Technical Photography KIT

Technical Photography KIT

We offer a complete kit for Technical photography (TP) which includes a full spectrum camera sensitive from Ultraviolet to Infrared radiation and the set of necessary filters and lamps. Our TP-KIT represents a good compromise between quality, versatility, and costs. It allows to realize a complete set of 8 technical photo documentation methods: VIS (visible photography), UVF (Ultraviolet Fluorescence photography), UVR (Reflected Ultraviolet photography), IR (Infrared photography), IRF (Infrared Fluorescence photography), IRFC (Infrared False Color photography), IRT (Infrared Transmitted photography) and RAK (Raking light photography).
This kit is recommended for art professionals such as conservators, art appraisers, archaeologists, and art historians. Use it for fast and informative examination of easel paintings, wall paintings, manuscripts, and historical documents.


We offer the Technical Photography KIT (TP-KIT) in 4 options: Economy, Business, Institute, and Academic. All these kits deliver the same Technical Photography images. They are just tailored to the needs of different kinds of users. In any case, you can always make your own kit, purchasing just the items you want.

FREE Shipping Worldwide
FREE Training course included. Our Step-by-Step course teaches you how to set up your computer with the software and shoot and edit Technical photos of art and archaeology.

STANDARD items (included in all KIT options)

These items are strictly necessary and they are INCLUDED in all the KIT options

  • 2 X Fabrizio – UV lamp
  • 2 X Alice – Infrared Fluorescence lamp
  • 2 X Elio – Halogen lamp
  • 1 X Pitty – Polarizer filters set
  • 1 X TP – accessories (50 mm lens, AC power adapter, remote shutter)
  • 1 X Pigments checker STANDARD

TP-KIT OPTIONS

Economy

This KIT includes all the STANDARD items plus:

USED Nikon D800. This is the most affordable TP-KIT option. You can save money by purchasing a USED Nikon D800. We test the camera and certify that it is 100% operational. Our used cameras are in “very good” conditions, fulfilling this definition used by the main sellers of used photo cameras. This means that the appearance is Excellent with no noticeable scratches on the body. The viewfinder is clean, all the parts are perfectly functioning.
We will ship you a used camera with no more than 50,000 shutter counts. Consider that Nikon certifies their D800 cameras for at least 200,000 shutter counts, this leaves you plenty of life for your camera. Consider also that you are not going to shoot thousands of photos as it happens for fashion photographers, sports, or wedding events. We shoot a few photos that then have to be properly edited and carefully analyzed.
Furthermore, the advantage of our kit, is that if eventually, your camera gets old, you can just replace it with a new one and keep all the other TP-KIT components, such as the lamps and the filters.
The used camera could come not with its original box, manual, and accessories. In any case, we will provide it in a photo bag containing these necessary accessories (original or from other suppliers): battery, battery charger, and USB cable for the computer.

Robertina Filter set (52 mm). We provide our Robertina TP filters set in 2 sizes, 52 mm and 72 mm. These numbers indicate the filter thread. Each lens has its own filter thread size. The 50 mm lens (“50” here refers to the focal length of the lens) that is included in the TP-accessories has a filter thread of 52 mm. So you can use the Robertina 52 mm filters on this lens without any issues. Though, if you plan to use another lens, it could happen that this has a larger filter thread. In this case, you need Robertina 72 mm and an adapter (step-up ring) matching the filter thread of your lens.


Business

This is the recommended option for conservators and other related professionals in private business practice. You can save money with the USED Nikon D800 but with the Robertina filter set 72 mm you can use larger lenses than the standard 50 mm included in the KIT. Any lens with a filter thread equal to or less than 72 mm can be used. Just buy and mount a step-up ring matching the filter thread of your lens and 72 mm for the filter set. They are very cheap and you can find them online.

  • USED Nikon D800
  • Robertina filter set 72 mm


Institute

This is the best KIT for governmental Institutions that cannot buy used equipment. The KIT is the same as the Business but with a NEW modified Nikon D850 camera.

  • Nikon D850
  • filter set 72 mm


Academic

The Academic KIT is such as the Institution KIT but also includes the new Pigments Checker “Modern Art”. You have a larger set of pigments to test the system and your other scientific methods.

  • Nikon D850
  • Robertina filter set 72 mm
  • Pigments Checker “Modern Art”


What is NOT INCLUDED

The TP-KITs have ALL YOU NEED for Technical Photography except for some other standard tools that you can already own for other purposes or you can easily purchase locally.

  • Computer. You need a computer to edit the images. We use Windows software, so you need a PC running Windows 10 or higher. The software is free and has no license limitations. You can install it on as many computers as you want. There are no special technical requirements for the PC. We suggest at least 8 GB RAM, and a processor Intel I5 or higher. The higher the PC features, the faster the editing of the RAW images. You need the PC also to connect the camera for live-view remote shooting that is what we recommend for the best results.
  • Tripods. All the TP-KIT lamps that you will receive have a plug for standard photo tripods. You want to have tripods for the lamps and the camera.

PORTABLE. The TP Kit was designed for the traveling Art Expert. It is a set of lightweight and compact tools to perform technical photography with very lightweight equipment. We ship worldwide.

ADAPTABLE. Our TP kit is meant to be the best solution for those art professionals that need to work on different kind of objects. It can be used for paintings, wall paintings, works of art on paper, and anything that can be photographed.


READY. You can choose to receive a laptop containing all the software already installed and set up. Every piece of software you need to shoot and edit the images is already installed and set.  It is easy to shoot with our Technical Photography kit.  Connect the camera to the laptop and use the shooting software already installed and set.

A complete set of open-source software for Technical Photography. Our TP KIT can come with a laptop that has all the software you need pre-installed and tested. You have “Digicam Control” for tethering the camera, “Raw Therapee” to edit the raw images and “GIMP” to prepare the Technical Photography report. Open-source software means that you can install it on as many other computers as you want! No licenses, no further costs. 

We shoot RAW images with DigicamControl
– Can tether a large number of cameras, Nikon, Canon, Sony…
We edit RAW images with RawTherapee
– Can be used to edit RAW images from any camera (Nikon, Canon,..)
We prepare the TP documentation using GIMP
– GIMP is the FREE alternative to costly Photoshop.

tp-kit

Upgrade the CHSOS Technical Photography KIT with Antonello, the multispectral imaging system.


Publications on Technical Photography
A. Cosentino “ A practical guide to Panoramic Multispectral Imaging” e-Conservation Magazine, 25, 64–73, 2013.
A. Cosentino “Ipad e tablet per l’indagine mul­ti­spet­trale di opera d’arte” Archeo­mat­ica, 2, 6–10, 2013.
A. Cosentino, M. Gil, M. Ribeiro, R. Di Mauro “Technical Photography for mural paintings: the newly discovered frescoes in Aci Sant’Antonio (Sicily, Italy)” Conservar Património 20, 23–33, 2014.
S. Stout, A. Cosentino, C. Scandurra “Non-invasive materials analysis using Portable X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) in the Examination of Two Mural Paintings in the Catacombs of San Giovanni, Syracuse” Digital Heritage. Progress in Cultural Heritage: Documentation, Preservation, and Protection, M. Ioannides et al. (Eds.): EuroMed 2014, LNCS 8740, 697–705, 2014.
A. Cosentino, S. Stout “Pho­to­shop and Mul­ti­spec­tral Imag­ing for Art Doc­u­men­ta­tion” e-Preservation Sci­ence, 11, 91–98, 2014.
A. Cosentino, M.C. Caggiani, G. Rug­giero, F. Salvem­ini “Panoramic Mul­ti­spec­tral Imag­ing: Train­ing and Case stud­ies” Bel­gian Asso­ci­a­tion of con­ser­va­tors Bul­letin, 2nd Trimester, 7–11, 2014.
A. Cosentino “Iden­ti­fi­ca­tion of pig­ments by mul­ti­spec­tral imag­ing a flow­chart method” Her­itage Sci­ence, 2:8, 2014.
A. Cosentino, S. Stout, R di Mauro, C. Perondi “The Crucifix Chapel of Aci Sant’Antonio: Newly Discovered Frescoes” Archeomatica, 2, 36–42, 2014.
A. Cosentino “Practical notes on ultraviolet technical photography for art examination” Conservar Património 21, 53-62, 2015.
A. Cosentino “Effects of Different Binders on Technical Photography and Infrared Reflectography of 54 Historical Pigments” International Journal of Conservation Science, 6 (3), 287-298, 2015.
A. Cosentino “Indagine diagnostica multispettrale sugli affreschi” in “La Nunziatella sopra Mascali”, ed. G. Buda. Soprintendenza ai BB.CC e Ambientali di Catania. Palermo, 2015.
A. Cosentino, C. L. Koch Dandolo, A. Cristaudo, P. Uhd Jepsen “Pre and post Conservation Diagnostic on a 14th Century Gilded Icon from Taormina, Sicily
e-Conservation Journal, 3, 27-40, 2015.
A. Cosentino “Infrared Technical Photography for Art Examination” e-Preservation Science, 13, 1-6, 2016.
A. Cosentino “Scientific examination of Cultural Heritage raises awareness in local communities” Science Education and Civil Engagement, 8:1, 15-20, 2016.
A. Cosentino, M. Sgarlata, C. Scandurra, S. Stout, M. Galizia, C. Santagati “Multidisciplinary investigations on the byzantine oratory of the Catacombs of Saint Lucia in Syracuse” 2015 Digital Heritage, Granada, 137-140, 2015.
A. Cosentino, Giovanni Calvagna, Giuseppe Calvagna, C. Calvagna, C. L. Dandolo, P. Uhd Jepsen “L’Annunciazione ritrovata. Nunziata di Mascali, Sicilia” Archeomatica 1, 44-48 2016.
A. Cosentino “Application note 3 – Transmitted Infrared Photography with SALVO” 2021.
A. Cosentino “Application note #6: Technical Photography of Pigments Checker Modern & Contemporary Art” 2022.