Jewelry Photography Lens Recommendation

[zalonta1]

Hi there! I have a Canon EOS m50 Mark II that I use to shoot jewelry in a lightbox. I have a Canon Macro 28mm lens and a Canon 15-45 mm lens. The macro works great for detail shots of single pieces but to get multiple pieces in one photo I have to use my other lens and it just can't get the focus that I need. I'm shooting from about a foot away and have extremely limited camera knowledge. Can anyone recommend a lens that might work better please? Thank you!

[JeffXB]

If it’s in your budget I think you’d like the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS. Used in good to excellent condition ones can be found for around $500 (try MPB or KEH’s websites as well as eBay). You would need an adapter; namely the Canon Mount Adapter EF-Eos M. 

Here’s a link to a You Tube video wherein the creator, who specializes in jewelry photography, is using the Canon 100 mm lens (note the video is highlighting a flash, but you still might find it very helpful). 

[jrhoffman75]

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@zalonta1 wrote:

Hi there! I have a Canon EOS m50 Mark II that I use to shoot jewelry in a lightbox. I have a Canon Macro 28mm lens and a Canon 15-45 mm lens. The macro works great for detail shots of single pieces but to get multiple pieces in one photo I have to use my other lens and it just can't get the focus that I need. I'm shooting from about a foot away and have extremely limited camera knowledge. Can anyone recommend a lens that might work better please? Thank you!

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You could   an extension tube.

Extension tubes: The good, the bad and the ugly - Photofocus

[JeffXB]

Just realized the link I mentioned didn’t upload for some reason. Trying it again 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c6anrfi4GzE&t=4s&pp=0gcJCa0JAYcqIYzv 

[Waddizzle]

If you already own a lens that’s sharp enough for your needs, then maybe you should explore focus stacking multiple images. This is a focus stacking of several images (8?) from several years ago.

It was captured using a 6D2 and the EF 100mm f/2.8 IS USM.  No special lighting gear.  Just a photo of a toy sitting on a desk. 

Each image in the stack was actually a mini-stack of several images to cancel out noise. 

[Waddizzle]

 More fun with toys.  I don’t recall how many total images.  But this was a deeper stack of mini stacks.  I needed far more DOF than the previous image, so I needed more samples to move the focus plane a greater distance.  

I like to use a nodal rail as a horizontal extension arm.  Way more stable!  I can touch it and it doesn’t move.

 

[zalonta1]

Hi there! I have a Canon EOS m50 Mark II that I use to shoot jewelry in a lightbox. I have a Canon Macro 28mm lens and a Canon 15-45 mm lens. The macro works great for detail shots of single pieces but to get multiple pieces in one photo I have to use my other lens and it just can't get the focus that I need. I'm shooting from about a foot away and have extremely limited camera knowledge. Can anyone recommend a lens that might work better please? Thank you! 

I got this,...

[NatalyaP]

Greetings zalonta1,

The lens you are currently using is a great lens for the subjects you would want to take pictures of, and the suggestion that Waddizzle provided would be a wonderful option since stacking photos that focus on a different focal plane of the subject would result in the entire subject being in focus.

In case you would like to look into getting a different lens, then you may check out the current available macro lenses that Canon USA is offering by clicking on the following link:

Canon Camera Lenses: DSLR, Mirrorless & More | Canon U.S.A, Inc.