The Range: Different Case Types Side by Side
Line up five cases and the camera starts lying before the product does. Swap the lens and perspective shifts; raise the tripod and the big one shrinks. So the shooting sheet comes first: one focal length between 50–85 mm, one camera height at 1.2–1.5 m, levelling held inside 2 mm, a 300 mm scale in frame, backdrop pushed back to 1.5–2.5 m. Only then do the three questions — what goes in, how it travels, how long it stays out — turn into a fair shortlist. Get one parameter wrong and a 100 mm gap reads like 200 mm.
01Fix the lens, the height and the horizon first
Focal length, camera height, horizon line. Move any one of them and the size relationships inside the frame are rebuilt. Shoot a case at 50 mm from 1.5 m and again at 85 mm from the same spot: the wide exaggerates near-to-far, so the body reads deeper; the long lens compresses space and the body reads flatter. Comparison only works if the lens, aperture and distance stay untouched from the first frame to the last.
Height matters just as much. Put the lens above the case's midline and the lid grows while the body squats; drop below it and the case stretches upward. The working convention is half the case height, which is why 1.2–1.5 m covers most floor-standing models. Go higher and you are shooting a layout diagram — a different set of frames, not something to mix into the same comparison.
02Fifty to eighty-five millimetres decides who looks bigger
A wide lens enlarges whatever sits closest, so the case at the end of the row swells for no reason. A long lens flattens depth and erases differences in thickness. The 50–85 mm band sits close to human vision with minimal distortion, which is why product line-ups live there. If the size gap needs emphasis, do not reach for a wider lens — put the scale in frame at the same focal length and let the viewer read the graduations.
Distance follows the lens. At 50 mm the case fills two thirds of the frame and the camera sits 1.5–2 m back; at 85 mm it moves further out and the backdrop presses closer. That is why backdrop distance is set separately: 1.5–2.5 m. Closer and wall texture and shadow enter the shot; further and the reference disappears, leaving the case floating on grey.
03A 300 mm scale beats a paragraph of adjectives
With nothing to compare against, viewers guess at size. A 300 mm rule standing in front of the case, on the floor, parallel to the front face, gives them something to read: a 100–400 mm difference in overall length becomes visible, and a 50–200 mm step in height separates into tiers at a glance. The scale has to sit in the same plane as the case — move it 200 mm forward and perspective inflates it.
One secondary object is allowed, a pen or a card, something everyone recognises. Two and the frame turns into clutter. Graduations face the lens, numbers stay legible, and the image needs no annotation later. Done this way, the same set of shots drops straight into a quotation sheet or a selection guide, and nobody has to ask what “large” was supposed to mean.
04Three questions that cut the range down
First, what goes in: does the gear exceed the interior length, does it need layers? That sets the size class, not the styling. Second, how it travels: one hand, two hands, or dragged behind you? That decides whether wheels and an extended handle earn their place. Third, how long it stays out: a 2 h job or a full season outdoors? That steers shell and sealing choices.
The order is not negotiable. Fit comes first because nothing else matters if the kit will not go in. Carry method comes second because it changes bolt-on parts, not the interior. Exposure time comes last because it shapes material and sealing rather than dimensions. Shop by appearance instead and you will fall for a good-looking case that does not fit, spend money on accessories, and eventually replace the case anyway.
05Two to five cases per frame, and no more
Past five cases, each one occupies too little of the frame, the scale becomes unreadable, and viewers stop remembering what changed. Two to five is the comfortable band: at a single focal length and height, differences collect along two axes — 100–400 mm of overall length and 50–200 mm of height — and the eye can order them. More than that and you split into groups, each group still shot with identical parameters.
A single case takes 900–2400 seconds, spent on placement, wiping fingerprints, checking level and shooting detail, not on pressing the shutter. Every case needs a front, a 45-degree and a side view with the scale, all three at matching settings, or the composite falls apart later. Review on the spot: a tilted base, a scale out of frame, a crease in the backdrop — any one of those means shooting it again.
| Focal length | 50–85 mm |
|---|---|
| Camera height | 1.2–1.5 m |
| Levelling tolerance | ≤2 mm |
| Scale length | 300 mm |
| Backdrop distance | 1.5–2.5 m |
| Cases per comparison | 2–5 |
| Time per case | 900–2400 seconds |
| Overall length spread | 100–400 mm |
FAQ
Why not shoot the line-up wide for impact?
A wide lens enlarges whatever is nearest, so the case at the end of the row grows and the size differences become fiction. The 50–85 mm band stays close to human vision with little distortion. Mood shots can go wide, but they do not belong in a comparison.
Does the scale really have to be in frame?
Yes. Without a reference, viewers guess, and a 100–400 mm gap disappears. A 300 mm rule in front of the case, on the floor, in the same plane and facing the lens, needs no annotation afterwards. Move it out of plane and perspective inflates it.
Can the three questions be asked in a different order?
Not comfortably. Fit is a hard gate; carry method changes bolt-on parts rather than the interior; exposure time steers material and sealing. Reverse them and you pick by appearance, then spend twice — once on accessories, once on the right case.
How many cases should share one frame?
Two to five. Beyond five, each case is too small to read and the graduations stop working. Larger sets get split into groups, and every group must hold the same focal length, height, level and backdrop distance, otherwise composites fight each other.