There are some truly wonderful and exciting features that many modern cameras have, which many professionals in product photography forget to use. This is in part because a lot of the cameras do most of the hard work for you, or each packshot photographer has it customised to their own preference. We’ve put together some of the most interesting features that we believe can transform product photographs.

Anti-flicker

For those who work in certain areas of product photography, you may have had to deal with flicker from taking a quick sequence of images involving challenging lighting. The process of resolving this can be time-consuming and frustrating, as some types of light flicker at approximately 120 times per second, causing uneven colour and exposures.

Many of the better quality cameras will come with this kind of feature built-in which is an incredibly helpful, time-saving solution. How anti-flicker works is that it follows the cycle of lighting and delays the shutter actuation wherever possible to minimise the impact of flickering on images. The difference this can make to a packshot photographer outweighs any potential issues around shutter lag.

Level

Common sense suggests that if you want to ensure a level image, you should use some kind of tripod accessory. Without it, many of those working in product photography really struggle to take a level image and spend time in the editing room rectifying uneven product photographs. This obviously wastes time as well as potentially causing over cropping of images, in turn reducing their quality.

A professional packshot photographer is likely to have a camera that has a level feature and if it isn’t switched on, then it definitely should be. This fantastic feature will show if there is a degree of tilt in a particular photograph, with some showing both the roll and pitch axis. Each camera differs, with most showing at least the roll axis.

Custom function buttons

Yet another interesting camera feature that many in product photography will be aware of but plenty still under utilise, is the custom function option on a camera. You will notice that cameras come with functions and settings in a pre-installed way that often means the most convenient buttons do something that you rarely use.

If you take the time to use the custom function feature on your camera, you will most likely be able to reprogramme these buttons. By assigning your most frequently used features to these most conveniently placed buttons, a packshot photographer will save important seconds and reduce the chances of missing that key shot.

Wi-fi

The final feature on our list is the wi-fi function and it offers two fantastic benefits that will transform your photographs. Firstly, it allows for quick and easy image transfer to your computer or phone. This means that you will be able to quickly edit on a device or remove the need to plug your camera into a computer for the transfer.

Secondly, the wi-fi feature will allow you to control the camera remotely using various apps or devices. It could be that you wish to position the camera in a difficult location or place it on a tripod and then get a different perspective whilst shooting. As a packshot photographer, this opens up wonderful opportunities.