Microscope Vs Camera

Read the customer reviews on the link you provide - that should pretty much tell you. The summary is - it does not work with Vista, is a little tricky to focus, but seems to work OK with coins for the price.

That's the one I have.That's a good price too.I paid $60 with S/H.If you type 44302 in the search box upper left of page you will find some info on it.It's a good scope for the price but you will have to block off some of the LED's and play around with it for awhile.
John1

Macro Mode 80 ISO 5 f stop 30/1000 S

I have to use a lamp to get my picture bright and without shadow and if I zoom it completely blurs

Of course. This is essential.




Don't use the zoom; rather, adjust the distance between the camera and coin with the lens zoomed all the way out. I'm guessing if you start at about 12" from the coin, you'll start seeing acceptable results. Maybe not as large as you like, but that can be fixed. For the moment, concentrate on getting images that are in focus and the right color - the rest can come later.

The cardinal rules of coin photography:

1. Camera needs to be on a firm mount. A camera stand or tripod, so as to minimize shake. Yes, some take decent pics handheld, but not everybody has hands that steady and if you can't do it right every single time, you'll just frustrate yourself.

2. Camera and coin exactly parallel. Macro photography involves very little depth of field, and the minute the camera tilts relative to the subject, you probably lose focus across the whole surface of the coin.

3. Delayed or remote shutter. Remember, miniscule depth of field. If you shake the camera even a tiny bit while pushing the button, your photo will not be in focus.

Learn all this first. An add-on lens will only make that process more difficult, because the "sweet spot" where everything works correctly will become much smaller.

I can't express an opinion about your purchase, I have no experience with that lens. I will say, there's stuff in there you don't need - as in, everything except the lens itself - for coin photography. The lens kit itself is available for $18:

http://www.amazon.com/Vivitar-Close...87971&sr=8-4

Even if it turns out to be crap, I'd spend $18 to find out.

Optics is an area where you very much get what you pay for, but on the other hand coin photography is among the simpler photographic tasks for a given lens. It's quite possible that a cheap macro add-on will give acceptable results under such strict conditions.

Don't forget, though, unless you get the basics down pat, anything you add will only frustrate you.

I don't have experience with that specific camera. However, I've owned an S2 IS and SX1 IS, both predecessors in the same line as yours. Both of mine were OK, if not fantastic, at imaging coins. I'd expect the extra megapixels to buy you a little more distance between camera and coin to get an image the same size.

Like I said, start around 12" and see what you get.