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 Replies: 11 / Views: 1,638 |
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Valued Member
United States
137 Posts |
so I've seen a lot of really good coin photos on here and I'm wondering how do you do it really well.
*** Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum. ***
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
18634 Posts |
Raiden, you can take very acceptable pictures of coins using a smartphone. Stabilize your camera several inches above the coin - see pic. Put the coin on a white or grey background. Turn off flash. Set photo to square, and zoom so the coin mostly fills the screen. Lighting will be the trick, but that's the case with all coin photography.  Inordinately fascinated by bits of metal with strange markings and figures
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12046 Posts |
Most modern phones made within the last couple of years take pictures as well as older DSLR's.
I have a Samsung S22+ and it gives my Nikon 3200 a run for its money for coin photography.
Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21645 Posts |
Best color light source is the sun.
For gold coins, a contrasting blue background is best.
Modern smartphones have plenty enough pixels for very high magnification
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Moderator
United States
56855 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3927 Posts |
Quote:
Most modern phones made within the last couple of years take pictures as well as older DSLR's.
I have a Samsung S22+ and it gives my Nikon 3200 a run for its money for coin photography. I have not found a phone camera yet that can come anywhere near the quality of even a 10+ year old DSLR. I still recommend folks get the venerable Canon Rebel XS. It can take world-quality photos and has wide enough dynamic range to cover most lighting situations. You can get them for <$100 these days, and with an El-Cheapo enlarging lens you can handily beat any cellphone out there for <$150.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
18634 Posts |
rmpsrpms, you are correct that even an old DSLR w/ macro lens takes pictures that are far superior to a smartphone. I have a Nikon D90 with multiple macro lenses, as I used to do insect photography. But it is a hassle to set it up on a tripod, adjust lighting, etc. Sometimes I just need a quick-n-easy pic, and with my phone it's all said and done in 5 mins without leaving my desk chair.
Inordinately fascinated by bits of metal with strange markings and figures
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3927 Posts |
Quote:
rmpsrpms, you are correct that even an old DSLR w/ macro lens takes pictures that are far superior to a smartphone. I have a Nikon D90 with multiple macro lenses, as I used to do insect photography. But it is a hassle to set it up on a tripod, adjust lighting, etc. Sometimes I just need a quick-n-easy pic, and with my phone it's all said and done in 5 mins without leaving my desk chair. Agreed! Recent cellphones are good enough to take pretty decent whole-coin or whole-slab shots. Of course they aren't inexpensive, but if you already shelled-out the $ then why not use them?
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Moderator
United States
71883 Posts |
For most coins, I just hand hold my cell phone over the coin, which I placed on a clean white terry cloth towel. I zoom into 3x for coins and medals 1.5 inch and smaller, and zoom to 2.5x for coins like Silver Eagles and shoot away. (all the full coin images in my links were taken this way.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1379 Posts |
Thanks to all for a very helpful thread.
I've been given the chore of liquidating a small collection from a relative's estate. It includes Morgans, which I have no comfort level re: grading.
So, it's about time I learned to upload photos to the CCF !
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Moderator
United States
56855 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1379 Posts |
Thank you, John1
" Even a clock that's stopped is right twice a day. "
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Replies: 11 / Views: 1,638 |
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Posted 02/13/2023 9:12 pm
