DSLR Desktop Stand Advice Requested

I don't use a stand for my pics, mainly due to the change in the color, toning and luster of the coins. What might work for a copper cent may not work for a PL Morgan.
I enjoy just holding the camera and with a steady hand, have the macro feature on and zoom in to about 1.6-1.8x and give it a go. All I do is use a single 12.49 gooseneck desktop lamp from Walmart and Sony Cyber-Shot 8MP camera and I get results like this;





For me, these are absolutely acceptable full sized pics. They are HUGE in HD format and have to be brought down to a usable size or they'd take all day to load.

= )

I really like the microscope stand setup. The big plus for me is the ability for fine focus adjustments.

Actually, yes, it does. Precisely.

Gestin, there are two types of extension tubes - those which pass electronic information, and "dumb" ones which don't. Optically, they're identical but only the former retains the ability to autofocus. They're far more expensive, as well.

In any event, vertical adjustability will have no bearing on the focusing process - that's all in the lens, with your setup - but it will bear on the size of the coin in the sensor. Adding and subtracting tube sections has the same effect, but in much less granular fashion. With that said, between the quality of the D90 sensor and the 85mm (which is a terrific lens), you're probably not going to have to maximize the on-sensor magnification to get excellent images.

The upshot of what I'm saying here is that a simple, cheap copystand will likely serve your needs nicely.

I'm going to be emailing you.

Edit to add a couple points: In a copystand, you're going to want a bare minimum of 18" of available vertical travel, considering the camera mounting point. I'm thinking you're going to need the front of an 85mm lens to be at least 10" and probably 12" above a Morgan-sized coin. Further, it'll need to be a bit beefier than the typical cheap 12" ebay examples, to stiffly bear the weight of a dSLR/lens. But, for you, ease of vertical adjustment isn't going to be a priority, as I could envision you only using two camera positions - one for large coins, one for small - or maybe (as I mentioned) only varying the amount of extension. These are among the advantages you gain when you start with camera equipment of the quality you're using.

Something to keep in mind when shopping.

Nope, but I don't need it.
My camera is a Nikon D90 and which I use in manual mode when shooting coins so fine focus capability on the stand isn't necessary.

I haven't used my Nikon tethered since buying the T2i so can't say if the ControlMyNikon has improved or not. But you are making another good point...since the 85/1.8 has a focus helicoid, focusing can be manual using the lens, so no solid requirement for expensive extensions either! The CMN software should work OK in this case...

Gary --
Those are actually quite nice pics for being handheld! I could experiment with this before getting a stand once my extension tube set arrives. On a side note, do you post process your images to get that deep copper luster on your coins? Or is that the unedited image and the lighting you use produces the result?


That's the effect of the 12.49 Walmart LED lighting. Its a raw photo, untouched - well, cropped to make it fit, otherwise, raw. = )

I DO have a microscope setup for the REALLY close shots......

https://goccf.com/t/173936

Pics are raw as well. I continue to change diffusing to try to make the issue stand out better. The better the diffusing the better pic with a 40x 'scope shot;

Thanks Gary. Your lighting setup is inexpensive and quite effective. I like the way you are able to use the shadows to enhance the detail which also give the image some depth.

Understood austrokiki. I can see where precision adjustment would benefit your setup greatly. All of my lenses have focusing helicoids which fit my use of a stand without the precision adjustment, plus like SuperDave said, I will likely have just a couple of primary lens-to-subject distances to deal with for full-face imagery. Thanks for your feedback!