Growing a collection of anything is a great hobby and a perfect way to display your love for a given interest. ForMarvel,DC, andanimefans alike, collecting action figures is the ultimate expression of passion. What’s better than that, you may ask? Action figure photography. But if you’re already reading this, you probably don’t need to be told about that.
Getting into action figure photography can be confusing; there are so many cameras to choose from, how do you create great lighting, and how do the photographers of those fantastic photos pose their action figures? Fear not. Today, we’ll cover each of those questions and recommend the best equipment you’ll need for action figure photography. Ready to learn what to add to your shopping list next?
Canon EOS Rebel T7
This Wi-Fi Canon EOS Rebel T7 features a 24.1 MP CMOS sensor and a DIGIC 4+ processor, capable of full HD images and videos. It also has a 9-Point AF system and AI Servo AF, with image stabilization, and comes with an 18-55mm lens.
The Canon EOS Rebel T7 is a fantastic budget-entry camera for toy photography for several reasons. First, it has a minimum shutter speed of 1/4000 seconds and a maximum shutter speed of 30 seconds. Honestly, shutter speed isn’t too crucial for toy photography since the subject isn’t moving, but those specs make the camera a good choice for general photography, too, so you’re not limited to your action figures.
Second, it has image stabilization, so if you find yourself without a tripod, you won’t have to worry about blurry images because of your unsteady hands. Third, the camera comes with an 18-55mm lens, which gives you versatility for a variety of shots; you can get a wide-angle shot at 18mm (you should still definitely get a dedicated wide-angle lens), but also close-ups with background blur at 55mm.
Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro
This Sigma 105mm macro lens features an aperture of f/2.8, letting in quite a lot of light, perfect for low-light photography. This bundle features the lens, an ultraviolet, a circular polarizer, and a warming filter. It also comes with a cleaning kit, a carrying case, and a front and rear lens cap.
If you want to get highly detailed close-ups, the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro Lens is the perfect choice. It’s compatible with Canon cameras, so it’ll work great with the abovementioned one. Sigma is well-known for creating lenses that capture accurate color quality with excellent sharpness, and this lens is no exception, which makes it a great choice for toy photography, allowing you to get minute details of the small toys you’ll be photographing.
More importantly, the lens can focus at a very close distance, which you’ll need to do, and it’s a macro lens, so your small action figures will easily fill the frame. Also, the lens has an aperture of f/2.8, so you’re able to isolate the action figure from the background using a blur. However, if you want to get really up close and personal and take amazing shots to make your action figures feel real, you should get a 24mm probe lens.
Canon EF 24–105mm f/4L is II USM Lens
This Canon EF 24-105mm lens features an aperture of f/4L and has a built-in image stabilizer. It has an Air Sphere Coating that reduces ghosting and lens flare and uses an optical design that improves peripheral brightness and creates softer backgrounds.
If you’re on a budget and want an upgrade to the lens that usually comes with cameras, like the 18-55mm lens that comes with the Canon Rebel T7, then you should definitely consider the Canon EF 24-105mm lens. On the lower end, at 24mm, you can get really close to your action figures to produce unique and beautiful angles that capture a lot of detail, or you could capture wider angles, too. On the higher end, at 105mm, you can achieve a compressed perspective or zoom in from a distance. In other words, the lens is very versatile.
Then there’s the maximum aperture of f/4, which is constant. This means the exposure settings won’t change as you zoom, so you don’t have to fiddle between shots. It also means that with an aperture of f/4, you can achieve a background blur if you want. Plus, the lens has image stabilization, so accidental blur because of shaky hands won’t be a problem.
Lume Cube 2.0 Portable Lighting Kit
This Lume Cube offers a balanced daylight lighting effect of 5,600K. It also has a 95+ Coloring Rendering Index, perfect for accurate color lighting. There are 10 levels of brightness to choose from, which can be changed instantly using the Lume-X app. It’s also waterproof up to 10 meters for underwater lighting.
So, what does the Lume Cube do? It’s used as a very convenient lighting solution and can even act as a strobe light (if you’re throwing a quick party after your photography session). If you want to add depth to your scene or mood, this light, versatile lighting solution is a must.
This specific Lume Cube can be controlled with a mobile app for on-the-fly adjustments and offers ten brightness levels. Plus, it can also double as a flash if you mount it on your camera.
If you combine this with RGB LED panels, you can add incredible effects. If you want to step it up a notch, you can use the Lume cube with RGB LED panels and Atmosphere Aerosol to create lighting through fog, mist, clouds, smog, etc.
POMER 5-Piece Action Figure Stand
This action figure stand set has five transparent action figure holders at six inches. It’s made from high-quality plastic material with tight connections, so they should last for some time. The base of the stands are quite broad, so larger action figures can be placed and held with no problem.
Action stands are pretty self-explanatory, but they’re easy to forget if you’re new to action figure photography. They’re used to pose your action figures (especially those that fly or need to climb up buildings).
These are recommended because they’re transparent, so you can easily edit them out in post-production, and you can move them into numerous positions. This product is actually a steal since there are five, so you won’t have to buy another pack any time soon.
