I want to take QUALITY indoor pictures for Gunbroker items

[Welder]

I really appreciate all of the replies. After doing some additional reading spurred by various comments here, I've realized a couple of things. First, the suggestion to have a professional do it is a good one and might make the most sense. Second, I do appreciate a good photograph and since I like equipment of all types, I'll probably do the boneheaded thing and forge ahead anyway with some decent used equipment. To that end, after a hot sweaty day, I called it quits early and went camera shopping. Best Buy has almost zip. Pawn shops have zip.

Our used camera shop didn't have what I was looking for, but I did learn some more stuff from them. They said that Nikon customer service was awful and that they recommended Canon for that reason alone. Also that Nikon had been having financial trouble recently. I did buy a Manfrotto tripod as suggested; they had a used professional-grade one for $139 and sold it to me for $125. It's got a head on it as well. Heavy thing and really smooth. They also said that parts availability for used cameras was about 5 years after production ended, and that what goes wrong is the shutter. It has a definite service life. Also that most / all good DSLR's have a shutter counter in them so you can get an idea of usage.

They had a Canon macro lens, I think it was 55mm, and it was $500. I didn't buy it. I have to read more and see if that's what I want and if that's a good price.

My research after the fact says that maybe I want a Canon 6D body. I also have about $15-$25k worth of stuff I want to eBay, and a camera like this would be good for that too. Need to figure the lens out before I go further. The eBay stuff would be max 4' long x 1' wide and tall. It's looking like I'll spend as much for a lens as for a quality used camera. And altogether will be in it for the price of 1-1.5 6920's. 1.5 for sure by the time I figure lighting out. But overall a small price to be able to advertise hundreds of pieces of stuff for sale with quality pictures. Plus I'll have another hobby with gadgets, and I do like gadgets.

[orionz06]

Eh, unless photography was to be a hobby moving forward, I'd grab some lights and use a phone, assuming you have a cell phone made within the last few years.

[Welder]

Eh, unless photography was to be a hobby moving forward, I'd grab some lights and use a phone, assuming you have a cell phone made within the last few years.

Well that's the rub, and why I said in my OP that I wasn't interested in using a phone. My phone is 6 years old and is the smallest smartphone you could buy at the time. It's NLA and the camera lens is all scratched up, but it fits in my pocket which is pretty much where a phone has to be for my job. I know these new phones have spiffy cameras, but once properly cased for my types of work environments, they're too big to stay on my person.

Also, since a lot of the stuff I'll be selling is for my business, this can be a business expense. Which makes it a lot easier to swallow.

[okie john]

Plenty of good advice thus far.

I'll add that each image has a different purpose. Some show particular scratches or damage, others highlight engraving or other critical details. If you're selling a long gun, then you should always include a full-length image that's free of distortion. If you're selling a bone-stock Marlin 336 or an M-4 variant, then you can probably skip this but if you're selling a bolt-action rifle, especially a custom, then you need to do this. Here's a classic example: https://stevebarnettfineguns.com/win...d-by-ben-slove

Hallowell also has excellent pictures of their guns as shown here http://www.hallowellco.com/dakota_ar...0%20dakota.htm.

Simpsons does a good (although minimalist) job https://simpsonltd.com/husqvarna-640-z46182/

William Larkin Moore tends to err on the side of drama (https://www.gunsinternational.com/gu...n_id=101657373) but still does a good job despite leaving the occasional question.

Far too many gunbroker.com entries are badly distorted and you can't make out what you're actually getting. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/905424696 is a classic example. Plenty of detail shots but you don't get an overall sense of what you're buying like you do with Barnett, Hallowell, Simpsons, or Moore.


Okie John

[LOKNLOD]

Well that's the rub, and why I said in my OP that I wasn't interested in using a phone. My phone is 6 years old and is the smallest smartphone you could buy at the time. It's NLA and the camera lens is all scratched up, but it fits in my pocket which is pretty much where a phone has to be for my job. I know these new phones have spiffy cameras, but once properly cased for my types of work environments, they're too big to stay on my person.

Also, since a lot of the stuff I'll be selling is for my business, this can be a business expense. Which makes it a lot easier to swallow.

Buying a recent generation new or slightly used iPhone with the best camera as a dedicated rig that easily can upload pics is still a legit strategy and could be the simplest path. It doesn’t have to be your actual phone, just use it on wifi.

An iPad could be an option too.

[EricM]

The most important thing was covered in the first response, light is everything. Constant lighting will be easier to use than strobes from the perspective that you can see the effect of the lighting with the naked eye. To take full advantage of the light, a quality tripod such as you bought is key, because it lets you use as long of a shutter speed as is needed to let enough light hit the sensor for the proper exposure without having to crank up the ISO (degrading image quality). Using a tripod also lets you frame your shot carefully. Turn off image stabilization when using a tripod. A remote shutter release is great, otherwise configure the camera to use a delay of several seconds between pressing the shutter button and actually taking the picture. For some cameras, an app on your phone can be used as a wireless remote shutter release. Use an electronic first curtain shutter if your camera supports it. I'd suggest getting a copy of Lightroom to process your photos -- you use Lightroom to import them from the camera to your computer, then you can organize, compare, edit, and finally export them. I would recommend shooting in RAW mode with manual white balance and manual exposure...this ensures consistency in your photos and makes the most of your camera sensor's image quality. The ColorChecker mentioned earlier is indeed useful.

I think a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera could be a better fit than a DSLR for your purposes. Many to choose from but based on what I have used for years, you might consider something like this (been listed for a few weeks, he'd probably take less). It's an older model but looks to be in very good condition and that lens is excellent. Unless you're taking very close-up photos, you may not need a true macro lens. For example, the lens in the auction I linked to can fill the frame with an item just over 2 inches wide.

I flipped through my past listings, here are a few representative photos (click for full size)...

[SecondsCount]

You can clean things up in photoshop or a free version like gimp but resolution and good lighting help.

This was taken on an old placemat on my kitchen floor, using the overhead fluorescent which has lots of diffusion, with a Samsung S8. Distance was around 4 feet which I think helps.



Another on the same floor

[orionz06]

Well that's the rub, and why I said in my OP that I wasn't interested in using a phone. My phone is 6 years old and is the smallest smartphone you could buy at the time. It's NLA and the camera lens is all scratched up, but it fits in my pocket which is pretty much where a phone has to be for my job. I know these new phones have spiffy cameras, but once properly cased for my types of work environments, they're too big to stay on my person.

Also, since a lot of the stuff I'll be selling is for my business, this can be a business expense. Which makes it a lot easier to swallow.

I get that, I just want you to fully understand that there are loads of instances out there where folks just use phone pics and good technique. I've sold more stuff with cell phone pics than I have with $30k in camera gear. There's no comparison between the two, but there's no need either.

Photography is a hobby and that helps justify those costs, but you can get buy with even the tablet as suggested, and potentially use that far more.

[littlejerry]

A lot of modern phones have "advanced" or "pro" modes (like the Samsung Galaxy) that will allow you to adjust ISO, white balance, focus, shutter, etc. Not like a DSLR, but good enough for something that will get compressed for efficient hosting.

Spend your money/effort on lighting and backdrop. Buy white or grey sheets, get some lights with diffusers(or make your own diffusers), or set up a table(with sheets) outside.

[Welder]

So I had a bid out on a Canon 6D with lens, bag, etc on eBay and I ended up winning it. Sorry to all of the suggesters of using a cell phone; it's nothing personal, I just don't want to use a phone for the job and in my defense, I did say that up front. I'm looking forward to what might be a pretty cool new hobby; I've always appreciated quality photography.

Camera: Check
Tripod: Check
Lighting: Next
Editing Software: Also Next
Reading and Studying: In Process
Classes at Community College: Have to be scheduled by 9-13. Maybe....
Things to be Photographed: Check