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 Replies: 14 / Views: 2,167 |
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Pillar of the Community
1153 Posts |
What is the current camera you use to take coin pictures? If you use a different lens that what was stock, what lens are you using? Do you have a special lightbox setup that you are especially proud of?
Also, post an example of a shot you took.
I thought it might be useful for the newbies, and perhaps the veterans also to see what everyone uses.
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Pillar of the Community
 1153 Posts |
Although my setup is not worthy, I will start. Motorola Moto E camera phone My "lightbox" is a cardboard box with fabric along the bottom and back. I use 2 flexible lamps with 5000k CFL daylight bulbs. I have additional fabric to cover the bulbs to diffuse the light as needed.  Edited by CSOTUS
09/05/2015 10:07 am
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2784 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2784 Posts |
the hard part here is when you take a photo at 8 to 12 mb. as you down size in pixcels. you get this squared look. it takes away from the coins appearance. but I understand because of the size of the image. plus the available space one would not be long taking up a lot of data have a great day
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
5828 Posts |
I use my iPhone/ my Sony Cyber shot (16.1 Mega Pixels, 5X Optical Zoom) and they get the job done. In the mornings I use natural light, but for grading photos I use a bendy lamp with an incandescent bulb in my closet (it's dark in there).
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2784 Posts |
CSOTUS like your idea with your light box. but have you ever tried shining your light through the cloth. that would diffuse your light. it would lighten the brightness on your coin. just a thought
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
I have the "$400 system" we teach here. It's like this:  Cheap dSLR, rack-mounted bellows, used duplicating lens. Its' capabilities are greater than my skills, and I'm not unskilled. We call it the "$400 system" because that should be about your maximum out of pocket expense to be a professional coin photographer, eve though there are thosw who will insist you need to buy individual lenses which cost more than that, for effective results.     Effective? I think so.  The sky is the limit. And keep in mind, all these images have to be drastically downsized to post here - with my Rebel XS, you post online at less than half of original size and with something newer like an 18MP T2i or newer, it's more like one-quarter original size. You really don't need much more magnification, and when you do, the solution is a $25 microscope objective. Please don't use a "light box." |
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Rest in Peace
United States
10625 Posts |
I upgraded from my Canon A620 last year to a Canon 1000D with a bellows mounted to an old microscope stand.  Here's an example of what I've managed to do so far...  |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2784 Posts |
great images. my images always has a grainy look is that something. that I have set wrong on the camera dave. I would love to figure that out. I find if I change any of the setting the coin starts to get to bright or to dark. there must be some thing I am missing. I would like to figure that out
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9395 Posts |
I recently switched from a Canon T2i/550D (which was starting to periodically lose connection with the PC) to a Canon T6s/760D. The end results are about the same with either camera. My setup is similar, at least in spirit, to the $400 setup recommended at CCF. It uses a DIY copy stand made partly from leftover astro-imaging stuff, an Olympus OM bellows, and usually an 80mm f/4 Olympus bellows lens. The this lens should work about as well as an ordinary enlarger lens recommended here. For focus stacking, the setup has a focus block from a Zeiss WL microscope and a rotating Zeiss microscope stage for straightening the coin shots. I just use two Janso lights for lighting, although my lighting technique (which varies a lot) is nothing to be proud of. As for sample images, here are some of my recent uploads from the "How far back can we go, third edition - 2015" thread: Most recent upload from the T2i:  (1787 Massachusetts 1/2 cent) The most recent upload from the T6s:  (1786 Isle of Man penny) |
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Rest in Peace
United States
2668 Posts |
SsuperDdave posted; Quote:
Please don't use a "light box." elucidate or lead me to a previous post, pretty please.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3134 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4037 Posts |
Quote:
SsuperDdave posted;Please don't use a "light box."
elucidate or lead me to a previous post, pretty please. Most light boxes make the lighting too diffuse, creating an unnatural look to the coin. It's possible to make a light box that shines only from the top, but then it's not really a "light box" anymore. It's better to light the coin more in the way you would view it in-hand. Contact me for photographic equipment or visit my home page at: http://macrocoins.com |
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Valued Member
United States
487 Posts |
Nikon 3200, 40mm Micro-Nikkor  Image seems awfully big but it's 1000 Starting to get this now. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
589 Posts |
Same setup I bought from rmpsrmps over a year ago:    For someone like myself who knows nothing about camera or want to spend time learning, this is the way to go. |
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Replies: 14 / Views: 2,167 |
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Posted 09/05/2015 10:30 am
