Should I Bother? - Coin Community Forum

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Author	Replies: 9 / Views: 1,699
MtnCoinMan Valued Member United States 462 Posts	Posted 01/28/2009 09:05 am I have an older Sony Digital camera, a 2.0 Megapixel that I have started trying to take pictures of coins. The results are less than satisfactory. Should I even bother to practice with and and wait until I get a better camera? Or should I keep plodding away? Report this Post to the Staff

nohope587 Pillar of the Community United States 5953 Posts	Posted 01/28/2009 11:05 am You should be able to get good results even from a 2MP camera as long as it has a good macro.. Report this Post to the Staff
MtnCoinMan Valued Member United States 462 Posts	Posted 01/28/2009 11:40 am Sorry to sound so naive, but what is a good macro mean? Report this Post to the Staff
pls Rest in Peace United States 1729 Posts	Posted 01/28/2009 1:00 pm A macro lens or auxilary attachment allows you to take larger-than-life photos from close up. The regular lens will not allow you to get close enough to take photos detailed enough to post on the web. Even a "cheap" digital camera will allow you to take excellent photos if you use a macro lens on it. Report this Post to the Staff
biokemist6 Bedrock of the Community United States 12437 Posts	Posted 01/28/2009 4:12 pm Look for a flower icon, that is the universal symbol for the macro setting. When you see a point-and-shoot digital camera advertised with 3x zoom(not digital zoom, that is worthless for coins) that is referring to the macro capabilities. Most olders ones are at least 3x but some newer cameras go to 12x or 15x. Edited by biokemist6 01/28/2009 4:13 pm Report this Post to the Staff
KurtS Pillar of the Community United States 5318 Posts	Posted 01/28/2009 5:05 pm It can't hurt to check out the macro capabilities of the camera first. 2 megapixels is about 1600x1200 pixels, which is fine for coin shots provided you can focus close enough. I'd try the macro setting and the minimum focus distance and see what turns out. Good luck! Report this Post to the Staff
SsuperDdave Moderator United States 23522 Posts	Posted 01/28/2009 6:40 pm By all means, if that's what you have, then use it. Much of what you learn about lighting and camera settings will be exactly the same with a better camera. You will be able to get decent pics with this camera - they just might not be very large. The key to good coin pics is more about maximizing the capabilities of the equipment, and not the equipment itself. Report this Post to the Staff
Learjet Pillar of the Community Australia 655 Posts	Posted 01/29/2009 8:51 pm I used to get good coin pics with my old Nikon coolpix 2mp camera so anything is possible. Report this Post to the Staff
phdezra Valued Member United States 60 Posts	Posted 02/05/2009 9:15 pm Whichi Sony model? Even the 2 MP cameras have decent macro functions. Report this Post to the Staff
malissadawn Pillar of the Community Canada 1931 Posts	Posted 02/05/2009 9:25 pm you can even try what I do. I use the macro function and then hold a 10x magnifying glass over the lense with one hand and take the picture with the other. lol sounds crazy but the pics do turn out. Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 9 / Views: 1,699

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