vpics Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 I recently needed to photograph a product but found out I had the wrong set up. I've come across light tents since. Are there any you could recommend? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colblimp Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 I have a Wild Country Zephyros One that's only 1.57kg. It's light for a one man tent. Oh hang on, I'm not sure that's what you meant... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broad Norfolk Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 I've got an old Lastolite light tent which I've had for around 30 years and does the job for me. This is a material product which suspends from a support. However...I've looked on the WEX website and it looks like this product has been discontinued and replaced by items now called Studio CubeLites. These are far more expensive than my old light tent and the cheapest I could find is a Pop-up Light Tent by Interfit. If you want to have a look at the various items go to the WEX website and type in light tent in the search panel. You may find what you're looking for here. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Rooney Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 Here's the lot, Bettina https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Tents-Domes-Blinds/ci/1410/N/4037060764?origSearch=lighting+tent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsessions Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 Not sure if this answers your question exactly vpics; I don't have experience with light tents but have and do shoot products (cut outs). This is a set up I used for years with not bad results. A box made of five sheets of poster board, I used duct tape on the outside seams to put it together. The front side facing me is open and the top has a square hole cut out, not too small or you could leave the top board off completely and use a strobe/soft box over it. I liked working with continuous lighting so I used some white gift bag tissue paper to cover the smaller hole on top and put a light (floor lamp) above it or you could use a desk lamp, the wider the shade diameter the better. Light is distributed very evenly within the box. Might not be the thing for you it all depends on the size of the product/s you would be shooting. In all the years I used this setup I never felt I should go out and buy a light tent, and I did not think that it would give better results, for me personally anyway. Size of your product/s matters, I wouldn't put anything large in it but smaller stuff turns out great, with a bit of post processing in Photoshop of course; to clean up the background. Cheap setup as well. Helen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 I made my own using plastic tubing found at a home improvement store, including the connectors for corners. Then I bought lightweight semi-translucent white fabric.. attached with clips and other things. It worked well, but was a pain if I needed to take it down for whatever reason. Reattaching the fabric “just so” was the biggest hurdle. I hated that. I eventually, after a couple of years, bought a pop-up for little $$. Lightweight and collapsible. They come in different sizes, so buy according to what you want to shoot. I light with an inexpensive continuous system with softboxes. Two lights, stands, and softboxes for under $100. Everything found on Amazon. Betty the homemade: E4CTB8 FX1JXC One image shows colored paper background. I used this setup to shoot jewelry on a bust, product and prepared food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeCee Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 Pop up ones are great for smaller items as there is no internal structure - lots around. Essential if you're shooting chrome/highly reflective items, as there is nothing inside to be reflected in your pix. Bigger stuff, you need to custom build for the situation, and if you don't own a set of flash heads - rent them. This shoot done using a set of supports to hold white background paper for the back and base, combined with a massive chunk of cheap white fabric bought years ago on a market to create the sides and top. Held this in place with lighting stands and bulldog clips. Cover the stands with strips of backing paper if they show on the inside or you'll spend forever taking the reflections out in Photoshop. Another chunk of paper for the front makes it easy to cut a hole for the lens - hopefully this should be the only reflection you need to remove. Flash heads were above around 45 degrees on each side, kept a few feet away (my thin fabric didn't produce enough diffusion, and I got hot spots on the chrome). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vpics Posted October 7, 2018 Author Share Posted October 7, 2018 Thanks everyone. Just heard back from a friend who's able to lend me a light tent. So will check it out and report back. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Ashmore Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 I have a couple of cheap light tents bought off Amazon/Ebay. A small one has LEDs along the top and connects to a USB power supply. A larger one came as a kit with two lamps to shine in the sides. For my purposes, both have been good. You do need to do a bit more post-processing than your average picture taken outside however.. adjust the white point and exposure, remove dust, clone out visible parts of the light tent, fix any imperfections in the background, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 5 hours ago, Matt Ashmore said: I have a couple of cheap light tents bought off Amazon/Ebay. A small one has LEDs along the top and connects to a USB power supply. A larger one came as a kit with two lamps to shine in the sides. For my purposes, both have been good. You do need to do a bit more post-processing than your average picture taken outside however.. adjust the white point and exposure, remove dust, clone out visible parts of the light tent, fix any imperfections in the background, etc. Yes, Matt. I do use mine, great for a few shots of food. But because of the lengthy PP, shooting a lot of product is a dreaded thing. I can process 10 pictures shot outdoors in the time it takes me to do one PP processed from the light tent. But I do sell one now and then, so I just bite the bullet. Not my favorite shoot, though. Betty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Ashmore Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 21 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said: Yes, Matt. I do use mine, great for a few shots of food. But because of the lengthy PP, shooting a lot of product is a dreaded thing. I can process 10 pictures shot outdoors in the time it takes me to do one PP processed from the light tent. But I do sell one now and then, so I just bite the bullet. Not my favorite shoot, though. Betty I tend to use my lights tent more in the winter when it's too dark/bad weather for me to shoot much outside when I have free time. When I'm in the right mindset, I quite enjoy the post-processing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 2 hours ago, Matt Ashmore said: I tend to use my lights tent more in the winter when it's too dark/bad weather for me to shoot much outside when I have free time. When I'm in the right mindset, I quite enjoy the post-processing. A masochist, hmmmm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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