My First Successful Coin Pic - Coin Community Forum

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Author	Replies: 3 / Views: 2,115
Stewie New Member Canada 43 Posts	Posted 03/27/2008 09:19 am Thanks to the advice and tips I have been reading in this forum I was finally able to get a decent coin picture. At least compared to what I had been doing previously. I am using a 7 year old, 4 mp, HP Photosmart 812. This camera is totally point and shoot, no manual anything except zoom. It has a macro setting but won't focus if I am closer than about 18". My copystand was a thing of beauty lol ... a small 4" tabletop tripod with the legs fanned out flat, laying on a chair seat with the camera overhanging the seat and pointing down to the floor. I weighted this down with a big ketchup bottle. My only lighting was a ceiling mounted 100w CFL Daylight bulb, so it was roughly 8' away from the subject. I placed the coin on a sheet of white printing paper, turned on the macro, turned off the flash, let the camera autofocus and snapped the picture using the timer. This is what I got.... Report this Post to the Staff

hunter20ga Pillar of the Community United States 1173 Posts	Posted 03/27/2008 11:02 am You're off to a good start. Practice a bit on a raw coin that is not in any holder. You can play around with a lamp or two for additional light. If using lamps for extra, more even lighting, take off the shade(s) if they are yellow or brown. If you have some white cardboard (such as the boxes men's dress shirts are in when wrapped up as gifts) you can use them to reflect the light from your lamp to give more even lighting. None of this is expensive, and all it takes is some time, creativity, and patience! Some rainy (or snowy) Saturday afternoon you'll have a "project" to keep you occupied and out of mischief! LOL Report this Post to the Staff
Stewie New Member Canada 43 Posts	Posted 03/27/2008 12:54 pm Hi Hunter Thanks for the tips & encouragement. I have a couple of desk lamps, 1 with halogen bulb the other flourescent, I'll be able to try. Finding some white cardboard around shouldn't be too hard. And I'll have to try find an optimal focus distance and rig up a more conventional copystand, like with the camera mounted to some sort of post which is anchored to a heavy enough platform. Report this Post to the Staff
hunter20ga Pillar of the Community United States 1173 Posts	Posted 03/27/2008 8:29 pm Well...so long as you like to tinker around, you've got all that's necessary to take very nice pictures of most coins. The ones you've posted here show that you can get the detail necessary to show the coin accurately. The fact that you care to try says much about you. Personally, I find photography a very rewarding adjunct hobby to coin collecting. It's a lot of fun to catalog the ol' collection, and to be able to share a stunning picture or two once in awhile on this board with friends. best wishes! btw...I'm in North Dakota, so I know that winter is not quite over yet for those of us lucky enough to live in higher latitudes. Edited by hunter20ga 03/27/2008 8:31 pm Report this Post to the Staff
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