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 Replies: 9 / Views: 2,007 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1370 Posts |
Any one have experience with a Lightbox for coin photography? My wife has suggested I try one of those for coin photography. There is an element of her job that requires very accurate images depicting color and has stated all of their professional photographers use light boxes. I can pick one up for less than $50 but don't want to waste the funds if I'm barking up the wrong tree. THanks guys
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Pillar of the Community
United States
711 Posts |
You are in the right place, but I am wrong person to help you other than bumping this thread for Dave or Ray to see. Once they get to the phone booth and don their photography capes, they will be here in a blink of an eye.
I would not listen to me, but I believe the advice will be pass on the light box.
$50 bucks is spent better elsewhere in coin photography. Heck, I take my photos with my droid, a black sock, and a 4 - 5" cardboard tube for a riser and I get decent pics. For what I need good pics for (forum posting and potential sales / trades), I don't need an entire rig, just better technique with my el cheapo droid.
I use the black sock for a background.
I use the cardboard tube as a riser kind of like a copy stand but with shadow issues. These are scraps from work, maybe try tuna or pineapple cans that you can stack to make the proper height. The proper height is where the coin nearly fills the screen with out any zoom.
The cardboard tubes also eliminate any focus issues as my hand isn't shaking. I also set up a 2 second shutter delay on my camera to further stabilize the shot.
As for lighting, I am using the sun as it free. Probably my biggest issue, but again for the little I'd actually use a camera rig, I am not seeing enough of a difference to spend the $400 or so. I'd rather have a sharp looking $5 Liberty Head gold coin or the like than a camera gathering dust. To each their own though as every situation is different.
To be honest though, if my wife were a pro photographer and I came to the internet looking for a second opinion, I don't know if I would go there for the $50 savings. Risk vs reward and all.
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Pillar of the Community
2087 Posts |
My experiences with light boxes has been abysmal. I even tried a black box with no sucess. By light box I presume you mean a white nylon box for diffusing light. From my experiences the problem is that the light boxes on the market are too large for coins. the distance from the box wall to the coin negates the diffusion. If they made one around 4 inches on a side they would probably be much more effective. I find I have to get the diffuser very close to the coin
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
Don't expect me to ever recommend a light box. When we constantly harp on the ability to use lighting flexibly - varying the degree of diffusion to suit the needs of the specific shot - it makes no sense to limit yourself to one single methodology guaranteed to fail at depicting luster.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9395 Posts |
If you want to try out something like a small light box for coins, you can make a paper cone diffuser of suitable size, and shine your Jansjo lights on it. This will give a highly diffused light. It is provably not optimal for most coins, but may work OK for a few.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1370 Posts |
Thanks guys, that's all I needed to hear and confirming my suspicions. One of these days I'll break down and throw the money at a decent setup right now my Nikon point and shoot will have to do :)
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2784 Posts |
hello shadowtrooper take a look at austrokiwi thread stitching. what pt said about a cup diffuser and jansjo lamps. ok I took a shot of a nickel with drawing paper folded up on both sides to build. I am new to this but I am finally starting to understand the camera and lighting. but depending on the coin. one has to adjust for each type of metal just a bite here is the image.  |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2784 Posts |
for myself I need to work on the focusing and I will build a micro adjuster here very soon. that will help my images a lot . I have thought a bout a light box simple to build one can buy the material at any building supply store and the cloth at any fabric store. but I don't think it would help. anyway there is some very talented coin photographers here. just follow there lead it will save you time and money.
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Valued Member
United States
430 Posts |
When I started taking shots a few months ago, I experimented with a Styrofoam cup diffuser. I guess this is similar to a lightbox effect. At the time I liked it because it made my coins scratches go away! but really I lost detail. Here's an example. First without diffuser  now with the cup diffuser.  |
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Valued Member
United States
430 Posts |
Then if you crop it and do small corrections, the coin looks better but it isn't the coin in hand  |
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Replies: 9 / Views: 2,007 |
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Posted 07/06/2015 2:27 pm
