I’ve got a small local client for whom I do marketing for. Part of the package is product photography that they use on their website and Facebook page that I manage. They’ve received a lot of compliments to the photography that they use, which makes me feel good. Over the years I’ve used any number of cameras, from Pentax K20D, K-X, K-01, K-5), Panasonic Micro Four-Thirds (GH1, GH2), and even the Nikon V1. Lighting in the store is pretty good, and the key issue is getting the right DOF (not too much but not too little) without having to push the ISO into noisy territory for the camera being used.
Last time out, I took the Nikon V1 and the results were just OK. It wasn’t really the camera’s fault but rather the lens selection; the 10mm F2.8 is a 27mm equivalent and thus a bit too wide for this application as it tends to distort the shoes. Alternately, the 10-30mm zoom has the focal lengths that I need but it’s a bit too slow, which forced me to push the ISO a bit more than I would have liked. Ultimately, I got usable shots for the web, but it wasn’t my favorite set.
So this time I went for a meeting and at the last minute was asked to photograph Nike’s running and basketball shoes. The only thing I had with me was the Pentax Q with the 01 Prime (47mm eq, F1.9). Having used the camera extensively, I was pretty sure that the fast aperture along with the decent low light performance would handle the situation. And the camera did great, good colors and sharpness, and even good OOF – not too much, not too little. I’ve also been able to push and pull the files pretty hard in post, something that other small sensors have been less adept at. Overall, a good showing for the Q. If Pentax comes out with a fast 28mm eq wide and a fast 105mm eq telephoto, that will make a seriously good and tiny 3 prime kit.
