El Cheapo Set-Up

Very nice pics!
I need to work on my lighting. Your pics show the original luster well. What kind of bulb is in your lamp? Is it LED, Halogen, incandescent?

Thanks for the info. So far I have taken very few coins pics. I have another hobby in which, for years, I have take pics of glass objects where surface details are sometimes important. The macro lens was made for that hobby. When I decided to become active in coins again, some of the learned technique helped, but not all of it! The pics I have taken of coins with luster have not done so well. The sunlight seems to change the coin color (steel shades instead of the "silver white") and knocks out the luster. The following coin actually has luster on it.


I hope by changing lights the coin surface show up as well in true color/luster as your pics do with your setup.


edited for spelling

Earle, the high luster coins still throw most people for a loop. The coin I'm showing here still has quite a bit of luster but it's also toned which really makes it quite a bit easier. The blast whites still give me fits. Nice coin BTW.

Looks really good, and glad to be of help.

Now for some constructive criticism...

Contrast could be improved. Have you checked your lens for haze and internal dust? Do this by shining a bright flashlight/penlight through the lens at different angles so you can look at the internal lens elements. BE CAREFUL not to flash the light at your eyes! If all the elements are clear and clean, then the contrast can be adjusted with camera settings. But if the lens is hazy, or has a lot of dust, it may be causing the problem. In that case let me know and I can walk you through the cleaning procedure for this lens if you like....Ray

Your contrast returned, with its' apologies - it was in the boy's room.

Checked that lens and found specks on both sides of it and a smudge on one side. Had a lens cleaning kit which came with the Canon and gussied it all up. Looking into it with a flashlight couldn't see anything which might be dust although when holding it at an angle and rotating it I see something which "might" be haze. Not sure. It runs all around the peripherals but I can only see it when I'm rotating the lens. This this shot look any better? Same lighting set-up but went to f/11.

Probably a combination of both. Focusing gets kinda exasperating. All I have is that tiny little viewfinder and it's a trial and error thing. Although I am tethered and use remote shooting, my particular camera model doesn't support the preview mode. That would be a luxury and save grunches of time.

Yes the haze is on the inner side. Looked but doesn't seem to be any way to get the lens open. Nothing to be done about it? (blow torch, hair dryer?) Think it's affecting the photo quality? I think I'll start playing with the f/stops and look at changing the contrast parameters in my camera. Up to now I've been using default (0/0).

To tell you the truth, I'm really pleased with the pix I've been able to get so far compared to my point and shoot but I know there's still lots of room for improvement. Amazing how many variants there are.