@senicaustralia wrote:
I was thinking of going the Nikon D3200, which i can pick up fairly cheap from kogan, im just wondering what kind of lens though is best for product photography? Would the standard lens that comes in a single lens kit be good enough for close up shots, or would i better getting a twin lens?
Any of the new DSLRs will give you better photos. The D3200 is Nikon's entry level DSLR & if the price is good, you should try it.
As to the question about lenses, I suggest you don't buy either the kit lens or the twin lens set. What you want is a macro lens which you can pick up on eBay. I'm sure Kogan only offer the camera complete but a spare lens won't hurt. You can always sell it.
Nearly all macro lenses give good results. You don't need to buy new as long as the lens has a Nikon mount. Old lenses won't be compatible with the metering or the auto focus. You don't want to use autofocus anyway, macro shots need to manually focused so you get to pick the focus point.
Don't buy a macro lens with a long focal length like 150 or 200mm. You will be standing on the other side of the room to take the picture. Plus the longer the focal length, the more sensitive it is to any movement of the camera. You can avoid that by using a tripod but that does slow the whole process down. I think 90mm is as long as you would want but if any of the objects you photograph are big, that's probably going to be too long. That would be when you could use the kit lens.
I use a Tamron 60mm macro lens & am very happy with it. I bought it out of Hong Kong & would do it again. I would prefer to buy local but they are stuck with charging GST. One day I would like to try the new Nikon 40mm macro to see how much the shorter focal length changes the perspective. 40mm would make hand holding the camera that much more forgiveable. I lose a lot of shots due to hand shake.
The D3200 has a big sensor that will render terrific detail but to get the most out of it, I suggest you get some advice on taking macro pictures. Rather than a light box (I bought one & used it once), you need to familiarise yourself with the exposure compensation buttons & the ISO button. Once you know how they can change a drab picture into something lit up like a Xmas tree, you will only then gain the value from your new camera.
