Camera Suggestion!!

I do not know much of anything about coin photography however this thread is awesome and the camera used seems more than adequate.

Hope this link helps!

https://goccf.com/t/29441

I will add though that I haven't tried taking coin pictures with this camera as I am currently trying to find it. It took great landscape and other pictures though. I'm ticked cause I liked that camera.

G'day,
quote: "Key advice- get the highest optical zoom you can afford"
- digital zoom does nothing for coins. I bought a Canon IXUS 70, after seeing some pics on CCF. I asked the forum-member what he used.
Initially I was disappointed, until I discovered that 3x optical zoom is vastly superior to 12x digital.
Other tricks: a $10 tripod, and use the timer so that you're not touching the camera when the shot is taken.
Theoretically, higher resolution (megapixels) should yield better results, but affordable cameras in the 6meg range give excellent results.
Peter

All cameras are fairly decent these days - mine only cost about 50 pounds and you just need to know how to get the lighting just right if it's just for taking photos of coins. Nowadays this technology is fantastic and cheap and even average cameras like that have a whole range of setting for taking different types of pictures. If it's just coins, why bother spending hundreds unless you want to make really superb, close-up photos of hard to make out errors and almost illegible dates..

I am quite pleased with my new Canon 590IS ( $ 150 range). Amazon has it ship for free. It has 4X optical zoom, 8mp,image stabilization,macro, easy transfer to computer by usb if you don't have a SD card reader. Comes with a 32mb SD card.

As said above, optical zoom is what you want. It also has digital zoom, but it
doesn't really help in details. I use the zoom to expand the field when I hold it up against the eyepiece on my microscope. It reads the focus very well through the eyepiece.

8 mp really allows you to get the resolution to resize or crop without losing much detail.

The image stabilization is noticeable for me! I didn't know I was shakey, but my macros before on my sony were blurred. With the IS on ( you have choice as to when it activates ( continuous, depressed shutter button, shoot) I don't notice the blur. Even held up against an eyepiece , it works.

Also, you can get an adapter for it which attaches to the front mount and allows accessory lens like wide angle and close-up lens to be used with the fixed lens. It is 52mm ring so many add ons can be used, even some for astrophotography which attaches it to the telescope eyepiece. Amazon has the adapter also.

I would suggest whichever camera you buy to also buy rechargeable batteries/charger pkg as you probably will need them as well as a larger SD memory card if you are going to shoot often.

If you click on my ID, you can see some threads in the "error/variety" section where I have used the camera. It took some practice and reading the manual.

The only negative I have heard about this series of cameras is that if it is in a tight case, and it is accidentally turned on, gears can strip as the lens tries to expand into position and you need a new camera.


Jim

Well.....I finally did it. Bought a new camera. Got a Kodak Z8612IS camera. 8.1 mp, 10x optical zoom. Had to go to 3 stores before I found a salesperson that knew cameras pretty well. When I asked other sales people what the difference is in 2 cameras they said, "$60". I said, "NO, I want the specs." They said, "This one 'sposed to take better pitchurs." Hmmmmm.

Girl at Staples actually took a coin and took some pictures in Macro to show what it could do. Lighting was poor but pictures turned out pretty good and passable.

I'll be taking some pics and posting them in the next week or so to see if I can learn anything about it.

I own a book publishing company and just got a huge order for books from the LAPD so will be busy for a few days. Also got a fairly large order for some rare coins ($7.1K) so got to fill that order. Ohhhhhhh, the biz fun of the web. I love it though.

Really like this board. Tried other boards but really had bad vibes on several comments and posts. A board should be informative....but, still be fun to be a part of.

Peace to all........jerryb