Testing Out My New Camera Vs. A DMPL Morgan

You should post this in the photography forum (if you haven't already). I learned a great deal from reading the topics there. I use a Nikon D3300 and started out taking coins with the 18-55 lens but quickly moved on to a 85mm Macro lens. Taking photos of prooflike coins is quite a challenge, I've read axial lighting is the best way to capture it.

I would get a copy stand before a tripod. The legs always get in the way and it makes fine adjustments very difficult. The lights you mentioned are perfect though, I use something similar.

Nice coin with nice rim toning!

I'll see if I can get a moderator to move this thread.

That's awesome, Slider. I've got similar lighting on my desk, but not the big stand, and my scale is a bit smaller. Copy stand is my next investment, along with the Jansjos.

I got a copy stand recently. Here are before and after.

Joeyuk,

That looks like a nice set up to take some high end coin photos.

From the last photos you posted it looks like you need to adjust the lighting. Probably more diffusion. Look at the coin surface to my eye it looks like there are lots of different speckles of color. That can be indicative of diffraction caused by the coins surface. Assuming that is what it is, try tissue paper over your lights as you display in your before copy stand photo. If you were using tissue paper then leave the light where it was and place some sort of diffuser( tissue paper is fine) between the lights and the coin...usually as close to the coin as possible works best for me. What helps me, now, in setting up diffusion is to imagine I am standing where the coin is. If the lighting is correct I would be in white out conditions and would be unable to make out any straight lines. That may sound weird but it works for me.

I will watch out to see what the results are. If the closer diffusion doesn't work try opening up the aperture. Sometimes people use too high an F stop. 24 mp is a "big boys/girls" sensor and you should be using an F stop no smaller than F5.6. I have a sony A65( my secondary camera) it is also a 24mp and F8 is too small!! I rarely use the A 65 now because of the sensor. I am upgrading my main camera (Currently Sony A 7r)in the next few weeks and my daughter may well end up with the A 65

Another edit: with your High MP camera you might what to look at for a Rodenstock, or Schnieder Kreutznach(SK) 50 mm F 2.8 enlarger lens. My A 65 produces very good pictures with my SK example, set to F3.5. The two challenges you will face are 1: a very shallow depth of field. 2: very close working distance. Both can be worked around. For the DOF, and assuming a limited budget. I suggest you try an adaption of rmpsrmps's suggestion for a Z stage:
https://goccf.com/t/233100
The adaption being a modified old microscope such as an Olympus CH3 ( I use a CH2 and it doesn't have accurate graduation markings) you will be able to manually stack images with a very high degree of accuracy. It will take some hunting but you can pick up a spare parts example for less than US$80.00. It would be substantially cheaper than buying the standard Cognisys stackshot (https://www.cognisys-inc.com/produc...tackshot.php...and it would teach you good technique for the day, should it occur, you decided to upgrade to the stackshot

Tell me what sort of HD monitor are you using( I am looking at getting one)?

Well that speckling has gone. the pictures to my eye look better. Theres are others here who can advise you further ( better than I) I was thinking about my last post there is one trick you could try that might help you beat diffraction and allow the use of a smaller aperture. A close up lens( screws on to your lenses filter mount so you need to get one that matches your lenses filter size) will give your lens an effectively wider F stop. They aren't used much any more and can be found cheaply online. However cheap close up lenses do more damage to the image than good. With that warning made..if you are on a tight budget you may want to keep an eye out for a Nikon close up lens/filter( they are high quality). Note I am speaking from theoretical knowledge not practical experience so if you do decide to try this approach don't spend too much coin collecting money on it.