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 Replies: 8 / Views: 1,717 |
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Valued Member
United States
136 Posts |
So I was trying out some set ups photographing proof coins. I seriously need to either get a macro lens for my dSLR or a better point and shoot digital. I'm leaning towards getting a Canon PowerShot SX1 IS as I really like the stats on that camera, particularly its macro abilities. At any rate, here's what I did for the shots below. First, I found a small round container I had that completely white interior but it also had a 'bump' at the center that lifted the coin just ever slightly off the very bottom of the container. I then pointed my light source at the container (a CFL lamp). Being the container is round and white it filled with light pretty well. I then played around with some white balance setting. I have some Cokin filters but they are all set up for my dSLR. I tried my fluorescent filter and it helps but its awkward to use with the point and shoot digital. So I played around with the white balance settings and used the tungsten white balance and kinda liked the results. So I thought I would post here and see what everyone thought.   Coin photography is kinda tough. The light reflects in so many different ways off the sculpted surface of the coin its hard to get the lighting right. My phone, I think, takes the best pics, but doesn't have TTL metering so it doesn't do such a good job with the coin directly lit. My point and shoot digital does better with the direct light but is not so good at the macro abilities. Let me chase storms and shoot weather any day over a coin, LOL. |
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Valued Member
 United States
136 Posts |
Here was another version I shot purely under LED lighting. I've never shot anything under purely LED light before and come to discover, you have to use a florescent filter, weaker one albeit, for led lighting or you get a slight green tint. Come as a complete surprise to me. It has to have something to do with the camera, I just cant see something that is not full spectrum giving that kind of light cast. Blue I would have understood, but not green.   I should also mention, that is the Silver Proof of that coin, both here and in my previous post. |
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
If you already have a dSLR, a dedicated macro lens for it will cost less than an SX1, and will give you results an order of magnitude better than that camera ever could. Superzoom lenses are very much a compromise of capabilities to achieve their range. I bought an SX1 IS when they were first released, and found it very unsatisfactory for imaging coins.
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Valued Member
United States
136 Posts |
Well I was pricing dSLR macro lenses for my Canon and they were way more than the SX1. Just a quick look around on ebay for a Sigma (which has been the brand of lenses I've used for years) 105mm Macro was running in the $350 - 400 range. I found a SX1 for far less than that. However, if its not going to do the job, then its a waste of money. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4037 Posts |
Buy a small T-Mount bellows with Canon adapter, and mount a Nikon 75mm enlarging lens, and you will get about the same quality as the Sigma 105. Bellows will run you perhaps $50 (Spiratone MacroBel) and lens another $50, plus maybe $25 for adapters. Spring for the Nikon 105mm enlarging lens for another $50 and you will have world-class performance that will easily beat the Sigma for perhaps $175. But it's manual all the way for aperture, focus (bellows, slow) and probably exposure (need to connect to PC for fast feedback) so this type of setup is not great for field use and should be mounted solidly on a tripod or copy stand.
Contact me for photographic equipment or visit my home page at: http://macrocoins.com |
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Ah. I was thinking "new" prices so, yeah, the lens could be a more expensive proposition. The Sigma 105 is no slouch, optically equal to the Canon 100mm.
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Valued Member
United States
136 Posts |
Ive had my eye on the Sigma lens for some time. My other great photography love other than lightning is macro photography. So I've 'planned' for a while to get one, just have never gotten around to getting one. I've chased storms less and less over the past year or so, so it may be time to invest in the Sigma so I can not only get some macro shots but also some good coin shots. I have a Sigma 50mm macro, but it wont work with my Canon dSLR. It will work with my film based Canons, but not the digital.
I did order a small light tent and a couple of halogen lights. So hopefully I can even out the lighting with that but getting the close ups is going to require some 'creative' set ups or new equipment.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
those pictures look awful grainy to be coming from a dSLR camera. I purchased a used 100mm Canon lens for $350.00 (if I remember correctly) and even though it does allot better than the stock lens I have to really spend the time to get the best shots with it. The sigma is a little less pricey than the canon but from the reviews I have read they have nothing but praises about the lens. If I were you I would probably go the lens route instead of getting a point and Shoot camera because the dSLR just has allot better focus than many of the P&S I have seen. They usually look good in the center but the further you go out from the center the more out of focus they become and the dSLR with a good lens seems to do a better job than that. I forgot to mention I have the T1i Canon body, not sure which one you have but I would still think any dSLR camera with a dedicated lens would do a better job than a P&S
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Valued Member
United States
136 Posts |
Thats not 'graininess', its the frost on the coin. I've shot it with my dSLR, my phone camera and the Point and Shoot and they all have that graininess from the frostiness of the coin. The latest proof coins, since about 2009 seem to be so proof like and deep in cameo that it has an almost hologram appearance. In fact, that particular coin pictured above, if you hold it in the light, you can hold it one way and the frostiness reflects the light in such a way that its solid, no details. Hold it another way you can see the detail in the hair and such. Its quite neat, but difficult to photgraph.
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Replies: 8 / Views: 1,717 |
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Posted 06/20/2011 10:03 am
