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 Replies: 59 / Views: 15,757 |
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New Member
 United States
43 Posts |
Edited by jtlee321
09/30/2015 10:40 pm
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4038 Posts |
The Vivitar bellows you bought works with the 75mm lens up to around ASE size, so you won't need the 105mm. Rather than a 50mm, I'd recommend a 35mm for high mag work. Two very decent 35mm macro lenses are available...the Rodenstock Eurygon, and the Tomioka Tominon. Both were designed for the Polaroid macro system so are true macro lenses, not enlarging lenses. I plan to share some pics taken with each soon on the group so you can see what they are capable of. Mag starts around 2.5:1 on the Vivitar, and can go as high as around 7:1 or more. By the way, I do not like that copy stand at all. Angled stands are a bad idea IMO since as you focus, the framing changes. Better to get one that has a vertical pole. Contact me for photographic equipment or visit my home page at: http://macrocoins.com |
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New Member
United States
43 Posts |
I agree with you on the copy stand. That's why I have not pulled the trigger on it. I had found a very nice Kaiser RS-1 for $150.00 on Craigslist, but it was already sold when I called on it. That would have been really nice. All the other less expensive ones all seem to be just cheap and poorly designed. The reviews on the one I linked above are good, just that dang angled column. It just bugs me too much.
Thanks for the heads up on the 35mm lenses. I'll be on the hunt for those. I'm anxious to see your results.
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New Member
United States
43 Posts |
I just about have all the pieces together on my setup. My Rodagon APO 75 f/4 is due to arrive tomorrow, as well as the Vivitar triple beam bellows I bought. I have the necessary adapters in hand. Now I am just watching a couple Novoflex macro focus rails and a really nice Tominon 35mm to complete it all. I think I found an insanely good deal on a Bogen Mini Repro stand, I'm waiting on confirmation tomorrow that it is indeed the stand they say it is. If so, I'll pick it up and be all set. I'm so anxious to get everything together and to get some really nice sharp images.
I've tried a few shots with my old system using the Jansjo lights (I'm lucky I have an Ikea right here in my home town). I've noticed some odd color patterns almost like high ISO noise, but it's not. I assume it's because the light source is so small they need to be diffused? What do you guys recommend for diffusing Jansjo's?
Edited by jtlee321
10/07/2015 10:41 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4038 Posts |
My best shots have always come from Smile Directors, but they are not easy to set up and calibrate. Once you have them calibrated they really can't be beat. But for general use, I have made something similar which attaches to the lens, freeing-up the Jansjos for flexible distance/intensity. Actually, Captain Fwiffo started this with his lego-based attachments, and I took it to another level. He then leapfrogged me and created a 3D printed system, which I still need to publish results on once I get back into full-coin imaging after long hiatus with higher mags. Anyway, here is what I've been using for several years. It diffuses so effectively it can actually work with a single Jansjo.  |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
9173 Posts |
Ray, I don't understand how it works can you explain more or show more pics please.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4038 Posts |
Here is another view, may make more sense.  And here is a similar system set up for higher power objectives with short working distance.  |
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New Member
United States
43 Posts |
Very interesting. I have never used anything like this to light a subject. I assume the widest part of the cones slip onto the ends of the Jansjo's? Can you show a shot of them illuminated and how they light the subject? I'm very curious as to how they function.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4038 Posts |
Not quite...
Let's ignore the ping pong ball for now and concentrate on the first diffuser.
The threading you see attaches to the filter mount on the lens.
The diffuser material then lies between the lens and the coin.
Jansjo(s) shine on the diffuser material.
The cone is for 3 purposes:
- support the diffuser
- block light from the Jansjos from shining back up to the lens
- vignette the coin such that no extraneous light shines up from the areas around the coin
The small black-out areas on the diffuser help to "shape" the lighting. Usually I position them such that they block light coming from 12:00 and 6:00 but some coins prefer being offset somewhat from these positions.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10048 Posts |
@rmpsrmps
I am reading this thread with great interest as I want to start taking better pictures myself. But I have (more than) a lot to learn
Would it be possible to see this cone setup of yours mounted and being used?
Admittedly, right now I am using a camera not meant for taking high-end pics (an old Kodak Easyshare). It is the camera I use for my other hobby of glass telegraph/telephone line insulators. I periodically produce articles and have worked with my camera such that people come to me to ask how I get the pictures and what my setup is.
I am convinced I can get decent pictures of coins also with this camera - though not professional. I also enjoy adapting and experimenting to push things to their limit. So I want to employ some of the professional ideas on here to my Kodak.
edited for syntax
How much squash could a Sasquatch squash if a Sasquatch would squash squash? Download and read: Grading the graders Costly TPG ineptitude and No FG Kennedy halveshttps://ln5.sync.com/dl/7ca91bdd0/w...i3b-rbj9fir2Edited by Earle42
10/08/2015 10:39 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4038 Posts |
Does your Kodak have facilities for mounting a filter to the lens? That will be critical to applying this type of diffuser.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10048 Posts |
How much squash could a Sasquatch squash if a Sasquatch would squash squash? Download and read: Grading the graders Costly TPG ineptitude and No FG Kennedy halveshttps://ln5.sync.com/dl/7ca91bdd0/w...i3b-rbj9fir2 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4038 Posts |
Should be no problem then...
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New Member
United States
43 Posts |
Well, here is my first post using my Nikon D800E with the Rodagon APO 75mm f4 and Vivitar bellows. I'm still shooting from a tripod with inverted center column. Lighting is still using (2) Ikea 600 lumens LED bulb in cheap goose neck desk lamps at 10 and 2. I did not sharpen the image. I only applied a levels adjustment layer to bring the contrast into alignment with how the coin looks in hand. The Obverse was circle cropped from the original and pasted onto a 5000 pixel x 5000 pixel document and then reduced to 1250 x 1250 for presentation here. I also took a 1250 x 1250 100% crop from the full size image. I am very, very impressed with this combination!! I can't wait to work with it and get to know the optimum settings for this lens.   Edited by jtlee321
10/09/2015 05:44 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9395 Posts |
Excellent image with great details.
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Replies: 59 / Views: 15,757 |
First Page
Posted 10/02/2015 1:07 pm
