Lighting - Page 2 - Coin Community Forum

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Author	Replies: 22 / Views: 4,256	Page: of 2

mascallw119 New Member United States 5 Posts	Posted 07/06/2010 8:17 pm Quote: I lean towards a contrast based on the luster of the coin. The brighter the coin, the darker the background. To my eye - and please consider that I'm only talking about my personal opinion here - lustrous silver is best shot against black, and darker copper and silver are best against white. You have an excellent equipment set for shooting coins. Avail yourself of the camera's Custom White Balance features, and your only required choices for lighting will be how diffusely you choose to apply it. There is no reason why your equipment cannot shoot pics of equal quality to those from anyone here at CCF; it only remains for you to discover how your particular setup achieves this. Thanks SuperDave. The information posted here is very helpful especially about the background colors to use depending on the coin. I am still learning alot about shooting coins and find it fascinating. Far from being a photographer, I can say that it is a challenge. The toughest shot I tried to do was the penny. It took a lot of trial and error but I can attest to the fact that in the end a white background helped me to get a better picture. As I continue to read these posts, I look forward to additional insight because sometimes you have questions but are not sure just what to ask. Report this Post to the Staff
hhbkiddo Pillar of the Community Canada 1248 Posts	Posted 07/07/2010 9:59 pm Use a 60 or 100 watt incandecent lamp with a very normal reflector. cost about $8 at wally mart. the flex type. the camera is at 90 degrees to the coin on a old enlarger stand (tripot will do) then at 45 degrees a sheet of glass..... it is called axial lighting. there is a great article with pictures here somewhere... maybe even Super daves.. but it works , oh boy it works. Report this Post to the Staff
vermontensium Moderator United States 16679 Posts	Posted 07/07/2010 10:24 pm I use old fashion 60W (4) over my kitchen table on a black matte cotton background ( a glove ). Grey works too. swcoin.ecrater.com Report this Post to the Staff
rastatodd Valued Member United States 487 Posts	Posted 08/07/2010 6:19 pm I have been experimenting with my Canon Powershot SX110 IS. I shoot my coins in Auto Macro mode and let the camera do the aperture setting. I'm unhappy with the shots I am getting. Would it be better to shoot in manual mode and set the aperture myself. Tried a couple shots at my deck door with direct sunlight, in auto/macro and got shoots that where not to impressive. Help please! Report this Post to the Staff
hhbkiddo Pillar of the Community Canada 1248 Posts	Posted 08/07/2010 9:40 pm IMO, always do the manual thing and play with it.. I use a 100 watt tungsten(normal light bulb) and the axial method. white balance set to Tungsten. works like a charm with a 90mm macro lens on a Rebel. Report this Post to the Staff
rastatodd Valued Member United States 487 Posts	Posted 08/07/2010 10:18 pm Not familiar the term axial method.What is this? Report this Post to the Staff
Stunet Valued Member United States 211 Posts	Posted 08/10/2010 1:05 pm Axial method refers to the camera as the axis of the shot. In this case the light coming from the same axis as the camera. The more common name for this is "fill lighting" because it fills all the shadows. Generally one lights with a "key" light (a light placed at an angle off axis that throws shadows) and a fill light to determine how much of the shadows should be filled in. Technically photographers will talk about a key to fill ratio. Thus a lot of fill may be best for shooting a slab and presenting luster of a coin, a lot of key will emphasis a strong strike, surface scratches or a clash. Report this Post to the Staff
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