Our photo booth designs by default use the latest Canon EOS 1300D camera model with the EF-S 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 DC III lens. This is an optimal solution for photo booth use – the lens is bright enough and offers a wide viewing angle. The camera is powered by an original AC adapter, which makes it independent of battery charge levels (especially important during long events).
In our solution, the camera is mounted on a multi-axis holder, allowing it to photograph both small children and very tall individuals. In addition, the camera can be mounted in vertical orientation to take “narrow vertical shots” – for example, ID photos or full-body portraits.
The software is compatible with most Canon camera models (the required feature is Live View support). So if you already own a compatible camera, we can mount it in the device (thus lowering the cost). In that case, please let us know before purchase.
Why don’t we use webcams in photo booths?
We’ve prepared a comparison using identical framing and lighting conditions. For the test, we used one of the best webcams available on the market – Logitech Webcam C930e – and the standard camera used in our devices, the Canon EOS 1300D.
The photos are raw – no post-processing has been applied. Each image includes a link to the original file. We encourage you to download and compare them (you’ll see even more differences in the originals).
source: file 1 – Logitech Webcam C930e
source: file 2 – Canon EOS 1300D digital SLR
source: file 3 – Logitech Webcam C930e
source: file 4 – Canon EOS 1300D digital SLR
Comparison: webcam vs digital SLR camera
* this is our subjective assessment – to form your own opinion, download the sample photos posted above
** a major drawback of webcams is the inability to change the zoom level. Webcams have a very wide viewing angle – they are designed to work at very close distances, i.e., when the subject is about 50–70 cm from the lens. This creates significant difficulty in framing the shot properly in a photo booth. The wide frame causes every backdrop to appear too narrow, and the people taking pictures stand very close to the booth and appear very “small” – they don’t fill the frame.