Finally got a decent camera

[Hauk]

For a long time I have been looking for a decent camera for model photography.
And I dare to claim that I finally found it!

The camera i got is a Fujifilm X-T50 with a Fujinon 30mm f2.8-f22 macro.

30mm with the X-T50 translates to a 45mm lens on a traditional 35mm camera. Most macros have a longer focal length, but I prefer a normal lens for most of my model photography
And the optic quality of the Fujinon is awesome.

I still havent become familiar with all the bells and whistles on the camera, but the Focus bracketing looks really promesing.
Here are some test shots:









The camera has a 40mb sensor, so you can crop the images quite drastic and still have a decent image.

The images are shot on the kitchen table with dayligh through the windows as the light source. I used f8.0, and the focus stack for the drilling machine was 39 images, and for 29 for the wagon.

I think that every modeller who is considering getting a new camera shold take a close look at Fujifilm cameras and lenses.

By the way, it is the 3D-print for the drilling machine that is warped, it is not a lens distortion! Fortunately, I have a replacement for the base that is straight.

[Stuart]

Your images look sharp and clear.  Looks like you found what you were looking for.

[fspg2]

Congratulations on the camera - the results look very sharp

[finescalerr]

Nothing will produce better photos than those. I know you have spent a lot of time and research to find a camera capable of meeting your requirements. Congratulations on an excellent purchase. Your images (and models) are terrific. -- Russ

[Hauk]

Thanks to all for the heads up!
I thought phone cameras had catched up with dedicated cameras, but they still have a long way to go.
And I really suspect that the way foreward for phone cameras will be some hybrid AI / hardware.
I want photos of what I actually see, not what some algoritm thinks I want to see.  (Yeah I know, that macro lens sees a lot more than my tired old eyes, but you get my point! )

[Lawrence@NZFinescale]

Nice

Interesting how in the cropped wagon shot you can see where the focus stacking has been in action.  There's a narrow smooth grey halo around the model, particularly evident around the foot step. Possibly you don't need so many shots in your bracket?

This doesn't detract from a good photo of a nice model, and at normal viewing you wouldn't see it.

[Hauk]

Nice

Interesting how in the cropped wagon shot you can see where the focus stacking has been in action.  There's a narrow smooth grey halo around the model, particularly evident around the foot step. Possibly you don't need so many shots in your bracket?

This doesn't detract from a good photo of a nice model, and at normal viewing you wouldn't see it.

Its a good observation.  I think the halo is inevitable with focus-stacking, at least for now.
But I feel that a smaller halo is better. I have tried both Photoshop and Affinity photo for focus-stacking, and I prefer Affinity that gives a smaller halo. So the cropped images are the Affinity versions.

Here is the Affinity version from my original post:



And the Photoshop version:



You can see that in the Photoshopped image the halo is bigger, and the wheel itself is a bit blurred.

By the way, no other adjustments were made in Photoshop/Affinity besides the focus-stacking.

[Bill Gill]

I can't find the site (I'll keep looking), but recently I read about an AI application that supposedly does a great job sharpening digital images.

[finescalerr]

For our purposes I've found Affinity to be a better (and vastly less expensive) tool than Photoshop and not only for photo stacking. By the way, Lawrence is right about shooting fewer images when focus stacking. See how the same shot looks with five or six focal points.

I'm afraid Havard is right about the increased use of AI and intrusive software in smartphone cameras. My iPhone 7 was very good for model photos and focus stacking. The iPhone 13 was just okay. My iPhone 15's software is nothing less than obnoxious. It might be possible to replace Apple's camera software with a different one allowing much more manual control over macro photography. Without it the iPhone camera ruins what used to be a quick, easy, and simple procedure.

Russ

[Krusty]

It might be possible to replace Apple's camera software with a different one allowing much more manual control over macro photography

Halide enables manual focusing, but I don't whether that extends into the macro range. I think that might be limited by the lenses on different iPhone models – pretty sure that on the latest models you can only get into macro with the super super wide angle lens.

[Hauk]

It might be possible to replace Apple's camera software with a different one allowing much more manual control over macro photography.

I did some Focus-stacking with my iPhone 12, and I used CameraPixel instead of the apple camera app. It gave much more control over the shooting process, wich of course is essential when Focus-stacking. It costs 5 bucks, and is good value for money in my opinion.

[finescalerr]

Thanks for that information. I'll look into Camera Pixel. My most annoying problem has been the iPhone's need for more light. I used to be able to shoot with light from a high intensity desk lamp. Now, with the same lighting, the software takes over and spoils the shots. I now must use a 1000 watt photo lamp! -- Russ

[Hauk]

Thanks for that information. I'll look into Camera Pixel. My most annoying problem has been the iPhone's need for more light. I used to be able to shoot with light from a high intensity desk lamp. Now, with the same lighting, the software takes over and spoils the shots. I now must use a 1000 watt photo lamp! -- Russ

"The Software takes over". That sentence sums up perfectly why I wanted to replace my iPhone with a real camera!

[Ray Dunakin]

Wow, those photos look amazing!