Lens Reflection On Metal

One possibility (besides the tilt/shift bellows I mentioned earlier) would be to expand the blackout region to cover the whole coin.

Here's an example (2009 Denmark 5 Kroner), first with the lens reflection, and the second with the blackout region expanded to cover the whole coin:





It would be nicer to have the whole coin bright -- I'm looking into the rather unpleasant true axial illumination for this (otherwise I'm stuck with pseudo-axial using the tile-shift bellows.

Here is the 2009 Denmark 5 Kroner, using the shift (pseudo-axial) technique with the Nikon PB-4 tilt-shift bellows:



One problem is that you need at least medium bellows extension to use the shift function, so I had to use the 135mm EL-Nikkor for this shot. Another problem with this method would be shooting a slabbed coin, where you get strong reflection off the plastic.

Well this thread made me feel like Homer simpson Doh! I had seen this problem so many times in my own work and just didn't click as to what was going on. Reading pepactonius's suggested solution and demonstration. I thought I would give it a go. I don't know much about the PB4 bellows but I do know the Minolta AB III tilt shift bellows and I can tell you from that the cross section of the bellows is large enough to get the necessary shift. that cross section( and I suspect the PB4 is the same just isn't large enough to be useful as it could be.

I long while ago I discovered the Minolta 100mm F4 bellows lens actually projects an image circle large enough to cover a 645 medium format sensor( For that reason I think the lens was adapted from an enlarger lens design.) I quickly discovered the Olympus OM 135 f 4.5 bellows lens also projected a very large image size. The problem is the Minolta tilt shift bellows cross section just doesn't allow you to use that wonderfully large image circle.

My solution: A Mamiya 645 MF tilt shift bellows with the requisite adapters. To fit the camera I use a fotodiox adapter. To fit the lens I use a Mamiya 645 67mm reversing ring. Raf camera made me an adapter with a 67mm female thread and a 45mm femal thread. I then use the lens mount section from a Minolta extension ring set ( 45mm male thread. The large cross section of the mamiya bellows allows me to take full advantage of the image circle from both lenses:

Here a cell phone photo of the set up with the Oly 135mm lens. Note I am using 0.6 magnification with a working distance of aprox 31cm. Not the funny looking white spot near the medal is much reduced glare( cell phone photos just aren't my thing)




this is the resultant photo. It looks like an axial lighting shot. It is also just a very quick test shot( I think its horrible)




With smaller coins I can get high magnifications and a much greater degree of shift.


Mamiya bellows are expensive..I hunted a couple of years for mine... I managed to get one with a holed bellows for under US$100.00 I then found a firm in the UK who could make a new bellows for it. All up it cost me just over US$200.00

There is a reason hades is full of lawyers and heaven is full of engineers! I look forward to seeing your idea in action it sounds sweet

Sometimes big shifts in the entrance pupil location cause trouble for stacking programs. This is especially true if there are overlapping spines, etc. Fortunately, coins don't have these features, so you might get away with this approach.

It'll be interesting to see pictures of and from your setup once it's operational.

wanted to try to see. if I can avoid axis lighting. I am getting closer. to the image I want. I would like that the coin looks exactly. as it does in my hand. I will later mount my canon t1i with a nikon macro lens on it. see what I can get. I am wondering as there a way in photo shop. to get ridge of a very small black dot on a coin. that is the lens reflection.

lrbguy hello well I have found away around. the lens reflection. I never tried the tilt shift. the other members on this thread has. but I have found a solution that works for myself. the hardest coin to shot is the Canadian half and full dollar. they are like perfect mirrors. if you do get a lens reflection. I will tell you away that is working for myself. all you need is a piece of glass plus lights. have a great one

Thanks Rocky, but I'm afraid I was ambiguous in my request. I started downloading the tips and tricks that Doug Smith uses on ancients years ago already. He has some good stuff generally, and I thank you for the thought. However, the help I was looking for was in tracking down a link to the thread where pepactonius made specific reference to his tilt/shift setup.

I'm trying to decide whether it is worth going after a Nikon PB-4 and part of that involves understanding just how the use of shift addresses this problem. Tilt I usually associate with increasing depth of field.