Macro Lens And Microscope Options

I have evaluated a few macro lenses for cellphones, and am hoping to make a recommendation once I can find one that gives an acceptable result. Most have been quite poor performers. I have one on order now that looks promising, though it's more expensive than most, the Apexel. I will make some sort of review if it turns out to be good. This is the one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TPLKT7D

Color temp makes no difference to resolution, only color fidelity. Adding the paper towels to diffuse the light can help, if that is the problem, but usually the issue is that the light is too diffuse already. Try blocking off some of the LEDs with masking tape or similar. What you probably have looks like this:

          0
      0       0
   0             0
      0       0
          0

Try blocking off the LEDs shown with X below:

          X
      0      0
   0            0
      X      X
          X

Or possibly even:

          X
      0       0
   X             X
      X       X
          X

The idea is to get light that is directional so that shadows can be formed. Lights coming from all sides eliminates most shadows, so it's harder to see the variety. You need to rotate the coin around to shine the light at the right angle to make the variety most visible. In fact, sometimes the light must come from just one direction, so you may consider masking all but one LED, like this:

          0
      X       X
   X             X
      X       X
          X

CPL filters are useless since the light angles don't support polarized light reflections.

Hope this helps and let us know any results.

Ray

Edited to add: I intended the 0's and X's above to look like a circle, but the forum suppressed the spaces.

Thank you @jbuck, now I know how to do it!

Thanks so much for your tips! I look forward to your review on the macro lens.

Now I must figure out how to put tape on the appropriate bulbs on the USB scope. They are so small so this will be interesting...

I practiced different settings for pics on the HD camcorder. My phone does not have as many options. I think switching from Auto mode to Manual and doing 1/100 shutter is making improvements with f 2.0 (Iris?). Still playing around with the white balance setting.

I am going to make some changes to my lighting for the regular pics also, and will post some pics once I figure it all out and get some practice so as to get your thoughts. I might try the milk jug trick mentioned in the other thread too.

Thanks again!

Here is another example that shows the mirror effect. I think it has improved. But which type would show more detail if a variety like a doubled die was there? The orange one or the gray one?

Pic 03



Pic 04

I do not like when the black shadow border shows up all the way around a device, but it always does on the shiny red cents. It would be impossible it seems, from the newbie perspective, to see a subtle type of separation line, notches, or split serifs. Right?

One thing to try is not use the onboard lights at all and use a handheld led flashlight with a filter on it.On my scopes I blocked off all but one light at 12k and put a filter over that.I use a point-n-shoot camera on the windowsill for most of my coin shots set to macro with no flash.
John1

12k=12 o'clock on a clock face. Just a note, when using a flashlight, you still need to put a filter on it.
John1

Tape on 3 lights of my USB microscope


Edit: oops, need to be on page 2