What To Do?

I got a Canon 30D zoom 15 to 55 reflex camera august this year
Tf I got it right this is a 2over3 format like in the old days
with silver film and also a measuning cell that gives a multiplicator factor of 1.6 making the zoom really an 88 mm zoom

I know the dealer for 30 years so we had a friendly chat since he tried to sell me for 400 euro extra's

First the zoom gets me to within 0.9 feet in RAW mode that means I get to set whitebalance and ligth and contrast on the computer afterwards ( and correct sharpness if needed)

The only thing a dedicated 100 mm lens would do is eliminate the distortation mainly at the edges which since I crop square is no problem on the long side and a little extra would solve that problem too on the short side
So the main feature is the light sensitivity which for a zoom is around 5-6 stops and which if you pay enough for a dedicated 100 mm can be around 1.4 stops or even 1.2
But since I can put all all the light I want on a coin and keep the "film"sensitivity at 400 asa I see no advantage there either

So in the end he agreed the first thing to try was a diopter filter
This thing is like a pair of reading glasses you screw in front of the zoomlense and it is available in 2 to 10 diopter magnifications
and only costs 5 euro and a 2 combined with a 3 would give 6

If your camera as an internal screw fit at the end of the lens a 3 diopters would bring you to a focussing distance of only one foot instead of 3 ( I think) and is worht trying
Remember that all lenses have different diameters so if you buy one you have to specify the correct diameter (mine was 55 mm )

Since I am still struggling with my new XP computer system the camera is lying waiting for me RAW mode and else untested ( Canon offered like 20% reduction for 30 years or so in business so I grabbed the 20% )

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A downside of this is would I need a good macro lens to get good shots of coins and other small objects?

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Yes. You are already getting superb results from your S5. It would cost you $400+ for a dSLR lens capable of improving what you're already doing. Given your willingness to learn, and the S5's capabilities, I'm not sure you could improve on an S5/500D combo.

You don't need a dSLR. Not for coin pictures, anyways. You'll be disappointed with the results, for the $1000 it'd take. Frankly, I'm seriously considering dumping my XT in favor of an S5, based on your images. That would break loose $500 in captive assets I could spend on a coin.

Your camera's giving you good results, save your money for now and research into how you can solve your problem. There has to be a way. Try joining some photography forums or specific S5 forums and I'm pretty sure they'll give you and answer or some beneficial advice. If your going to buy an expensive camera, and your only going to photograph a few coins, it's not worth it in my opinion. In a year or two, it will be out of date. Good Luck!

Personally, if I was in your position Zach, I would get the lens because it said on Amazon that it's only $43.00. After looking at the pictures that other people took, you can get some nice results with it. I would go for it.