Light Bulb Beam Angle? - Coin Community Forum

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Author	Replies: 5 / Views: 1,951
Lazarus23 New Member Lithuania 4 Posts	Posted 09/10/2018 10:47 am I'm not sure which light bulb should I look for when lighting coins the one that has wider beam angle or narrower? Any suggestions? Report this Post to the Staff

paxbrit Pillar of the Community United States 992 Posts	Posted 09/10/2018 12:43 pm You want floods for just about all of it, that is the wider beam. Narrow beams cast shadows and require diffusion. Report this Post to the Staff
Lazarus23 New Member Lithuania 4 Posts	Posted 09/10/2018 12:55 pm Quote: You want floods for just about all of it, that is the wider beam. Narrow beams cast shadows and require diffusion. Thanks for reply. Should I go for as bright as possible or 3 bulbs of 800 lumens each is enough? Also isn't 270 degree beam too wide? Edited by Lazarus23 09/10/2018 12:58 pm Report this Post to the Staff
pepactonius Pillar of the Community United States 9395 Posts	Posted 09/10/2018 2:19 pm I think the angle that matters is how wide the light looks if your eye were where the coin is. A 270-degree beam light can look small if it's far from the coin, for example. A bare bulb can illuminate almost the whole sphere (almost 360 degrees), but it can look like a small point source from the coin's perspective. Some coins look best with a diffuse/wide angle light source, and others look best with something narrower. Some sort of flexible setup (like a lens-attached diffuser, where you can vary the amount of diffusion) might be the most useful for coin photography. Report this Post to the Staff
Dar Pillar of the Community United States 1476 Posts	Posted 09/18/2018 1:27 pm I agree, the amount, angle, and Type of the light can vary greatly depending on the coin type and even grade of coin your photographing. Even where you have your photo setup located can make a difference at times. Like in a room with a lot of ambient light or just shooting with the 'unnatural light. You can find an 'in-between' setup and then adjust from there. Just some advice. I am not the pro here and there are many here. Report this Post to the Staff
kanga Pillar of the Community United States 5825 Posts	Posted 11/29/2018 11:11 am I recommend buying *Numismatic Photography* by Mark Goodman. But if you do make sure you get the 2nd edition. Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 5 / Views: 1,951

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