Camera Information
Good dental photographs require the appropriate armamentarium. Point and shoot cameras, no matter how good, cannot create the quality and lack of image distortion that a good 35mm SLR camera will. A reputable brand like Nikon or Canon will provide a suitable camera body for Dental (and general purpose) photography, without the need for purchasing a very high end model. An appropriate lens is necessary, as is the correct type of flash, optimised for macro photography. Below you will find a list of the required armamentarium:
Digital SLR Camera (I prefer Nikon or Canon)
A two-point flash source. There are few of these now on the market though historically, most options are for ring flashes. Nikon made good two-point flashes,… the classic being the SB-21B (or SB-21A). Presently they make the R1C1 two point system which provides greater distance of the light sources from the lens. Alternatively, any good ring flash will still take nice Dental photographs.
The lens on your camera MUST be a macro lens. The preference would be for a 100mm or a 105mm Macro lens. A 90mm lense may also suffice. A 135mm lens may be too much magnification and I would not recommend buying a 50mm Macro Lens if you can afford to purchase a 100mm. The 50mm may produce distortions close up and not allow the quality of image that you are seeking.
Photographic Mirrors (chromium, front surface reflecting) in shapes “Adult Occlusal” and “Buccal #1″
Plastic (clear) lip and cheek retractors – small and large sizes. (I like the "Universal Short" retractors)
Contrasters - used to create a black background for intra-oral images (I prefer the "Anterior Classic" contrasters)
Dr Mandikos uses:
Nikon D300S camera body
Nikon AF Micro Nikkor 105mm (1:2.8) lens
Nikon R1C1 two-point flash system with SU-800 Commander unit
Universal "Short" Plastic retractors (photomed.net)
PhotoMed Anterior Contrasters "Classic" (photomed.net)
Mirror - Anterior Occlusal (photomed.net)
Mirror - Buccal (photomed.net)
