Project A720: Shooting Coin Pics With An Inexpensive Digicam

superDave, Hi, and hope this finds you in good spirits! FYI, I found out that the thacks CAN be cut, (very casrefully, watching out for hanging burrs, etc), I found both the 35 watt, and regular 50 watt bulbs for the lights. I also found a track fan, 2-speed, with chain, and off/on sw. That should help the heat problem. I am going to try and re-work one of the "tee-fittings", to work as a 90 degree connector. Wish me luck. Maybe end up with a square, or at least a parallel setyp.
Dick

I think that's an excellent idea, Dick. Keep in mind, you want to create a little shadow in your pictures - that helps sharpen the meeting of fields and devices. So, if you're going to use cardinal points, use adjacent ones rather than opposite ones.

SuperDave - I've been a forum member for about 5 months and just now stumbled upon this thread. Probably the last thing you need or want is more praise and more thanks for writing such an in-depth, helpful, concise, easily understood and totally enjoyable topic but..... TOUGH BEANS! Thank you, this is GREAT stuff! My old 5 Megapixel Canon S500 Digital Elph recently died (after 5 years and more than 100,000 shots) and I have been struggling mightily to understand how to get the most out of my new A2000 IS Powershot, and your explanations and suggestions in this topic are proving to be invaluable. Thanks again! Steve

superDave, Here is a pair of RAW shots. They are with just the overhead light,
vertical, 4-1/2" below camera,
easy setting, hand fired.
The coin is a 1986-P Ellis Island Commorative dollar, SANDCAST, which was given , along with a 1844 Sitting Liberty dollar, for payment for food. Both coins are CuNi, and obviously magnetic. The weight is 26.73 grams, if silver. This one weighs 19 grams.


This coin, and the other, as well found in Rialto, CA, yesterday. They were given to my D-I-L, to pay for some food. I have not examined the other, than to look at it for a few minutes before taking my wife to ER, with very high BP. Will post shot of the other when available.
Later: Tjhe other two coins are a 1844 seated Liberty, and a 1796 flowing hair dollars. All three aere CuNi, and magnetic. The close view with a scope shows definite sandcast, with touch up afterwards. I have taken several pictures of the others, and an edge shot of the Ellis Island coins, id anyone would like to see them, just ask for them. They are all counterdeit, and can get one a bunch of trouble if attempted to use to defraud. Thee one I have is the flowing hair, and is for educational use only.
Dick

Very much worth the effort, Dick. Especially in the case of minute details like you're showing there, you might find that you like switching it to black and white. Sometimes the color just gets in the way, and you don't need it for micro-photography.

That was very informative. I will definitely try this out. Thanks super Dave

I don't know why I didn't do it then - I was going to alter the detail pic to show the difference in clarity when you desaturate a micro-image, thusly:



Maybe it's just me, but I like this stuff better in black and white.

Awesome thread. Can someone make this a sticky at the top of the page? Or perhaps just have the main details (and not all the extraneous posts) in a sticky?