Lighting & Camera for Before & Afters

I have been tasked with finding two things for our plastic surgery office.

  1. A better camera for before & after pictures. Ours is ancient.

•Need something not too big. It will be used by multiple nurses/doctors in different rooms.

•We like to do some pics/videos with the phone as well. Which phone has the best camera for close up photos/vids?

  1. Lighting is a huge issue. The office lighting is terrible. We don’t have an option to create a photo room. So soft box lighting isn’t going to work. Once again, it is something we will be using in different appointments/rooms. We have tried a ring light but I don’t think it made enough of a different.

•Do higher quality ring lights help?

•Is there another option that will combat the office lighting well and is easily moved?

Thank you for your help. I am out of my depth here.

Comments

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Taylor_To_You•3 months ago•1

For phones, the iPhone 15 Pro or newer handles close-ups best.

The macro mode is a game-changer for skin detail. For lighting, skip ring lights and grab two Aputure MC panels; they're palm-sized, battery-powered, and you can move them room to room without any setup.

zarpha_x•3 months ago•1

lemme know if you got to know

Independent-Ant-7230•3 months ago•1

For before/after in a clinical setting, consistency matters more than anything.

Camera/phone:
Recent iPhones or Samsung flagships work really well for this because they’re easy to use and give consistent results across users. The key is using the same device/settings every time so your comparisons are accurate.

Lighting (this is your real problem):
Ring lights often don’t fix harsh overhead lighting, they just add more light, not better light.

What works better in your case:

  • Portable LED panel lights with diffusers (softer, more even than ring lights)
  • Place light slightly off-center, not straight on
  • Try to minimize overhead light when shooting (even turning some lights off helps)

You want soft, even lighting with minimal shadows so skin tone and texture look consistent across all shots.

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