4) SLR Camera & Accessories for Slides of 3d Artwork

I use a Canon FT manual focus camera. Why? My partner selected it some twenty years ago. So it’s the camera I have. It has everything needed.

The most useful features for an SLR for photographing artwork are:

1. a setting that keeps the F-stop (aperture setting) open for framing the shot, until you actually take the shot.

2. mirror lockup – to minimize vibration inside the camera when you take the shot.

Some people emphasize the importance of a depth of preview feature. Since I shoot three dimensional work that usually requires the smallest aperture (F16, 22, or 32) I can’t see much when I use the depth of preview. So it doesn’t really help me. However, I wouldn’t buy a camera that lacked this feature, in case I need it later for other kinds of photography.

I appreciate the "quick load" feature on the Canon FT, but I’ve never used any other SLR so this may be common.

Of course a cable release is essential.

If you don’t have an SLR already, you’ll need to research your options. There’s plenty of information online. Photonet.org would be a good place to start. Then the Yahoo groups devoted to specific brands and models are especially valuable. The Canon FD group has been a tremendous help to me. ("FD" is a series of manual focus cameras and lenses that includes the specific model "FT.")

The Canon FT came with a standard 50mm lens. One of the best things I did this time was to buy a 50mm macro lens. Now I use it as my standard lens. It enables me to take sharp closeup slides of details of my sculptures. These are much better than slides I used to take with a set of closeup lenses.

The macro lens also closes down to F-22. My standard 50mm lens only closes down to F-16. So the macro lens can give me more depth of field. This has made it possible to take slides that show the entire sculpture as sharp at the back edge as at the front.

I lucked into the lens with a google search for the specific Canon macro lens model made for my camera. It was in mint condition. I love it.

I also tried a zoom lens, the Canon F4 80-200. Reluctant to pay for a mint or excellent lens, I tried a "bargain" quality lens. Every slide I took with it had a white spot. So I returned the lens. Later I’ll probably buy this lens again in better condition. It stops down to F32 and enables me to take photos at 80 to 100mm. This is said to lessen distortion when shooting bowls 12" or more in diameter.

For used lenses, KEH is the most recommended source. They usually have a good selection. I’ve also heard good things about used lenses from B&H Photo. I bought my wonderful macro lens from Vaughn Smith Cameras in Florida.

It saves money to get all your lenses with the same filter size. In my case, 58mm works for both the 50mm and 50mm macro lenses, and will work with the 80-200 zoom when I get that. If you use several lenses and know the largest filter size you’ll need, you can buy the whole set of filters in that size. Then you’ll use inexpensive step-up rings to fit them to the lenses with smaller filter sizes. For each lens model, the filter size is the last number, e.g. Canon F4 80-200 58mm.

I bought an eye cup to fit on my Canon FT. I was planning to buy a diopter lens to fit into the eye cup, to enable me to see better to focus the camera. However, I found that using the eye cup was unpleasant. It made the image I saw in the viewfinder look further away. I abandoned it after a few minutes.

A screw-on rubber lens hood is both inexpensive and essential. Of course, get the size that fits your camera lens. I see from the Porter’s catalog that you can get an extra long one to use with a zoom lens. When I buy a zoom or longer lens, I’ll get that hood for it.

To protect the camera lens, I keep a Hoya multicoated Haze or UV filter on it all the time. So I have one for each lens. A Hoya Skylight filter would also work. I was warned that Quantaray brand filters are not as high a quality, so I avoided these though they’re readily available at many photo stores.

Note that some of my links lead to 58mm size filters. Of course you’ll get the size that fits your camera lens. If your lenses are different sizes, you can buy all your filters in the largest size needed, and buy step-up rings for the other lenses. I’m with the camp that believes in leaving a UV or Skylight filter on each lens all the time, though. So you’ll need one of these for each lens.

I tried two different warming filters, since the strong light from the photo bulbs can give warm colors a washed out effect. My new bowl sculptures include a lot of copper, so I wanted to be sure the copper looked warm and bright. Warming filters also give the effect of that beautiful warm late afternoon sunlight. Many things look their most attractive in this light. So I thought it well worth experimenting with this kind of filter.

Comparing the Hoya 81A with the Tiffen 812, I had a very slight preference for slides of my work using the Tiffen 812. The differences seemed hardly perceptible to me. Perhaps with more experience I’ll see them better. But I think either filter would do fine.

I consider the protective Skylight filter a camera essential. And for photographing my current work, the Tiffen 812 is one of the best things I bought. It’s wonderful how much difference it makes.

If you plan to take any daylight print film with 3200K photo lights, you’ll need an 80A filter. I think it’s better to just have prints made from the best slides. The color will be more accurate. I used to take a roll of print film to evaluate lighting and views before shooting slides, but a digital camera is less expensive and more efficient for this purpose. The machine processing of print film can turn a black background to a medium gray, defeating the purpose.

Usually each camera lens will come with a back cap to protect the back end of the lens when it’s not installed on the camera. Often the lens comes with a front cap as well. I found it convenient to have more than one kind of cap on hand. Again, it’s easiest if all your lenses use the same size filter and hence the same size cap.

Inexpensive snap-on caps are useful for quick covering – when changing lenses, for example. Generic brands are easy to find in most camera stores and work fine. A friction cap is easier to use when the rubber hood is attached, unless the camera angle makes it fall off. (Overall, the friction caps tend to fall off a lot.) A screw-on cap is great for storage and for use until it’s time to put the hood on, just before starting to shoot. It’s absolutely secure and dust proof.

Ziplock bags in various sizes, (snack, pint, quart) are useful for temporary storage of lenses and accessories to keep dust off. You can add renewable silica gel in dustproof containers, to help prevent fungus and mold when the humidity is high. A drinking straw is handy for sucking excess air out of ziplock bags as you close them.

Camera, lenses, filters and accessories that need to be kept very clean and dry can also be stored in tight Rubbermaid boxes. You can find these in many housewares departments. Look for the kind with the tightest lids, the kind you can "burp" to get out extra air. Silica gel containers added to these can make for good storage. The clear sides that let light in may help deter fungus growth, which thrives in the dark. But using a camera and lens often is the best deterrent.

Once you know what lenses you need, you can buy a "real" camera and lens case made for an SLR and its accessories. Look for one that’s waterproof and dustproof. Meanwhile – the ziplock bags and tight containers with silica gel can suffice. Some people advocate using ammunition boxes because they’re so tight. I tried this but closing or opening the lid is so violent that it would be hard to pad the camera enough to make it safe.