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 Replies: 12 / Views: 2,082 |
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Valued Member
United States
288 Posts |
Hi everybody. I would like to ask if anyone could give me advice on what kind of DIGITAL camera,..SLR?, type or size of lenses, (and maybe including the possible use of a microscope) I should use to do very high resolution and magnification on coins. I need to be able to pinpoint OMM, DDO-DDR, ect. Time to share what I have and add to field of knowledge. All help appreciated. Found and sold my first cherrypick in 1959, a 1955 DDO, Yep, shoulda kept it. Thanx, gusp |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7123 Posts |
Hi Gusp
Do a search of the forum for photography,camera, Microscope we have had several good threads with a lot of info in them concerning this subject.
Rick
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Valued Member
 United States
288 Posts |
Of course, duh. Late here. Thanx again Metalman. gusp
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1327 Posts |
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Valued Member
United States
288 Posts |
thanks djluster. will get on it. gusp
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
3831 Posts |
What you need is not the megapixels, although 2+MP is highly recommanded, but what is more important is the macro focus. Although most people who recommand the recent Nikon or Canon, I personally favor the recent Ricoh digital cameras. Although Ricoh is an amazingly painful camera to use, one of it's useful features is it's levels of manual settings on the camera.
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
In addition to my excessive verbosity in the other threads, the importance of good lighting has to be reemphasized. You can make a great camera take horrible pics without decent lighting, and a cheap camera takes great shots if you maximize its' potential. Gxseries, you're probably going to want both a camera and a microscope to take the shots you want. A decent camera can be had anywhere from $150 new on up, and microscopes run the gamut from my perfectly good QX5 (image below) at under $100 to well over $1000.  As you can see, I'm getting closer but still haven't got the lighting quite right:  |
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Valued Member
United States
288 Posts |
Thanx SuperDave. I see what looks like a S hiding in there. I am gonna try to photo ghost MM, overdates, Inverts etc. Gotta lot to learn bout cameras cuz I know nada. Need new puter, monitor, and a decent graphics card. Gotta lot of work to do. Thanx again,.. gusp
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Valued Member
United States
346 Posts |
i just posted a couple links on articles about how to do coin photography. I dont think it has much about which camera and lenses to buy but it does tell you some techniques.
check them out they are in the links and informations section
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Rest in Peace
United States
2684 Posts |
quote:
Originally posted by SuperDave
In addition to my excessive verbosity in the other threads, the importance of good lighting has to be reemphasized. You can make a great camera take horrible pics without decent lighting, and a cheap camera takes great shots if you maximize its' potential.
Gxseries, you're probably going to want both a camera and a microscope to take the shots you want. A decent camera can be had anywhere from $150 new on up, and microscopes run the gamut from my perfectly good QX5 (image below) at under $100 to well over $1000.
<snip>
As you can see, I'm getting closer but still haven't got the lighting quite right:
<snip>
Dave, you're still light years ahead of me in quality of coin photos. I'm still working on my lighting situation. I'm way out in the middle of the AZ desert and not near a photo shop, so I've been improvising, but unsuccessfully so far. I hope to pick up some blue bulbs later this week in Prescott; as you stated, lighting is critical. Years ago when I was into serious film photography, I was much better equipped for close-ups with my Nikon FtN (pics of graphs, drawings, all done under non-reflective glass with blue photolamps and a dedicated surface) than I am now with my new Canon S2-IS. I am remedying this situation, albeit slowly. |
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Valued Member
United States
382 Posts |
My basic rules for coin photography:
1.) Tripod is a must, or fixed camera holder
2.) Diffused multiple GE Reveal lighting at a 45 degree angle
3.) With that said, NO flash! Never!
4.) Macro setting on your camera for closeups
5.) Black, porous background (construction paper is good) so that no adjacent colors are reflected back and captured by the camera. Also adjacent colors in lieu of black will effect the true colors of the coin.
6.) Practice...you'll get it after a few tries.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
772 Posts |
What I have been using is a microscope and basic digital camera (with macro function) I have not been using a tripod, mainly because it is a royal pain to get that to work with the micrscope. So I just freehand it and I get decent results.  There is a recent picture I took using that method of a 1909 S VDB. I had a digital SLR that I was trying to use (without a strictly macro lens, and was having no luck at all) But just a cheap little digital camera is doing great. High resolution is not a must for this. I think I shot this at 1 MP and reduced it down from there in Photoshop. |
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
quote:
Originally posted by Morgan Fred
Dave, you're still light years ahead of me in quality of coin photos. I'm still working on my lighting situation. I'm way out in the middle of the AZ desert and not near a photo shop, so I've been improvising, but unsuccessfully so far. I hope to pick up some blue bulbs later this week in Prescott; as you stated, lighting is critical. Years ago when I was into serious film photography, I was much better equipped for close-ups with my Nikon FtN (pics of graphs, drawings, all done under non-reflective glass with blue photolamps and a dedicated surface) than I am now with my new Canon S2-IS. I am remedying this situation, albeit slowly.
I've pretty much settled on completely indirect lighting for most pics, as opposed to diffused lighting. I now have 2-150w Reveal floods on clamp lights with dimmers, and I throw them on the walls and ceiling of my smaller bathroom. Instant indirect light.  |
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Replies: 12 / Views: 2,082 |
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Posted 04/22/2006 11:43 pm
