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 Replies: 15 / Views: 2,019 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
663 Posts |
Ok....I can't handle looking at other people's great coin pictures anymore while I am still messing around with my iPhone and a handheld loop!  A couple of months ago I bought this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/39108204278...RK:MEBIDX:IT Is this ok for coin photography or are the megapixels too low? I got the camera and stopped there..... Warning! I know close to nothing about photography and to be honest it intimidates me a bit. I have read and reread threads here and I am still a bit lost. If I understand things correctly, now that I have a camera (assuming you guys think its good enough), I need to decide if I want to go a bellows system route or extension tubes route right? Also, if I read correctly, extension tubes would be the cheaper route? I need to go the cheapest route possible; especially considering how little I know. :) I have a friend who visits China often and he says he can bring me anything I want for the most part. I just want to make sure I am asking for the right stuff. I have seen the list of items on the "Best I Can Get On a $400 Budget" thread: Canon XS camera, body only: $175 EOS-M42 Adapter: $5 M42 focusing helicoid, 17-31mm: $30 M42 extensions, 2 sets 7/14/28mm: $15 M42-M39 adapter: $3 M42-RMS Adapter: $15 Nikon 75mm EL-Nikkor Lens: $40 Nikon M5 or Plan4 objective: $30 Tripod: $30 IKEA Jansjo LED lights, two: $20 Are those items compatible with camera I got? I thank you for the help in advance. I am sure there are lots of guys like me posting in here driving you experienced guys crazy. Sorry to be another, "One of Those Guys"! |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4038 Posts |
With the camera you bought, since it does not have Live View, you will need to look through the eyepiece to frame and focus the shot. This is not impossible, just inconvenient. Since it's an EOS mount camera, all the items on the list are compatible with the 300D. You would not want to buy the Nikon M5 or M42-RMS adapter to start with, and you can get started with the 300D, so the list would be: EOS-M42 Adapter: $5 M42 focusing helicoid, 17-31mm: $30 M42 extensions, 2 sets 7/14/28mm: $15 M42-M39 adapter: $3 Nikon 75mm EL-Nikkor Lens: $40 Tripod: $30 IKEA Jansjo LED lights, two: $20 Many of these items are available in China, with exception of the Nikon lens and maybe the Jansjo lights. The Nikon lens is best purchased on ebay or at a local camera shop, and the Jansjos directly from IKEA if you have one nearby. If you get tired of the 300D you can use all the accessories on an XS or later model. |
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Valued Member
Australia
90 Posts |
Well it's a yes,yes and NO answer. YES - it will all work on a 300D YES - Megapixels are a little too low NO - Live View Mode was not implemented on this model to my knowledge and you need it. Edit: A little bit slow  Edited by ford_prefect
05/26/2015 11:23 pm
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
663 Posts |
"Live View Mode"? What's that?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4038 Posts |
Hah! It could have gone the other way ford...it usually does in my experience.
Live View mode allows you to view the sensor output "live" on the rear LCD screen or on your PC monitor. It allows you to frame the shot and focus without looking through the viewfinder on the camera. Makes shooting coins much easier. Without Live View you will need to look down through the viewfinder at the coin and do your best to frame and focus.
Being only ~6MP is not too bad. You can still downsize by 2x and get a 1024 tall image. Crop this to 800 x 800 and you'll get respectable quality.
Contact me for photographic equipment or visit my home page at: http://macrocoins.com |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
663 Posts |
Because it didn't come with a lens there isn't a whole lot I can do with it, so I didn't know about the "Live View" mode. I assumed that because it had a viewfinder on the back it could do what you describe "Live View" to do..... :( I would have to do some pretty interesting contortionist type tricks to have the camera mounted on a tripod and then look down through the viewfinder yeah?!?!
Sounds like I should ditch the Rebel I got and get a better one that has "Live View" correct?
Thanks for the help guys!
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
9163 Posts |
If you have been reading these treads then you have read mine, I'm as new to this as you are.
Yes you will need "Live View" it's a lot easier.
If you go for a newer camera, lets say Canon Rebel XS try to get one that has the software with it or you will have to fine it later.
A copy stand will be easier than a tripod and if you have been reading you notice that rmpsrpms will make them to fit your needs and make sure it works right.
I get the rest of my parts at the end of the week I hope.
Keep reading.
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Live View was an invention which made point-and-shoot cameras without viewfinders possible. dSLR's with viewfinders didn't need it, and the technology didn't come to them until the Rebel XSi/XS generation of Canon cameras. That's why we recommend the XS - it's available for cheap, allows tethering and has a (relatively) low density sensor which has a higher diffraction limit. There are others walking this path in the forum as we speak. The 4 multipage threads towards the top of this forum are all individuals developing imaging systems according to the formula we teach, and there's a wealth of information for you in there. Have a look, and ask any questions which come up in this thread. We're happy to help. This is why we're here.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
663 Posts |
Got it! This helps A LOT! I'll start tracking down a XS.
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
663 Posts |
Thanks for the link Dave! I'll be on the lookout for an XS. To be continued...... Hopefully soon! :)
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Pillar of the Community
United States
663 Posts |
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Rest in Peace
United States
10625 Posts |
Pass on that one, It's 35mm film. You'll want a 1000D SLR.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
663 Posts |
Well, that was sneaky of them..... Thanks from saving me from another mistake!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
717 Posts |
I bought my XS from KEH, it was rated as like new (I don't remember their exact designation), and was like new. Buying electronics from a source that is respected, and has the ability to make things right if needed, is, to me, worth a few extra bucks over an ebay purchase. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4038 Posts |
Sage advice. I have purchased several XS on ebay and have about a 75% success rate. The 25% had miscellaneous issues, some of which I did not discover until it was too late to return them. It turns out the XS has a few failure modes that are not catastrophic but make using the camera more difficult. If I had bought from KEH or similar it would have been easy to return them. |
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Replies: 15 / Views: 2,019 |
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Posted 05/26/2015 11:21 pm
