advice for maximizing lens usage (wide angle/macro/extensions)

[SaltyElbows]

I'm an artist, building a new kit for photographing medium and large format paintings for print reproduction. I also use the camera for artistic shots and references from nature. I basically need a to expand my spectrum, or learn how to do it without tons of equipment. So far, I have the EFS 18-55mm 3.5/5.6 IS STM, and a EF 50mm f1.8.

I'm looking for tips and tools for the following scenarios:

1) wider angle for archiving large artwork in a short room (looking at EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM)

2) macro lens, maybe the 24mm paired with an extension tube? what size extension? I need details of artwork, and also like to get scientifically small for references and inspiration outside the studio.

3) a good telephoto, preferably more distance than the 70-300mm I was using in the past for the birds of prey in my neighborhood.

Thank you!

[kvbarkley]

What Camera?

Do you have a budget?

I have paired one of the Tamron 150-600's to get me extra reach. The Sigma is just as good.

[kvbarkley]

We need to know what camera to know what "wide" means.

[SaltyElbows]

oops, thank you. body is the EOS 90D

[rs-eos]

I would be concerned with the distortion of wide angle lenses. How far back can you be from the paintings? A standard to short telephoto may be better.

I supose a tilt-shift may be better in tight quarters and allow you to capture a panorama (but that could get costly and time-consuming).

Also, be aware of the lighting. That can lead to extra specular highlights. You can try using polarized lights to help cut down reflections. Or a polarizing filter if existing light is enough.

[Waddizzle]

This is a rather challenging task. Forget about capturing an entire piece of “large format” artwork in a single shot. You will need to capture multi-level panorama images and combine in an advanced image editor like Photoshop

You will want minimum scan resolution of 300 dpi, preferably 600 dpi or more. Now compare those numbers to the resolution of your image sensor. Let’s use 24MP, 6000 x 4000 pixels, because those are easy numbers to work with in your head.

Your sampled images will be able to capture a maximum of 10” x 6.5”. Because you will need to allow for some overland between images, the effective working maximum will be closer to 6” x 4”.

The best lens to use will be defined by your distance to your subject and what gear you use to support and move the camera.

[Waddizzle]

As for extension tubes, they can be bought in sets of 3. Each tube will have a different “mm” distance. You can use them one at a time or stack them for effectively longer tubes. You typically want the length of your extensions to fall somewhere between 25% to 40% of the focal length in use.

Also, extension tubes can add instability and alignment issues to the lens mount, especially when you begin to stack them up. The lens rig may sag slightly when the camera is held horizontally. So, I recommend only shooting straight downward when using extension tubes, especially with longer lens bodies.

[SaltyElbows]

Perfect, the Tamron 150-600 looks perfect for catching this bald eagle that hangs out near the federal penitentiary. I found them used for around $550. Thank you!

[SaltyElbows]

Thank you, in the current space I have about 10 ft max, which I have to back up to the wall to fit a 4x4ft into the 50mm frame. We've got plans to expand, so I was hoping for a lens that will work here for any artwork over 4ft in the meantime, but also double for creative macro exploring and detail shots. I bought a 28mm EF-M with a built in ring light, not knowing the "M" wasn't compatible with the 90D. So I guess I was just looking in that same focal length.

[Waddizzle]

One last comment on extension tubes. They are an inexpensive gateway to the world of macro photography. They are not perfect, but they are effective nonetheless.

Okay, last comment. Extension tubes come in two basic flavors. There are what I call the “dumb” tubes and there are the “smart” tubes.

The “dumb” extension tubes are just a simple ring that extends the lens mount away from the camera by the listed distance. Autofocusing and Aperture control is not possible.

The “smart” extension tubes cost a little bit more because the include provisions for the lens contacts to connect with the camera, making autofocus and aperture control possible.

Macro tubes work because moving the lens away from the camera body reduces the MFD, Minimum Focus Distance, for a given lens. This benefit usually comes at a price. The combination is no longer able to focus out to infinite distance. But, who cares? You are using the combo to photograph subjects that are close to the lens, anyway.