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 Replies: 44 / Views: 3,980 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
527 Posts |
Livingdinosaur,
SuperDave hasn't posted on this thread for about seven months. He was gone for quite a while, He has been spotted recently on the forum, but I am not sure he is still active on this topic. You may want to start a new thread with your questions.
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
The reports of my demise were greatly exaggerated.  I must ask a little patience before I'm able to finish this experiment - between the Christmas season, working third shift and needing to find a new place to live in the next month, I'm probably going to be unable to settle down and finish things until after the first of the year. Although I'm able to spend time here at CCF, most of my stuff is packed away and there's no way I can set up the static conditions required. I'll be starting a new thread rather than adding to this one. We're going to have to experiment with axial lighting, I think, to get the most out of this camera. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1571 Posts |
Superdave, Re the reports of your demise; Surely you don't think you can get away that easily?  Thanks for your response, and no we didn't think anything that bad had happened, but one never knows what commitments our fellow collector has, and sometimes not eve he can disclose everything.  Now that you have "reported", will you be "available for questions, simple ones like I am able to ask? Those complicated ones from the experts will be very hard to woek with, but this guy is at the very basic level, so it shouldn't take more than 19 paragraphs for your response.  Thanks, Dick Edited by livingdinasaur
12/17/2008 3:57 pm
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Dick, you're welcome to ask any question you have. I've been reading your posts, and am a little unsure of where you stand and what the most important question is to answer. Feel free to post the questions in this thread; I'm going to start a new thread for the rest of this test anyways.
Remember, though, I'm a third-shift worker so I'll be out of here in an hour or so eat and get ready for work at 9PM.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1571 Posts |
I love that "graveyard" shift! I would rather work swing, or graveyard, on a permanent basis, than "days", anytime!
superdave, thankls for your response, and, yes, I will try to reaspect your sleeping hour. Can't let you over-do it, tho, you might get used to it, and we would never hear from you before noon! LOL
All kidding aside, My questions will, hopefully have some sense of rhyme and reason. I'm very new to this, and will ask questions, mostly about terminology, or definitions Sleep well young man, you have earned it!
Amidst all the BS, I forgot to mention I have printed out all you have explained so far in this thread, and will possibly have a "handle on it", by the time you are more available, and start the new thread. I'll try to be a good 'student",
Dick
Edited by livingdinasaur
12/17/2008 4:25 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
527 Posts |
Great to see you back SuperDave!  I was hoping to see you back on this thread, many people have been anxiously awaiting. Now if I only had some new Morgans to photograph.  Hope you get settled in soon and have an enjoyable holiday season. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1571 Posts |
NGiles said, Now if I only had some new Morgans to photograph." I say,"Now if I only had a few Morgans"! Dick |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
527 Posts |
They should work, but the goose-neck type that SuperDave has shown are easier to position than the gimbal type. 50 watt bulbs are fairly bright, but if you use a dimmer you can control that.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1571 Posts |
NGiles, I figuresd that, but I had considered the availability of the flex, as opposed to the "gimbal type. The gimbals arecapable of putting light in any area, (within theeir area of coverage. The ring rotates, and the light proper swivels. The spacing, (as indiceted in the p[icture, is about that whichbIplan to use to mount the lights. That will al;low the camera to assume a positionbetween them, and at the same time be :"out of the light. I planned on the dimmer, as a basic need. Thank you for your input. Keep warm!
Dick
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Dick, it really doesn't matter whether they're halogens or not. The reason I use halogen is because they're as small as can be; that way I can get them real close to the lens and pointed straight down.
The actual "color" of the light can be corrected, either by the camera or afterwards with processing software. I'd advise using your camera's White Balance settings to do it - use the "tungsten" setting before you get all balled up playing with "Custom" white balance. I'm guessing your 3" lights are R20's (the number following the "R" designation in a light bulb is the diameter of the bulb in eighths of an inch), and are therefore likely "regular" tungsten. 2 of them at 50w will be more than enough; you'll find that in many cases one will be enough.
Caution about the dimmer: as you dim the light down, it'll get "yellower" and throw off your white balance settings. In addition, you'll find that as you dim the light, you'll need to adjust other stuff to get an acceptable result, so you'll end up with very little difference in the shot.
This brings me to a good and important point:
There is no "ONE" way to get a good shot of a coin.
Many of the millions of possible combinations of settings will get you good pictures. More light, faster exposure; less light, slower exposure; more light, tighter aperture; less light, wider aperture; you get the idea. What you're looking for is the particular combination that works best with your camera in your house with your lighting and your coins. That may not be what works best for me.
So.
My advice would be, one detail at a time. Start by learning what settings you need to get the color right. That's the one thing I see most often missed in photos posted here. Don't even worry about whether the coin is in focus, at first. Get the color right. Although you can adjust color later with software, that's a whole 'nuther set of skills to learn, and your A590 is very likely able to get it right, in the camera.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1571 Posts |
SuperDave, Thankt you for your respomnse. One last question: How much does the "depth of field" affect the coins"? I know it is different for shooting "group photos", for example. There, one wants plenty of depth of field., I gurss for rhe different distances involved. I almosr forgot, The bulbs are GU10, 50 watt. The lens has a diffused look. It is not smooth, nor is it frosted.
Dick
Edited by livingdinasaur
12/18/2008 4:42 pm
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Depth of field is going to be narrow when shooting coins, whether you like it or not. The "Macro" function of your camera will make that happen. If you've a choice, you want the depth of field to be as shallow as possible to fade the background out. With my dSLR rig, I usually shot at tight (high numerically) apertures for that reason - tighter apertures create a shallower depth of field. In any case, you're not going to get the depth of field so narrow that you can't focus the whole coin, unless you're not exactly parallel with the lens.
In fact, that's a good hint that things aren't parallel, when part of the coin is in focus while another part of it isn't.
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
No, I sleep early, right after work, and get up between 1-3PM. My job is physically demanding and I'm tired enough to sleep as soon as I'm home. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1882 Posts |
Bump to the top, because it deserves to be. :)
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Replies: 44 / Views: 3,980 |
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Posted 12/17/2008 3:11 pm
