Photographing Diamonds

[kenny]

Besides watercolor painting and studying classical piano, another of my passions is photography.
I am blessed with some very fine camera equipment.
A Nikon D-200 - their newest 10.2-megapixel digital SLR - a dream camera:
Nikon D200
Nikon PB-6 Bellows (Those accordion things that hold the lens up to 8 inches away from the camera body for more enlargement.)
Nikkor macro lenses.
Today I had to buy an attachment to fit my 25-year old bellows onto my new camera body so I'm all hot to trot.

With this equipment I can get enlargements such that a 3/4 carat diamond will much more than fill the frame.

I took some quick test shots today of my two ACAs from Whiteflash and discovered something. - I suck!
Diamonds are hard to photograph.
The problem is clearly my lighting.
I used a Luxo dual 18-inch fluorescent tube light.
The results are too dismal to post.

I don't want to spend any money on fancy lighting and I suspect good results are possible with what I have - not to mention controling sunlight.
I also could use the lights that I use for painting: Two dual 4-foot florescent tubes balanced for daylight (although of course I can white balance out any color temperature of light source with this camera.)

I was considering taking a white sheet, cutting a hole in it for the lens and putting both 4-foot fluorescent tubes behind it, one on each side of the camera.
This would give a large soft even wall of light.

And what about the surface the stones sit on - the color and optical properties?
What about the background's color and reflectivity.

What are your secrets for photographing diamonds?

 

[Mara]

I'm just an amateur...but I love capturing my arrows and crisp facets in diffused light, aka under a tree or the umbrella outside, inside a bright room but no sun etc. I find I can get the crispest shots of the inside of the stone that way. I don't use special lighting. I bet you can get VERY detailed with your equipment! Can't wait to see.

 

[strmrdr]

diamonds need a contrast envirement to capture detail the all white sheet wouldnt work that well.
It will hide the details of the diamond.
Did you get some fake ring/stone holders with them?
If so the most natural shots will be on the hand.
Bright lighting is the worst enemy when shooting them up close.
If you want fire shots back off atleast 2-3 feet and use zoom.

 

[diagem]

Nice Cam., how much for this kind of toy????

 

[belle]

i purchased the d200 just a few weeks ago, so i am still not as familiar with it as i would like to be. i will be looking forward to the suggestions and insight provided here. ....and of course, the pictures too!

 

[kenny]

Belle, isn't it dreamy?
So fast!
And how bout that big screen that you can see at any angle?
I was delighted all my 25-year old Nikkor lenses work with it.

Plus since the size of the CCD is about 2/3 the size of the 35-mm film frame.
This means I am using only center 2/3 of the cirle of light my old lenses project onto to the back of the camera.
Since all lenses are shaprer and have less distortion at the center my pics will be even more razor sharp than they were with film.

DiaGem it is much cheaper than their $5000 top digital SLR, the D2.
It goes for $1699 for the body alone.

Much Much cheaper than diamonds.
And if you claculate the price per carat, it's a real bargain. [$$)]

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Kenny, we''re all sitting around waiting on your pictures...so go outside and take some!!! (Pretty please!)

I''m really curious if you are leaning towards one or the other at this point!

 

[diagem]

Date: 5/27/2006 9:48:39 AM
Author: kenny
Belle, isn''t it dreamy?
So fast!
And how bout that big screen that you can see at any angle?

DiaGem it is much cheaper than their $5000 top digital SLR, the D2.
It goes for $1699 for the body alone.

Much Much cheaper than diamonds.
And if you claculate the price per carat, it''s a real bargain. [$$)]

Does it come with a GIA report????

 

[kenny]

I'll be busy this weekend taking care of a family member who is having surgery but I'll try to get some pics up by Mon or Tues.

No DiaGem, the Nikon did not come with GIA paper.

Actually Nikon sends all their cameras to AGS now because GIA's new system unfairly dings all camera bodies with slightly more rounded edges.

Still undecided on the whether to pick the ACA New Line or the ACA Classic.
If someone held a gun to my head I'd flip a coin.
Then while the gunman was watching the coin in the air I'd grab the gun and call the cops.

 

[sunkist]

Ya, I''ve gotten the same results as Mara. Filtered sunlight is the best for getting fire out of the stone. Also sun at different times of the day is of course different brightness and it''s fun to see that effect on diamond photos. I really enjoyed evening sun, it made my diamond look really soft. And I don''t use a flash at all, I just like to take pics of what I see.

Good luck Kenny! I''m so excited to see pics

 

[belle]

Date: 5/27/2006 9:48:39 AM
Author: kenny
Belle, isn''t it dreamy?
So fast!
And how bout that big screen that you can see at any angle?
I was delighted all my 25-year old Nikkor lenses work with it.

Plus since the size of the CCD is about 2/3 the size of the 35-mm film frame.
This means I am using only center 2/3 of the cirle of light my old lenses project onto to the back of the camera.
Since all lenses are shaprer and have less distortion at the center my pics will be even more razor sharp than they were with film.

DiaGem it is much cheaper than their $5000 top digital SLR, the D2.
It goes for $1699 for the body alone.

Much Much cheaper than diamonds.
And if you claculate the price per carat, it''s a real bargain. [$$)]

yes kenny, it is so awesome. i love it.
fast.... wow... yes indeed.
i ended up getting a new nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G and a tokina 12-24mm f/4 for it. i''m ashamed to say, i haven''t even tried my old sigma lens yet.

maybe it is memorial -get out the camera- weekend!

 

[Rhino]

How many fps does the D200 take? That''s a great price point considering the megapixels. Personally I use the Canon 30D and have been extremely happy with it. Speed wise it''ll shoot 5 frames per second and up to 30 shots in a burst. Color reproduction on Canon''s DigicII processor is incredible and a notable difference over the Digic I found in their 10D. I particuarly have seen the difference moreso photographing colored stones. Yea ken ... diamonds are not an easy beast to photograph with SLR. An excellent macro lens is key as well as lighting and stability. ENJOY!

Belle you''re into photography too? Congrats on your new purchase! How do you like the Tokina wide angle? I just love wide angle photography for landscapes and all. You might want to check out Tamron''s DI-2 lens designed specifically for digital SLR''s. I''m generally one who likes to keep brand lens (Canon/Nikon) with the body but Tamron has an 18-200MM lens which serves as an incredible all purpose lens which on our digi''s would equate to 27-300 mm (and the lens is pretty small too!) When I''m going on a trip and don''t feel like lugging along a bunch of lens its a good all purpose. Here''s a link in case you''re interested.

http://www.tamron.com/lenses/prod/18200_diII.asp

Regards,

 

[kenny]

Rhino
From NikonUsa website:

5fps high-speed continuous shooting: Capture fast action and fleeting expressions with the ability to capture high-resolution images at a rapid 5 frames per second in continuous bursts of up to 22 NEF (RAW) or 37 JPEG (FINE - LARGE) shots

BTW NEF (RAW) is a Nikon format - that unlike JPEG is not compressed.
I believe to use NEF you also must purchase Nikon Capture Software for $99.


But I made a mistake, it is not 12 Mb it is only 10.2.

 

[belle]

Date: 5/27/2006 3:58:33 PM
Author: Rhino
How many fps does the D200 take? That''s a great price point considering the megapixels. Personally I use the Canon 30D and have been extremely happy with it. Speed wise it''ll shoot 5 frames per second and up to 30 shots in a burst. Color reproduction on Canon''s DigicII processor is incredible and a notable difference over the Digic I found in their 10D. I particuarly have seen the difference moreso photographing colored stones. Yea ken ... diamonds are not an easy beast to photograph with SLR. An excellent macro lens is key as well as lighting and stability. ENJOY!

Belle you''re into photography too? Congrats on your new purchase! How do you like the Tokina wide angle? I just love wide angle photography for landscapes and all. You might want to check out Tamron''s DI-2 lens designed specifically for digital SLR''s. I''m generally one who likes to keep brand lens (Canon/Nikon) with the body but Tamron has an 18-200MM lens which serves as an incredible all purpose lens which on our digi''s would equate to 27-300 mm (and the lens is pretty small too!) When I''m going on a trip and don''t feel like lugging along a bunch of lens its a good all purpose. Here''s a link in case you''re interested.

http://www.tamron.com/lenses/prod/18200_diII.asp

Regards,

jon,
the d200 shoots 5fps and the color is awesome.

like kenny, i am in love with the large lcd. .....well, everything about it actually! thanks for the recommendation on the tamron lens. i ordered the nikkor 18-200 last week but it still hasn''t arrived yet.

i''m looking forward to trying it out. especially now that this thread came up.. thanks kenny! i''m very much looking forward to exchanging ideas here

 

[Rhino]

Date: 5/27/2006 7:03:38 PM
Author: kenny
Rhino
From NikonUsa website:

5fps high-speed continuous shooting: Capture fast action and fleeting expressions with the ability to capture high-resolution images at a rapid 5 frames per second in continuous bursts of up to 22 NEF (RAW) or 37 JPEG (FINE - LARGE) shots

BTW NEF (RAW) is a Nikon format - that unlike JPEG is not compressed.
I believe to use NEF you also must purchase Nikon Capture Software for $99.


But I made a mistake, it is not 12 Mb it is only 10.2.

Yea. Canon has a raw format as well but I find myself shooting jpeg about all the time. As long as the file remains original you don''t get the artifacts that come with editing/saving etc. and I''ve been printing on the Canon i9100 at 13 x 19 with incredible clarity. Once the megapixel count hit the 6.0 range (in the Canon 10D) I haven''t found the need for greater megapixels although I won''t complain.

The 20D and 30D shoot at 8.2 megapixels. Both the Canon and Nikon are awesome products though. One of the changes with the 30D was a 2.5" screen on the back which sounds similar to what you and Belle have on the D200. I do like the larger screen.

Do you have a macro lens Ken?

 

[Rhino]

Date: 5/27/2006 7:13:23 PM
Author: belle

Date: 5/27/2006 3:58:33 PM
Author: Rhino
How many fps does the D200 take? That''s a great price point considering the megapixels. Personally I use the Canon 30D and have been extremely happy with it. Speed wise it''ll shoot 5 frames per second and up to 30 shots in a burst. Color reproduction on Canon''s DigicII processor is incredible and a notable difference over the Digic I found in their 10D. I particuarly have seen the difference moreso photographing colored stones. Yea ken ... diamonds are not an easy beast to photograph with SLR. An excellent macro lens is key as well as lighting and stability. ENJOY!

Belle you''re into photography too? Congrats on your new purchase! How do you like the Tokina wide angle? I just love wide angle photography for landscapes and all. You might want to check out Tamron''s DI-2 lens designed specifically for digital SLR''s. I''m generally one who likes to keep brand lens (Canon/Nikon) with the body but Tamron has an 18-200MM lens which serves as an incredible all purpose lens which on our digi''s would equate to 27-300 mm (and the lens is pretty small too!) When I''m going on a trip and don''t feel like lugging along a bunch of lens its a good all purpose. Here''s a link in case you''re interested.

http://www.tamron.com/lenses/prod/18200_diII.asp

Regards,

jon,
the d200 shoots 5fps and the color is awesome.

like kenny, i am in love with the large lcd. .....well, everything about it actually! thanks for the recommendation on the tamron lens. i ordered the nikkor 18-200 last week but it still hasn''t arrived yet.

i''m looking forward to trying it out. especially now that this thread came up.. thanks kenny! i''m very much looking forward to exchanging ideas here

Is that right?!? Nikon has an 18-200 eh? Awesome. I''d suggest that over the Tamron then. When I saw that Tamron Canon didn''t have an alternative (just checked... still doesn''t) so I tried it out and the price was reasonable. Once you ge that lens I think it''ll find a near permanent home on your D200.

Is this your first digital SLR belle? Do you have a favorite type of shooting you like to do? Landscape, portrait, macro, action, etc... all of the above? While I spend most of my time shooting macro and enjoy the challenges of macro photography I really love landscapes, sunsets and kids too. They make such great subjects. Perhaps this thread should be moved to the hangout and we can all share some neat photos we''ve taken? I''ve always wanted to create a site or portion of a website to include photography.

How about you Ken? Any favorite type of subjects you like to shoot?

Regards,

 

[Rhino]

btw that 5fps is smokin eh? Do you realize digital SLR''s only a few years ago weren''t shooting this speed and cost over 10k!

When Canon released the 10D it was the first affordable and real digi slr so I had swiped that up at that time. Hehe... my wife says it''s the other girl in my life cause when we go places its almost become a permanent fixture on me.

Belle, ken, if you guys ever want tips on shooting things I''ll do what I can to help.

 

[kenny]

Diamonds, I want tips on shooting diamonds.

Lighting advice in particular.

I have the Nikkor 55mm, F2.8. (made for film)
There are no zooms in my bag.
I think a longer focal length would allow me to focus further from the diamond which would mean that big black lens is less of a factor and allow more flexibility in lighting.

All my Nikkors are 25 years old, back when they were made out of metal.

 

[belle]

Date: 5/27/2006 7:47:21 PM
Author: Rhino

Is that right?!? Nikon has an 18-200 eh? Awesome. I'd suggest that over the Tamron then. When I saw that Tamron Canon didn't have an alternative (just checked... still doesn't) so I tried it out and the price was reasonable. Once you ge that lens I think it'll find a near permanent home on your D200.

yes they do. that probably should have been the first lens i bought!

Date: 5/27/2006 7:47:21 PM
Author: Rhino

Is this your first digital SLR belle? Do you have a favorite type of shooting you like to do? Landscape, portrait, macro, action, etc... all of the above? While I spend most of my time shooting macro and enjoy the challenges of macro photography I really love landscapes, sunsets and kids too. They make such great subjects. Perhaps this thread should be moved to the hangout and we can all share some neat photos we've taken? I've always wanted to create a site or portion of a website to include photography.

it is my first.

i don't have any one favorite subject. i love the challenges each one brings. the learning curve is much different than film since you can see the results right away. what a world it was before digital.

there used to be a photography thread in 'around the world' but it would be fun to start another one. especially with photo tips!

 

[Rhino]

Hey guys,

Ken ... shooting diamonds is not an easy thing for me to explain because it depends on what features you want to capture about the diamond you''re photographing. For example certain lighting will emphasize different characteristics. Some brightness, other lighting fire and yet other lighting if I want to emphasize craftsmanship/optical symmetry. I have certain lil tricks I do to accomplish what I feel is the best of each which we can discuss further. I''ve seen some really good pix taken by the consumers here that have been really nice. It''s really a matter of practicing alot and mastering the art of macro.

Date: 5/27/2006 8:18:53 PM
Author: belle

Date: 5/27/2006 7:47:21 PM
Author: Rhino

Is that right?!? Nikon has an 18-200 eh? Awesome. I''d suggest that over the Tamron then. When I saw that Tamron Canon didn''t have an alternative (just checked... still doesn''t) so I tried it out and the price was reasonable. Once you ge that lens I think it''ll find a near permanent home on your D200.

yes they do. that probably should have been the first lens i bought!

I can''t tell you how many times I''ve said the same thing to myself belle.

When I first got my digi slr they were only starting to become more main stream so the only lens available were all those tailored for film camera''s (which really do work fine with the camera) but over time of course they have to come out with other newer ones designed specifically for digital ... smaller, lighter, faster.

Oh the viscious cycle of technology.

Other neat lens you may want to check out down the road are the ones that feature optical image stabilization. They virtually remove any hand shake and make it easier to take a more solid steady shot especially in lower light conditions. In the Canon world they call them IS (abbrev for Image Stabilization) lens. In Nikon lens they are called VR. Vibration Reduction. HEY I just looked up the lens you''re getting and it does feature VR!!! Shizzat girl, you''ll be flyin in no time.

You''ll especially note the difference when you''re zooming in. The more you zoom into an item the greater the chances of the hands not being steady.

When you turn the VR on you''ll see a notable difference. 2 years ago Sting came to concert here on Long Island. I have a client who works security at these shows and if I call him early enough he hooks me up with pretty close seats. Well ... I got my camera in with my IS/VR zoom lens (100-480mm). You gotta see the shots I got.

Are you a Sting fan? I graduated back in 81 so The Police were really big in my time. Hah.. now I''m showing my age.

Start a thread in Hangout, link me and I''ll post the shots if you''re interested to see what a good VR/IS lens can do in low light situations such as like you''re getting.

Date: 5/27/2006 7:47:21 PM
Author: Rhino

Is this your first digital SLR belle? Do you have a favorite type of shooting you like to do? Landscape, portrait, macro, action, etc... all of the above? While I spend most of my time shooting macro and enjoy the challenges of macro photography I really love landscapes, sunsets and kids too. They make such great subjects. Perhaps this thread should be moved to the hangout and we can all share some neat photos we''ve taken? I''ve always wanted to create a site or portion of a website to include photography.

it is my first.

i don''t have any one favorite subject. i love the challenges each one brings. the learning curve is much different than film since you can see the results right away. what a world it was before digital.

Wowza. Is it also your first digital camera? If so a double congrats!

You''re right about the learning curve but once you get familiar with the menu''s on your camera and how to work the controls you''ll be amazed at how creative you can get if you want. I have to admit though ... when I''m out etc. most of the time I have the sucka on auto or will use one of the auto settings (landscape, portrait, sports, etc.).

Did you get a flash with it too or are you using the built in pop up?

I just now looked up the specs on this D200 ... you''re getting into the game belle (and ken) at an excellent time. Your cam represents one of the best values right now and Nikon has come a long way in they world of digi photography. When Nikon and Canon first featured consumer level digi cams the Canon''s had alot more features that out did the Nikon but looking at the specs of the D200 and the pricepoint, it appears not to be the case anymore. It''s also excellent to be able to see the results immediately eh?

there used to be a photography thread in ''around the world'' but it would be fun to start another one. especially with photo tips!

Go for it and we''ll have some fun. Sheesh I have an archive of really neat things I''ve shot over the years which demonstrates the nice abilities of digital slr''s that may interest you and we''ll talk tips and tricks or perhaps I can answer any questions that may arise. I may not be back on till Monday or Tuesday but I will be sure to go and chat/share if you start it.

Kind regards,

 

[kenny]

This site has lots of useful stuff for photographing jewelry.

Snoop around:

http://www.tabletopstudio.com/documents/jewelry_photography.htm#sparkle

 

[strmrdr]

btw this site is the one iv found to almost always have the best prices:
http://tristatecamera.com/Store-sr2toi3l-3.html