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Cheap light tent is remarkably good
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 3:16 pm    Post subject: Cheap light tent is remarkably good Reply with quote

I plumped for this on ebay. My banana box studio has been consigned to the recycler - lack of space. This little thing comes in a bag about 20cms in diameter so ideal for my use. I wasnt sure if it was going to be any good but for less than £9 in UK I went for it. I think they are even cheaper if you get one from China. Click here to see on Ebay

Its had its first test today

The tent its self:



The set-up in my living room:



I used a flash on my NEX pointing at 45° up - so indirectly. Two other flashes with remote sensors are triggered. One at 45° above and to the side and one behind the tent. I eventually didn't use the one behind the tent. Too much light and not much of an effect.

I was worried that the wrinkly fabric would have an effect but no, its perfect. You get a set of coloured backgrounds with it plus a front cover with a slit in it for highly reflective objects.

It is a few pounds well spent in my opinion. A couple of photos taken in it: (yes I know - i must clean my sensor. All photos taken with the CZJ Sonnar 135 f3.5 at f11







PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 4:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

But the real trick with these is repacking it into its stuff sack Confused


PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 5:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Light tents are very good indeed. I have a large 1m x 1m, and I also used it to take picture of my daughter when she was a baby Laughing


PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 7:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

marcusBMG wrote:
But the real trick with these is repacking it into its stuff sack Confused


piece of cake. I do the same trick with bike tyres so they fit in my back pack.

Nordentro, I may get a larger one, this is only 40cm fine though for what I want.


PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have exactly the same, sometimes I can take good shots using only one speedlight from above with the tent almost closed. Very useful stuff,

Cheers,

Renato


PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 11:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

RSalles wrote:
I have exactly the same, sometimes I can take good shots using only one speedlight from above with the tent almost closed. Very useful stuff,

Cheers,

Renato


Thanks Renato, yeah I'll have a try at simplifying my setup when I have time.

This photo was taken with it just on my kitchen table no lights other than the window on the left. Straight out of the camera, no PP. Even so its not too shabby.



PostPosted: Tue Jul 08, 2014 1:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I always put a sheet of white paper in the bottom Wink


PostPosted: Tue Jul 08, 2014 1:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not bad for only one light source. I made some shots of the Minolta I had FOR GIFT from user X-Press! It's only a test shot, in a real situation I would stretch the tissue to not show any plied area and no tissue neither at the bottom of the image:



Cheers,

Renato


PostPosted: Tue Jul 08, 2014 6:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You get a background nylon sheet, as wide as the tent but twice as long which velcros to the top at the back. It has a white 'felt' type layer on it which doesn't create reflections. It needed some ironing! A light through the back 'whites out' all the greases and wrinkles.

With my off camera flash on manual I was using f11 and could hardly see what I was photographing, with the flash on auto I got f5.6

There are a green, red and black sheet with it too. I'm really pleased, it is better than I had hoped, and I won't hesitate to recommend it.