I was recently gifted a lightly used Sony Nex-5NK camera from a family member. It is a few years old (give or take another few years to that) so can be considered a bit outdated I believe, if flashlight and computer technology is any indication. This is a big step up for me from any standard point and shoot camera that I have owned though, and have been pleasantly surprised at the picture quality in my limited use with it.
That said, I am very new to cameras, their setups and settings. So far I have used the auto macro setting on it, but found today that I may not be able to get the results that I would prefer depending on the lighting situation with this setting. Short story long (strike that, reverse it), I attempted some in-door photos set by the window mid afternoon so to use natural lighting with standard room lighting (double bulb, 60w). Detail within the photos was much better than my previous cameras, but lighting came out a bit dark. So I come here to ask for tips, tricks and recommendations to the following:
Lighting: Understanding when and how to properly set and adjust ISO, speed and aperature.
Lightboxes: What to look for in either purchasing or making an affordable lightbox (budget would be under $100).
Lenses: I purchased a set of 4 Vivitar Close-Up Macro Lenses for ~$20. They're decent but I imagine there is a better lens out there. Sony has a 30mm f/3.5 macro lens that is just under $300. There was another option I came across, the Oshiro 60mm f/2.8 2:1 macro lens at just under $200, however it now looks to be out of stock on the websites I had found it at.
Backgrounds/Displays: I've seen some various backgrounds (acrylic and other) listed on websites. One thing I do not know how to search properly for is for other types of tabletop displays, possibly outside of a lightbox, such as mats or other materials/designs.
Money is a bit tight right now so I would likely not be purchasing anything further at this time. But I would like to start learning some more if I can for now.
That said, I am very new to cameras, their setups and settings. So far I have used the auto macro setting on it, but found today that I may not be able to get the results that I would prefer depending on the lighting situation with this setting. Short story long (strike that, reverse it), I attempted some in-door photos set by the window mid afternoon so to use natural lighting with standard room lighting (double bulb, 60w). Detail within the photos was much better than my previous cameras, but lighting came out a bit dark. So I come here to ask for tips, tricks and recommendations to the following:
Lighting: Understanding when and how to properly set and adjust ISO, speed and aperature.
Lightboxes: What to look for in either purchasing or making an affordable lightbox (budget would be under $100).
Lenses: I purchased a set of 4 Vivitar Close-Up Macro Lenses for ~$20. They're decent but I imagine there is a better lens out there. Sony has a 30mm f/3.5 macro lens that is just under $300. There was another option I came across, the Oshiro 60mm f/2.8 2:1 macro lens at just under $200, however it now looks to be out of stock on the websites I had found it at.
Backgrounds/Displays: I've seen some various backgrounds (acrylic and other) listed on websites. One thing I do not know how to search properly for is for other types of tabletop displays, possibly outside of a lightbox, such as mats or other materials/designs.
Money is a bit tight right now so I would likely not be purchasing anything further at this time. But I would like to start learning some more if I can for now.