photo light tent

[garrick]

i dont know if this is the proper place for this post so feel free to move if not.

ive decided i need to acquire one of these, and i was looking at one in the ritz camera place in the mall today. it comes with the tent box, 2 lights, a reversable background blue on one side gray on the other, a tabletop tripod and a carrying case for $99.99.

is this a good deal? im kinda clueless on stuff like this, i was expecting it to be more around 50 or 60 dollars. i know you can build your own cheap but i really like the idea of this being collapsable and fitting into a slim case. plus im the type that would never get around to actually building one.

[mer]

i got one of these, they're way cheaper and you can get clip lights at the hardware store for a couple bucks each. all together i think that you would be paying less than half. i got the 15" size but they have up to 30" ones for the same price. here's a pic i took in mine, i just used the overhead lights in the room;

[garrick]

so where did you get yours?

[vetropod]

I made a simple light tent for about $50.

- Two sheets of foam-core board (white) for the sides ~ $4
- One sheet of white posterboard for back/bottom ~ $2
- Flourencent translucent ceiling light COVER (just the plastic part) ~ $12
- Box of thumb tacks (only need a few, though!) ~ $3
- Some thin strips of junky wood to hold the whole together ~ $8
- Box of short screws to help with the above ~ $2
- Two clip-on halogen lamps ~ $20 for both

1) Tack the posterboard to the wall above your table, so it has a gentle curve about halfway down
2) Stand foam core boards (lengthwise, so they're shorter) on either side of posterboard and put tacks in wall next to them to hold in place
3) Lay translucent plastic sheet (flourencent ceiling light cover) across the whole thing, with a wood strip under the front and back of it so it doesn't sag.
4) Add a couple wood strips around the thing and screw together so it doesn't collapse randomly
5) Add lighting (I clipped lights onto the wood strip at the front of the plastic sheet, so they are above the middle of the sheet.

Kinda ghetto, but was pretty cheap, works well, and is about 2 feet across and deep so lots of space. This might even be the kid of setup mermonkey's talking about, dunno...

Also, I just use a measuring tape or whatever is handy to set my camera on for a steady surface and use the self-timer. Otherwise, the photo will be blurry from you slightly jiggling the camera as you release the shutter button.

[mer]

oh sorry. i went and got the link then i forgot to drop it.
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-15-PHOTOGRAPHY-LIGHT-TENT-SOFT-BOX-LIGHTING-CUBE_W0QQitemZ140182828133QQihZ004QQcategoryZ79010 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[petto]

This is the one I have
http://store.tabletopstudio-store.com/20eztasttwol.html
works great, attached is a pic I did with this with a 3mpx camera

[β]

hey mer, that's the cheapest collapsible light tent i have ever seen, great find.

[Greymatter Glass]

Not bad at all Mer.

the other idea I liked was to use a plain white lamp shade with a sheet of paper over the top. Cut a hole in the side for the lens....

[vetropod]

Dang, $10 for a light tent?!? You rock!

[garrick]

yeah thats a deal, too bad i have no credit or debit cards

[beachglass]

wow ya that $10 tent is a killer deal...what do you guys use to stand up pendants and stuff in the box?

[petto]

for pendants i use a christams ornament hanger. It's the brass thing showing in the pic above.

[coil1002]

oh sorry. i went and got the link then i forgot to drop it.
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-15-PHOTOGRAPHY-LIGHT-TENT-SOFT-BOX-LIGHTING-CUBE_W0QQitemZ140182828133QQihZ004QQcategoryZ79010 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Thats the one I use it works great

[Zed]

Gonna get one of these, great deal! Thanks!

+1 rep point 4 U.

[jeves311]

yooo garrick you can get prepaid mastercards or visas for a fee at your local drug store, they work great when you don't have access to a card.

[garrick]

yooo garrick you can get prepaid mastercards or visas for a fee at your local drug store, they work great when you don't have access to a card.

those are not free, i checked into them awhile back when i ordered a tshirt from gonzostore.com there is an activation fee that ranges from 10 to 25 dollars.

but thanks for the replies everybody. i actually bought one today, i found the exact same setup i had first seen for 99 dollars for 50 and i bit

[Blacksheep]

awesome deal mermonkey i better grab one as well!
u should have made a deal for a % for the customers your sending his way ;)

[menty666]

I know I bought one. *thumbs up, cue the tooth sparkle, annnnnnd, end commercial"

No really, I did, thanks!

[ShttrdSpctrm]

pitch tent has a couple different meanings

[themoch]

why is the 30" the same as the 15"... is it made of the same quality fabric?

it looks like it might not be as thick.

i really want one, but don't want to pay 10$ for a piece of junk

also:

shipping is 10$ that's a bit much i think for something that's not that big when colapsed... but for $25 it's still a ton better than other places

[garrick]

yeah for me it was worth spending 50 bucks to have the lights, backgrounds, tripod and case included.

[naughty pirate wench]

Since I spent all my money on torch, kiln, and glass this summer, I'm going the DIY route - found a couple of great resources for building my own:

this one is great for an overview and the theory behind taking pix of small shiny objects:

http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/19002.html

and these two have great photos (especially helpful for folks like me who need visuals):

http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/how-to-make-a-inexpensive-light-tent/

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/07/how-to-diy-10-macro-photo-studio.html

Cheers and happy Friday,
Chris in OlyWA

[themoch]

i actually ordered the 30inch tent... i got it today, and actually, i think it might be worth the 35$