Now to the real question: Which camera/flash/lens combination should I buy?
I’ll start off with what I think are simply THE standard lenses and flashes to get, as these won’t change much over time, even though the camera bodies will.
For Canon lenses (overall, more dentists use Canon than any other brand in my experience), you want EITHER the:
There is only 1 Canon ring-flash commonly used (while the twin-light flash is really nice, it’s trickier to learn and definitely more expensive), and that is the Canon MR-14EX ring flash.
For Nikon, the comparable lenses are:
As far as I know (which is a lot less about Nikon that Canon, admittedly), Nikon does not make their own ring flash comparable to the Canon MR-14EX. The one I’ve seen commonly recommended is the Sigma EM-140 DG TTL Macro Ring Flash for Nikon.
So does this mean that these are the ONLY combinations of DSLR lenses and flashes that you can get? NOPE, not by a long shot! However, they are the most common selections used by skilled dental photographers, and so….if you happen to need help from a colleague, it’s easiest to get help on these. So rather than give out every single combination of lenses, bodies, and flashes that could be used, to keep it simple, these are the ones I recommend you consider.
Remember that the most important feature in the lens is it MUST BE A MACRO. Otherwise, you will not be able to get close enough to the teeth to photograph them well.
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Now on to the Camera Bodies:
For Canon, as of today (12/18/2010), I recommend the Canon T2i for 1 very simple reason: not only does it have all the nice features necessary to take high-quality pictures, it ALSO has 1080p HD video recording capabilities. And with the Internet rapidly becoming a major force in reaching both new and existing patients, video can be a powerful tool for influencing them; follow this link to see some of my patient testimonials on YouTube! The sheer convenience of having both a video camera and a DSLR in 1 is just too nice. And, if you happen to be a microscope-using dentist (which I also highly recommend), you can hook up the T2i to your camera adapter and record both video or still images.
Of course, you can also use any of the following Canon camera bodies: 10D, 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D, 60D XT, XTi, XS, XSi, or even go really upscale with the Canon 5D, 5D Mark II, or 7D. However, I don’t recommend those because of the price.
For Nikon, I recommend the (for the same reasons as above) Nikon D5000 or the D90. If those don’t float your boat, you can choose any of the following (just be aware that none of these have the video either): D40, D60, D80, or D200. Again, if you want upscale, go for the D300s or D700.
OK, if you count up all those possibilities, you’ll realize that’s actually WAAAAAAY more than 5 possibilities. I’ve given you the criteria I use when recommending, though, so you should be able to make your choice. If not, please ask questions!
I’ll cover some of the alternative DSLR camera bodies, lenses, and flashes in a future post.
HELLO, I AM ABSOLUTELY INTO THE WORLD OF CAMERAS. AND I WANT TO BUY ONE FOR DENTAL USE FR EG. IMPLANTS AND STUFF. PLEASE HELP TO CHOOSE AND KINDLY UPDATE ME REGARDING THE LENSES AND THE RING FUNCTIONS..
I use Nikon D5200 + lens micro 40mm for orthodontic photography, but the intraoral photos taken from that kit seems a little yellowish on teeth, I don’t know why. Could you give me some advice? Do I need to replace lens 40mm with 60/100mm micro lens?
Thank you very much.
Bill, the yellowish tint more likely has to do with the White Balance settings on your camera. I’m less familiar with Nikons, but should be able to help you figure it out. The lens really shouldn’t have any impact on color of the photos unless there is something really wrong with it, and unless you’re unhappy with the lens for other reasons, there’s no need to buy another one. Can you tell me what settings you have for the following:
White balance
ISO
f-stop (aperture)
Shutter speed
What kind of operatory lighting you have
You can go to my Facebook page and post some photos if you like; being able to actually SEE the problem helps a lot.
U told that with Nikon, only 2 micro lens 105mm & 60mm, so could I take quality photos with my 40mm micro len?
Bill, I looked up the lens on B&H Photo, and it does look like that lens should work ok; your main difficulty with it will be that you have to get REALLY close to the patient for intraoral photos, so you will need excellent lip retraction for the flash to illuminate the posterior teeth well. I didn’t see anything about it working with the ring flash but assume it does. As long as you’re not bumping into the patient and can visualize the teeth you need, it should be fine.
Thanks Dr Payet, I will give it a try, so do u think I should replace this 40mm len with 85mm or 100mm len for better photos?
Bill, I have heard a lot of good things about the Nikon 85mm macro. If you decide to try it, please let me know how it works for you.
One of these days, if we end up bringing a partner into our office, I want to start doing product reviews and really get to test out all the new stuff, but for now….not enough time.
And yeesh, I just realized that this page BADLY needs an update! The Canon T2i, for example, is now up to the T5i and the SL1, with major improvements. Time to write a new blog post with some updates.
Chip,
Nikon has made several models of ring flash for better than 10 years. I have the SB-29. they also have the r1-c1 dual point.
Bill
Bill, thanks for the info! I really don’t know a lot about Nikons, so I am always grateful when Nikonians contribute info.
Dr. Payet, thanks for all the info. I have a rebelXT with all necessary dental attach and have loved it for too many years. I have the itch to upgrade, and have been looking at the 7D (not for dental, just hobby). I have several lenses, 70-300, 28-135, 50 1.4, 60 2.8, Would I get more impact from spending $1500 on a new 7Dbody, or about the same for a nice L lens(maybe wide angle L lens)? I initially was focusing on new lens, but after reading how far the 7D has come, especially over my old Rebel XT, I’m wondering if a new body would be in order. Thanks for your advice.
Richard, the question really always comes down to, “What exactly do you want to shoot with it?” If you are looking for sports and/or low-light capabilities, then you will do far better with a new 7D (that’s one reason I got mine – shooting a teenage duaghter doing competitive cheer in big, poorly-lit arenas except bright light on-stage). If you’re more interested in improving the quality of family pictures, landscapes, general stuff, then you should look at a “L” glass; the 70-200 f/2.8L is a standard for pros. The IS version is sweet, but the Mark II version is a lot pricier than the original or than the non-IS version. The 24-70mm f/2.8L is also a great first “L” glass.
Hope that helps!
The settings for intraoral dental photography really don't change, regardless of the camera body or brand, because those settings are based on your fundamental principles of photography – aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance, etc. The MENU settings may be somewhat different from one camera body to another or from one brand to another, but whatever settings you used for your 20D, assuming you got good results, will give you equally good results for dental pictures.
I must say, though, that's one expensive dental camera! 🙂 I hope you do enjoy it a lot more for your landscape shooting, as it has gained a superb reputation in that arena.