Those of you that observe me on 365Project recognise that I have become the proud proprietor of a mild tent last month as a birthday present and that I had been the use of it a lot. A lot. Many of you were requesting greater specifics, so I wanted to consist of a extra formal product evaluation about it.
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| Bright, high key plants photographed on white history in 30-inch light tent cube. |
This is a part of a mini series about mild tents in widespread. The foldable DIY light tent instructions are right here, and the subsequent two posts: How to Use a Light Tent for Small Product Photography and Compare Light Tents: DIY vs. Kit are actually up over on Digital Photography School.
Product Review of the Square Perfect SP500 Light Tent Kit
The full name of the light tent is the Square Perfect SP500 Platinum Photo Studio in a Box, and it currently retails on Amazon for around $140 USD, originally priced at $350. There are also other versions by Square Perfect with different sizes or models of tents, such as the Premium Studio with only the larger light tent for $70 USD. You can also buy just the light tent cubes alone in various sizes: 60-inch cube,48-inch cube, 12-inch cube, etc.
TheSquare Perfect SP500 Platinum Photo Studio in a Box contains two different light tent cubes, as well as lights and accessories. The complete contents are
- 1 12-inch light tent cube
- 1 30-inch light tent cube
- 1 camera tripod
- 8 fabric color backgrounds (white, black, red, and blue - one set for each light tent; larger backgrounds not pictured above)
- 2 lights with adjustable stands
- 2 30W / 5400K daylight fluorescent spiral bulbs
- 1 canvas carrying case (approx 18 x 24 x 7 inches)
Unpacking and Initial Impressions
The light tents were clean to unpack, and I become capable of begin the usage of them right away. Folding the tents back off into the flattened shapes they came in is a bit more hard, and many Amazon reviewers counseled trying to find YouTube films to get the hold of it. I were storing mine open and unfolded in the mean time, but in case you are brief on area, refolding is feasible with a touch practice.
The fabric backgrounds come folded up inside the sporting case. I fairly suggest that you take some time to spread and iron them earlier than seeking to shoot with them. The wrinkles and shadows from the folds may be seen to your pictures and require needless put up-processing work. I ironed mine gently on both the the front and the lower back the usage of a low placing. For lengthy-term garage, keep the card tube from a roll of wrapping paper (or paper towels for the smaller backgrounds) and thoroughly roll up the backgrounds. This have to put off the need for constant ironing. (I have now not needed to iron mine once more due to the fact that that first time.) Keep a small lint curler handy too, to take away any seen lint, dust, whathaveyou that could gather even as taking pictures.
Setting Up and Shooting with the Light Tents
I have found myself using the larger 30-inch cube for the majority of my light tent shots, but I did do substantial initial shots with the 12-inch cube in order to compare it to my DIY version for the forthcoming DPS article. I have had the best success using both sizes of cubes elevated on a coffee/end table. This allows me to set up the lights in the middle of the light tent and also allows me to more easily use my full-size tripod.
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| 30-inch mild tent cube for a white product-style photo |
Speaking of tripods, after my first strive, I actually have now not used the tripod that came with the package except for once I desired to take setup pictures showing my DSLR camera on a tripod. The attachment base that screws into your camera body is thin and flimsy, and I couldn't get the screw to tighten or stay tightened. The legs are very skinny and appear risky, and the tripod sticks and is tough to get again closed. Most photographers have already got a tripod, so this isn't certainly a difficulty about the product.
My different grievance about the kit is with the smaller dice: the bottom is not perfectly flat (in all likelihood a end result of the way long it changed into saved in its folded-up state previous to being purchased). I ended up setting a small book in the backside, underneath the backgrounds, which will maintain my subjects level. The lip at the smaller mild tent is likewise a piece excessive, however the e-book raised the bottom up enough to keep away from having the lip show up when capturing.
The 30-inch tent is a excellent length for shooting a extensive range of subjects and sizes of topics. I actually have shot the whole thing from a whole vase of vegetation right down to a small, few inches high statuette. I even used the facet of the mild tent as a white backdrop to shoot a profile selfie shot. (No, I did now not want to stick my head in the tent.)
The lighting that come with the kit work extraordinarily nicely. I had been capable of shoot inside the evenings the use of simply the mild from the 2 lamps, in addition to inside the middle of the day with a few ambient light already in the room. The light stands are adjustable up and down from a top of 20 inches as much as 32 inches, and the mild hoods themselves also are adjustable and can be angled up and all the way down to similarly direct the mild. When the 30-inch dice is positioned on my 18-inch high IKEA quit table, the lights amplify up precisely into the middle of the tent.
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| Example shot of the purse (no yellow tones) |
The daylight color temperature of the lighting (rated at 5500 Kelvins) is a totally beneficial characteristic. This lets in you to shoot on Auto or Daylight white balance, and the whites live white. Common indoor fluorescent and halogen lighting fixtures impart a yellowish glow that calls for greater work or publish-processing however many of my shots with those lighting can be used immediately out of the camera.
Example Shots Using the Light Tent Kit
Here are some instance pictures to show you what forms of outcomes the light tents are capable of generating.
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| Low key photograph of wolf statue, using only one light and the light tent |
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| Chinese mirror, photographed on red paper in white light tent |
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| Macro bubbles photographed in light tent on white background. |
See more in Product Review: close up lens.
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| Same feather as above, shown inside the light tent to provide a sense of scale. |
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| Tasty sandwich photographed on a wooden tray, inside the light tent |
Final Verdict
Overall, I am extraordinarily satisfied with theSquare Perfect SP500 Platinum Photo Studio in a Box. It has provided any clean manner for me to shoot interior and solved the hassle of constantly hating how little best light there may be at night time in my apartment! I have used it for white-history product-fashion pix, black-history low key pictures, food photographs, and even for a whole lot of macro and near-up images, some of which I used simple pieces of scrapbooking paper for backgrounds (read greater in Macro Fakery: history advent.)
While I acquired mine as a birthday gift, I think you get hold of a number of price for the fee. (The bulbs on my own represent $30-forty of the entire price, as replacement daylight-balanced light bulbs are indexed on line for $15-20 USD each.) The two sizes of the mild tent cubes and 4 distinctive shades of fabric backgrounds offer a extensive type of set-u.S.A.For distinct situations.
If you're seeking out a manner to shoot continually notable pictures of smaller objects, and especially if you are attempting to shoot product shots for eBay or an Etsy keep, then I definitely advocate getting a mild tent. You will shop yourself endless problem and submit-processing "correcting" with not less than set-up and fuss.
What do you think? Do you own a light tent? Any comments about yours I might have missed?
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