Taking Pictures for an inspection

[megloff11x]

Is anyone here a zen master of taking good clear pictures while doing an inspection or similar, and if so can you provide pointers or recommend a reference for such photography? It's challenging to get a focused close up of a small flaw, especially if there is varying depth of the problem area and you have to get in tight, like a bundle of wires that is inches deep or of an overstuffed junction box. And what shows up on the little digital camera screen often looks different than what gets printed in the report. I seem to be the king of blurry pictures and have been banned from taking pictures of the cats while they're sitting on a special someone's lap because of a mysterious and unflattering magnifying effect of the lens...

Let me know. I use crappy throw away cameras for social events and a low megapixel digital when I'm allowed. At work we have a super camera but none of us can do it or its collection of spendy lenses justice, or know which lens is best when.

 

[480sparky]

Practice, practice, practice is the only surefire method. There are no shortcuts to taking usable images.

As for the tiny screen, check the manual to see if you can enlarge a portion of the image on the screen to make sure what you want to show up is exposed correctly and is in focus.

Digital images are cheap. Take 2, 5, 10, 50 shots if you have to.

 

[sameguy]

big f stop like f22 little bit of light good depth of field. (all in focus)
small f stop like f3.5 lot o light no depth of field. (only what you focused on is in focus)
shutter at 60 and up for hand holding use a flash when you can.
what camera do you have and lens at work?

 

[sameguy]

10mm - 35mm is wide angle. what you can see.
35mm -80mm is normal like what you see with your hands at your eyes on the side of your head.
80mm - alot mm is tunnel vision.
each lens has a close focus distance on it, normaly lower mm gets closer.

 

[tkb]

If you are trying to get a close up photo try a couple of these tricks that I found works sometimes.

Don't get too close, zoom in with the optical zoom.
If you want to get close, then use the macro mode.

If you keep back and zoom in, the flash will distribute better.
Also take the shot from an angle so the flash does not reflect directly back to the camera.

If your camera has image stabilization, use it.

These are some of the thing that I tried.
I take a lot of photos of nameplates so I don't have to write anything down.

The most important thing is to check the photo before you leave.
Zoom in and make sure you can see the detail that you were looking for and see if you need to try again.

 

[480sparky]

10mm - 35mm is wide angle. what you can see.
35mm -80mm is normal like what you see with your hands at your eyes on the side of your head.
80mm - alot mm is tunnel vision.........

All meaningless numbers without knowing how large the imaging sensor is.

 

[sameguy]

Really ?
If he has a DSLR at work full frame or crop sensor the numbers work, or 35mm for that matter.
Now if he only has his phone or a pocket camera you get what you see and don't need to know any focal length.

 

[480sparky]

Really ?
If he has a DSLR at work full frame or crop sensor the numbers work, or 35mm for that matter.
Now if he only has his phone or a pocket camera you get what you see and don't need to know any focal length.

A given focal-length lens will produce a difference FOV, it all depends on the sensor. The numbers you used work for 35mm film as well as Nikons' FX digital format. But the same lens will not give you the same image for a Nikon DX or a Canon as the CMOS imager is a different physical size.

And point-and-shoot cameras have all sorts of CMOS/CCD sizes. So an 8mm on a full-frame Nikon digital will be a super wide-angle, but on a $85 p&s might be a 2x telephoto.

 

[sameguy]

Yes a point and shoot like megloff11x said more than not will not have interchangeable lens. You get what you see. His Super camera at work could be a crop sensor and yes the field of view will be different from film but not meaningless; the numbers still work the magnification is still the same ,plus minus, lens to sensor distance.
When I put a lens on my crop Nikon (1.5 crop factor) say 100mm it isn't a 150mm suddenly it only sees the area if it was 35mm camera with a 150mm lens on it.
How ever to give megloff11x an idea the numbers are good to illustrate.

 

[charlie b]

I suspect that in this type of photographic scenario, blurry photos are more likely to be caused by camera shake than by depth of field issues. You may think that 1/60 second is a fast shutter speed, but it really is not.

I recommend a tripod, knowing well that that will not often be practical. As a substitute, brace the camera against something solid (but not energized ), like a nearby wall or column, or perhaps the front edge of the enclosure itself. Here is one idea, if you really get desperate for a solid surface to use to brace the camera:
http://www.pbase.com/cbeck/image/132149399

 

[megloff11x]

One of my colleagues does a lot of nature photography (more at distance) and he gave me a few pointers but I was initially overwhelmed by terminology overload. He recommended a tripod & bar for stabilizing the camera as well. I was looking for a guidebook I could refer to. If I get a picture that's close to what I want, what direction should I go to dial it in the rest of the way - lens, back up, move in, other. There are troubleshooting "flowcharts" for most things. Is there one for up close camera work?

I suppose if I dither at this long enough I could write one but am trying to avoid the pain & sorrow... and time.

Matt

 

[ceb58]

Check out your local community collage. Some will offer photography classes for novice a few nights a week.

 

[480sparky]

Check out your local community collage. Some will offer photography classes for novice a few nights a week.

Many of the 'better' camera stores will not. Not the 'big box' outfits like Adorama or B&H, but your local dealers.

 

[sameguy]

www.dpreview.com look here.
Charlie is correct in bracing your self, treat it like shooting a gun with breath control, shoot on your out breath.

 

[Chamuit]

There's a reason for the AUTO setting on cameras.

 

[K8MHZ]

I have been taking detailed pics for decades.

The best 'trick' is using a camera that you can force a flash with and use the flash.

Using f/22 to take advantage of depth of field also requires a longer shutter speed. Much blur will come from shake unless a flash is used.

Here are some links to some detailed shots I have taken with Canon pocket cameras.

A fly in a lighter

The inside of an ultrasonic mosquito repellent device that was ruined by a leaky battery

Both of those were taken without a tripod.

I use Canon IS series cameras for my pocket. I also have a 30D DSLR, but am so impressed with the Canon pocket cameras I seldom take it where I don't need huge telephoto lenses and remote control.

The two small Canon cameras I use are the A590IS (has full manual capability) and the A1000IS, which is smaller and has fewer manual controls.

 

[K8MHZ]

I would also like to add that where a tripod may be too bulky, a monopod will produce some very nice results and is very easy to carry. I have three of them. One is so small it clips to my belt.

If you have shaky hands, I strongly recommend using at least a monopod.

 

[Steviechia2]

A agree with what 480 Sparky said. Take a million pics there cheap! I personally use my IPhone 4 which takes amazing pics

 

[renosteinke]

First off, there's something to be said for formal education - even if it's in the form of a short class at the local community college.

Then there's the camera itself. I'm NOT saying you need to spend thousands of dollars - I just want to point out that there's a world of difference in the pictures taken by a disposable camera and a better camera. Cell phone? Get real- you need real optics to take real pictures. In about 8 hours. when I get home, I'll post a good example of these differences.

If you have the budget, then the SLR ("single lens reflex") type of camera is well worht it. The three advantages of this type are 1) You actually see what the camera sees; 2) you can use different lenses in different situations; and, 3) you have far more control over the metering (exposure, focus, etc.).

Digital photography has introduced a whole new world of photo editing. Using your computer, you can do amazing things - zoom in, add arrows, etc.

Finally, it often helps to have a library of images, so you can show the difference between 'good' and 'bad.'

 

[480sparky]

The difference between cell phones, point & shoot cameras and the DSLRs is the glass. Mega-pixels are mega-pixels in each, but it's the lens that makes or breaks the image. In a point & shoot camera, the lens is the size of a dime. On a cell phone, it's smaller than a pencil eraser. But on a DSLR, you can find glass that's 3" in diameter. It's those lenses that can produce the WOW shots.

If your camera allows more then just shooting in AUTO, all the better. If you have a MANUAL mode(s) on the camera, learn to use them and take control of the camera.

Learn what the lens aperture does, especially to depth of field. Learn what different shutter speeds will do... you won't want the images to blur due to motion, so the higher the speed the better. Learn what ISO ('film speed') is and how it affects image quality. Once you get a grasp on them, learn about white balance and light source colors.

Understanding photography is a lot like electricity... there's no one single answer. You probably wouldn't hesitate to wire a house with NM, but you'd never consider using NM to wire a factory. Nor would you use rigid to wire a house, either. Photography is a similar thought pattern.... recognizing what will work best and what is appropriate for the task at hand. A shutter speed, aperture, ISO and white balance for one image will not work for another.

Saunter down to your local camera store.... many will have basic classes that will kick-start your skills. If not, as mentioned local community colleges may have them. Also, pick up some photography magazines and subscribe to them. Every month you'll get lots of tips and tricks.