here's an example of the 100mm with 12mm extension tube wide open, I like the effect - but gets razor sharp if you stop it down.

blee1996 · Sep 12, 2024

Often when I take photos of my classic cameras on a table top, I use 150mm Xenar lens on 4x5 film.

Flickr Search — “xenar 150mm”

www.flickr.com

Allthink · Sep 13, 2024

xkaes said:
For some people, "table top" photography means "macro", for others -- like me -- it just means "close up". I deal with things bigger than a bread box, down to postage stamps. I don't consider either "macro".

Exactly, for different people table top/ products is different, and I didn't want to narrow this down like you suggest.
For example, i did shoot bicycles and used 70-200 or long end of 24-70, but for jewelry using 150mm macro lens.
Hence you are welcome to share your setup/lens you use for products like stamps, is it macro lens or not. What focal length you use for which products?

Allthink · Sep 13, 2024

Pieter12 said:
MF, I use a 90mm Macro. I would probably use a 55mm Macro in 35. Sometimes when I want a shallower depth of focus, I will use a longer lens as long as it is Macro. Table-top photography is all close distance, you want the lens to perform well there.

Thanks Pieter. Finally someone uses 55mm equivalent. All the options I read here on forum and on web, photogs usually don't mention lower than 90mm range regular lens.
I just was considering buying either Pentax 67 55mm f/4 or 645 55mm f/2.8 for view camera.
What subjects do you shoot with 55mm equivalent? Do you use movements(t-s/swing/tilt) or regular?

Allthink · Sep 13, 2024

MattKing said:
A lot will depend what you intend to put on your table top.
Also, the answers are likely to vary in response to what people have available to them with respect to working space and light sources.
Your intended purpose will also affect the question.
For example, if you are keen to do the sort of table top re-enactments involving models and toys and replicas that can be hard to tell apart from real life, you would be better served in most cases by shorter lenses.

Thanks MattKing. So the wider end of lenses very interests me, as it can be used for some crazy perspectives.
When you mentioned shorter lenses, to which focal length you are thinking and for what subjects? For toys/models? What size. Can you give an example of wide lens & subject combination?

benveniste · Sep 13, 2024

Allthink said:
I want to hear those doing tabletop photography, what are your favorite focal lengths shooting products (macro, maybe wide angle for creative shots, some medium f.l. like 50-80mm)?
Which ones gives you some special look and what are the most used ones? Format 35mm but if you shoot MF or LF, mention your 35mm equivalent.
You are welcome to share your works (Website/social n.)
Maxim

Do you consider using a copy stand to be table top? For me, it depends on the subject and how lazy I'm feeling. For small objects such as coins, I'll typically use a 105mm macro because I find it easier to light the subject. For larger necklaces, I'll use a 28mm. For other "stuff," I'll either use a 60mm macro or an 85mm tilt/shift lens.

xkaes · Sep 13, 2024

Allthink said:
Hence you are welcome to share your setup/lens you use for products like stamps, is it macro lens or not. What focal length you use for which products?

My table-top work does not include bicycles. As I mentioned it includes things a little larger than a bread box -- down to stamp size. And, as I mentioned, I use a 28-200mm lens (full-frame 35mm) with a #1 diopter on the front. I can take the close-up filter off, of course, but whatever I would be photographing would not fit on the table -- which has a top about 3x4'. The #1 close-up filter lets me get very close, but the zoom lens has a macro setting if I need to get to the size of a stamp -- not very often. The 28-200mm lens let's me easily set any perspective that I want.

I have a soft-box overhead with two Vivitar 283 flashes in it, another on the side, and a ring flash on the lens. I normally shoot at 1/60 @ f11. All of the flashes are in manual mode with variable power adjustment

runswithsizzers · Sep 13, 2024

My present tabletop project is a memento mori style still-life. For that, I have been using a 50mm lens on my 135 cameras, and 80mm on a 120 camera (6x6). My "studio" is set up in a barn loft, which is rather smallish, as barn lofts go. With a wider lens, it would become more difficult to keep unwanted items out of the background. And with a longer lens, I might not be able to get far enough away to include the whole scene, but I haven't tested that. It's a moot point for the 120 camera, because I have only the one 80mm lens.

Here is a preliminary photo from the project, which is still very much a work in progress. (I need to take a steam iron to that backdrop!)

---

The setup. The cardboard box on the left contains my light; but I have since replaced that with a 27" softbox.

xkaes · Sep 13, 2024

That looks very similar to my setup -- minus the skull.

DWThomas · Sep 13, 2024

This query prompted some meditation and examination which concludes I have no favorite! Most of what I might consider table top work is in the nature of documentation -- ceramic pieces, bonsai progress (such as it is) and that type of subject.

Cameras used range from an APS-C digital mirrorless to an 8x10 pinhole! The latter is a fixed distance "focal length" of 153mm. If one uses diagonal ratios that's a 35mm equivalent of about 20mm -- pretty durn wide! There's a shot in my gallery

"Ficus benjamina"

DWThomas
Apr 28, 2020
2

Tabletop work to avoid Covid-19 plus chilly, dreary drizzle.
The slab-built ceramic pot was...

For my Bronica 6x6 I have a 110mm 1:1 macro which works out to about 60mm equivalent. I own a Canon EF 100mm macro, but on my ancient EOS 40D that's about 160mm equiv. And I have a 7Artisans 60mm macro for my EOS M5 which looks near 100mm equivalent. I have a collection of Canon FD glass for my venerable A-1 that includes the legendary 35-105 macro zoom, and on it goes. (And sometimes my iPhone is deemed sufficient! )

Pieter12 · Sep 13, 2024

Allthink said:
Thanks Pieter. Finally someone uses 55mm equivalent. All the options I read here on forum and on web, photogs usually don't mention lower than 90mm range regular lens.
I just was considering buying either Pentax 67 55mm f/4 or 645 55mm f/2.8 for view camera.
What subjects do you shoot with 55mm equivalent? Do you use movements(t-s/swing/tilt) or regular?

I would be leery of using a 645 lens on a 4x5 camera, the image circle would be too small to cover any movements, even if you are using a digital back or digital camera attached to the view camera.
I do a lot of table-top still life work. Although I do shoot about 50/50 digital and film for still life, these are all digital. The equipment is most usually a MF camera with a 90 mm Macro lens, in a very small, cramped space:

Here is one with a FF Digital and 55mm Macro lens:

And one shot with a 4x5 view camera, 135mm lens and a FF digital camera as a back:

and the set-up for that one:

MattKing · Sep 13, 2024

Allthink said:
Thanks MattKing. So the wider end of lenses very interests me, as it can be used for some crazy perspectives.
When you mentioned shorter lenses, to which focal length you are thinking and for what subjects? For toys/models? What size. Can you give an example of wide lens & subject combination?

I've played a bit with this, but don't think I have anything in current form, which means nothing digital.
My comment really came mostly from seeing some of those recreations and going through the mental exercise of trying to figure out how they did what they did.
I have a friend who collects model cars. He does do these sort of recreations. I'll try to ask him about lens choice when I see him next. I'm guessing though that something like a 50mm macro lens on 35mm.

Pieter12 · Sep 13, 2024

You can get quite close with a view camera and standard lens with a digital FF camera attached. The tilts and swings allow you to get everything in focus, too.

Allthink · Sep 14, 2024

Pieter12 said:
I would be leery of using a 645 lens on a 4x5 camera, the image circle would be too small to cover any movements, even if you are using a digital back or digital camera attached to the view camera.
I do a lot of table-top still life work. Although I do shoot about 50/50 digital and film for still life, these are all digital. The equipment is most usually a MF camera with a 90 mm Macro lens, in a very small, cramped space:

View attachment 378531

Here is one with a FF Digital and 55mm Macro lens:

View attachment 378533

And one shot with a 4x5 view camera, 135mm lens and a FF digital camera as a back:

View attachment 378534

and the set-up for that one:

View attachment 378535

Very nice images.
What camera is that, some model of arca swiss?
Of course, I meant using P 76 or 645 lenses with view camera with FF/GFX cameras with movements, not with 4x5.
What's you camera at the back GFX or FF?
Nice to know you work with ~50-60mm equivalent (with your 90mm macro lens, if it's GFX or something else)

There are so many options out there with SK/Rod. lenses, starting with 38mm, 47mm, 55mm and 58mm as well as Nikkor 65 SW and Sekor 50 uld lenses out there. What lens brand you prefer to work with?

RalphLambrecht · Sep 14, 2024

Allthink said:
I want to hear those doing tabletop photography, what are your favorite focal lengths shooting products (macro, maybe wide angle for creative shots, some medium f.l. like 50-80mm)?
Which ones gives you some special look and what are the most used ones? Format 35mm but if you shoot MF or LF, mention your 35mm equivalent.
You are welcome to share your works (Website/social n.)
Maxim

85mm

Pieter12 · Sep 14, 2024

Allthink said:
Very nice images.
What camera is that, some model of arca swiss?
Of course, I meant using P 76 or 645 lenses with view camera with FF/GFX cameras with movements, not with 4x5.
What's you camera at the back GFX or FF?
Nice to know you work with ~50-60mm equivalent (with your 90mm macro lens, if it's GFX or something else)

There are so many options out there with SK/Rod. lenses, starting with 38mm, 47mm, 55mm and 58mm as well as Nikkor 65 SW and Sekor 50 uld lenses out there. What lens brand you prefer to work with?

The camera is a Cambo Legend with a wide-angle bag bellows and a Fotodiox graflok adapter to mount a Nikon F body. I use a Nikon D4 or D800 with it. Not ideal, a mirrorless body would shorten the distance between the sensor and the lens allowing better distant focusing. As it stands, it cannot focus to infinity. But it is great for table-top work, since the distances are much shorter. Macro work, too. The lens is a 135mm film-grade Schneider, probably 30 or 40 years old. Not up to modern digital standards, but I like the look. The Cambo is a standard studio 4x5 with plenty of movement for swings and tilts, both front and rear. Unlike the newer Alpas and Cambos that are made to be used with digital backs.

Favorite focal length for tabletop photography

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Carnie Bob

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xkaes

bdial

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loccdor

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Flickr Search — “xenar 150mm”

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xkaes

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xkaes

DWThomas

"Ficus benjamina"

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Favorite focal length for tabletop photography

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