What camera and lens features matter most for photographing surface textures for game assets?
Asked 8/13/2011
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2 answers
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I photograph walls, floors, doors, concrete, damaged paint, and other flat surfaces to turn them into seamless textures for computer games. The goals are very sharp, lighting-neutral images with minimal perspective and lens distortion, so they can be edited heavily and downscaled later.
What camera and lens characteristics should I prioritize for this kind of work? In particular:
- Is RAW capture important to avoid in-camera sharpening and other processing?
- Do I need higher bit depth for post-processing headroom?
- How important are low distortion and sharpness in the lens?
- Would a compact camera be good enough, or is an entry-level DSLR/interchangeable-lens camera a better choice?
- Are there specific lens types that work especially well for flat surfaces and close-up texture shots?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
5
While the camera and lens are obviously going to have an impact on your success, I have to think that a good solid grasp on lighting techniques is going to have more impact on shooting textures than the camera will.
Just about any current DSLR (or even high-end P&S), ideally with a low-distortion prime lens, should give you plenty of technology to get started. The full-frame suggestion is absolutely right for optimum results, and certainly gives the advantage of a ton of resolution that you can crop to size, but it's going to be fairly expensive. If money is no object, go for the full-frame camera, but if you're on a budget, get a more modest camera and save some money for lighting equipment -- I think you'll produce better results with an entry-level DSLR and great lighting than you will with a full-frame camera and no lighting equipment.
If you're not familiar with the sort of impact lighting can have on your photos, check out strobist.com or some of the other communities that specialize in lighting techniques. I think you'll start to see how lighting is going to make the highlights and shadows in your textures really pop.
Originally by user269. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user269
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For texture capture, the key requirements are RAW support, low noise, and a sharp lens with low distortion. RAW is the best way to avoid unwanted in-camera processing like sharpening and gives you more flexibility in post.
You do not need an especially expensive body. For 1024×1024 final textures, a good high-end compact that shoots RAW can be enough, especially if portability and close-focus macro ability matter. Compacts also give more depth of field at a given aperture, which can help keep flat subjects sharp.
An entry-level DSLR or other larger-sensor interchangeable-lens camera will generally give better overall image quality, especially paired with a strong lens. Lens quality matters more than body cost here: prioritize sharpness and low distortion. A macro lens is a strong option for close textures; a moderate telephoto can also help you shoot from farther away to reduce perspective issues. You’ll likely stop down for sharpness, so very fast apertures are less important.
Also, lighting matters at least as much as the camera. Soft, even light—or controlled lighting—will usually improve texture results more than upgrading to a costly body.
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