American Recorder SIB-101CS Classic Photo Studio-in-a-Box by AMERICAN RECORDER
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List Price: Our Price: $49.95 You Save: $60.00 (55%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Digital Camera See more digital camera details and other models |
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Digital camera reviews of American Recorder SIB-101CS Classic Photo Studio-in-a-Box
Digital camera Review: Great for Jewelry Photography
Summary: 5 Stars
I design and make custom jewelry, and this, combined with a good camera and close-up lens (Nikon D200 with 105 mm Micro VR lens) lets me take really good pictures of my work.Digital camera Review: Great for small items.
Summary: 4 Stars
I own the previous model, the SIB-100 that was upgraded to a SIB-101. They're identical other than the lights. They're UL listed with the SIB-101, they were not UL listed with the SIB-100. I'll make more comments below.
First the bad. The camera mount won't hold a camera that's much heavier than a point and shoot. I use a larger camera with a standard floor tripod. I gave this four stars because I think the camera mount isn't that useful.
Now the good.
I bought the Photo Studio-in-a-Box to take pictures of items I'm selling on eBay. I got tired of using the dining room table with the associated problems of getting even lighting and a neutral background. This provides very even lighting with no hot spots. I'll put the pictures I take with this up against any professionally taken pictures. The lighting is that good. I've posted two pictures I've taking using the Studio-in-a-Box.
More about the lights. When I started searching for replacement bulbs, I couldn't find any so I called American Recording and talked to a very nice gentleman. He told me they had redesigned the lights in order to gain UL approval. He then sold me the new style, UL compliant, bulbs and light stands for the price of new bulbs. Talk about great customer service!
For those who complain about the lights getting too hot...
To preserve bulb life, I'm in the habit of using room lighting for composing and setup, then turning on the SIB lights to take the picture. After taking a few pictures I got tired of having to turn the lights on and off for each shot. I bought an extension cord with a foot switch and plugged both lights into it. Makes things much simpler and easier.
Digital camera Review: I've yet to get a good photo out of it.
Summary: 1 Stars
I'm an eBay PowerSeller who received the Studio-in-a-Box as a gift from a family member. The only thing I've gained from it is horrible guilt - I didn't realize the studio was a piece of junk until it was too late for my family member to obtain a refund. I've gotten better results with several sheets of folded paper and a table lamp.
First, you need an inordinate amount of space to set up all the components - about 8 feet (by 3 or 4 feet) of completely clear table space. You'll also need to move a good 6 to 8 feet back to get an in-focus shot, where you'll need another level surface to set up the tripod. In other words, you need a large dining room table (that's not in use - and, no, your kitchen counter isn't wide enough). If you live in an apartment or a small house, you simply won't have the space needed to use the studio.
The lights present their own problems. They rest on tripod feet that are, in some alternate universe where American Recorder makes quality products, retractable. In this universe, however, there is no way - NO WAY - to extract the feet from their storage positions inside the lights. You're left with no choice but to balance the lights on their spindly stalks, readjusting them after they topple over every couple minutes. The lights also become inordinately hot after only seconds of use - they're too dangerous to use around small children and represent a burn and fire hazard for even a cautious user. Even more, they're so bright that they overlight your items without a gigantic space allowance between the box and the lights. (Every time I use the studio, I discover I've only a useless series of overlit blobs to show for my efforts.)
Cobalt blue is a poor choice for a supposedly neutral background - it's distracting and makes the white areas of an item look utterly washed out. Despite the billing, the background is not seamless. Furthermore, its rough woven texture is all too apparent in photos, particularly those of smaller items, making everything - the photo, your item - seem cheap. Why make the backdrop so shoddy and garish? Oh, right - so they can sell you the $20 black/white add-on backdrop that should've been included in the first place.
No, I'm not a master photographer - but I've gotten hundreds of decent photographs for my business with supposedly cruder material and lighting. It's not me. This studio rips off both your time and money and is not worth a second glance.
Digital camera Review: Improves the quality of digital photography.
Summary: 5 Stars
I do food photography for posting on a web site. The photo studio in a box has been a big plus. It helps to eliminate glare and greatly improves picture quality.Digital camera Review: Jewelry Artisan
Summary: 5 Stars
Because I take pictures of my work for my website, I can count on the lighting being consistent.