... I decided to do some testing. The colors were NOT coming out correct and I'm not good enough with manipulating the images to make them look right. I decided to apply the KISS principle on my first test. I went from two light sources to one (OTT-LITES). And I set the one as overhead as possible. WHOA, MAMA!!! That simple change corrected most of my color problems. I didn't have to do anything to them! See here:
I also use ott-lite and only used one when doing copper coins. My experiences have been similar to yours. I only copy my pictures with photoscape Which ott - lite do you use? I am using the High Definition Natural Lighting.
Good job! Always use the same bulbs when imaging. Different light sources will throw the color way off.
Yep - what OTT lite are you using? I need to get one of those. I will try one lite tonight when I get home see if it helps.
I purchase my ott-lites bulbs up at the Lowes home store for around $6.00 each. Mine are CFL 100 watt replacement.
I think the before pictures look better and has a more natural color. Tthe prongs in the before shot have the proper white color. In the after picture the coin looks to me like something has been done to it. The prongs have an unnatural blue color.
I have two OTT-LITE's, both with a OTT-LITE TRUECOLOR 13 Watt Tube. Here's my setup: Be careful to make sure you get the right bulb/tube. There are some that are NOT white (TRUECOLOR); this is from the voice of experience.
I think that's more exposure than color cast on the NGC slabs, Conder. If anything, the "after" shots of the PCGS slab look to be more color correct.
p.s. Kanga, does your camera allow for the setting of a custom white balance? If so, that will likely be your best bet for achieving accurate colors.
I like the before pictures in the PCGS better as well. Probably just me. I have a liking for the nice brown color.
Yeh, I can adjust for white balance. But I haven't gotten to that level yet. I had to get the lighting reasonably correct first. The camera body is a Nikon D-90. The lens is a AF-S Micro NIKKOR 60mm 1:2.8G ED (Micro is the the term NIKKOR uses for Macro) I'm told that the 105mm would have been better BUT the 60mm was pricy enough. I need to get another lens for normal touristy type stuff. So far for vacations I've been using my old Coolpix 995. Easier to handle and does a reasonable job. Batteries are the only REAL problem. And for those of you who prefer the "Before" images to the "After" images, I can guarantee the the "After" ones are very close to the coins in hand. If I were to buy those coins online based upon the "Before" images, I would be VERY quick to file a SNAD.
Really, you don't. That's the beauty of white balance -- it corrects for color cast from imperfect lighting. I would STRONGLY suggest you get a grey card and learn to do it -- your color will INSTANTLY BECOME PERFECT!
It appears to be not quite that easy. I can't let the camera do things in auto-mode. It tends to want to focus on the surface of the slab rather than the coin within the slab. And because of the f-stop I've set my depth of focus is real tight. If I change my f-stop then I've got to play with my shutter speed to accomodate the new setting. (What I REALLY need to do is attend a DSLR class and get my basics more firmly established. They're around; I've just got to do it.)
It really isn't that hard. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MQTO9tiXb0 You'll probably want to watch the entire video, but what you're looking for starts about 5:20 in. You'll need a grey card, like this: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/231564-REG/Delta_98705C_Gray_Card_4.html
I have the 105mm VR, but outside of giving you a little more working distance I doubt you'd see any real difference in a static setup for coin photography. Batteries were always a nightmare with the 995, but my main faults with that camera were the shutter lag and the awkwardness of using a real flash. I did a quick comparison between my olde Coolpix 995 and the D200/105mm VR setup earlier this week, using a junk-grade 18th century 1 reale piece as a target. For an ~800 pixel screen photo, the Coolpix did a perfectly reasonable job, and actually did a slightly better job of reproducing the color of the background paper I chose.
Yeh, you pretty well have the 995 nailed. The shutter lag really came home on our Antarctic cruise. We had a humpback whale playing around the bow of the ship for about a half hour. Everytime I found a great picture it was gone by the time the camera went "click".
I reshot my 1806 quarter with my new configuration. Found out it doesn't work as well with silver as it does copper. Oh well, experimentation continues. (Leadfoot, I haven't looked at your sites yet.) This is about the best whale picture I was able to get. Good thing he/she stuck around so long. Gave me a chance to figure out where he/she would be and anticipate the shot. Probably the only way I would have gotten this one.
Nice shot! One of my favorite photographers (old school) wrote a book called "The Decisive Moment" by Henri Cartier Bresson and it was about how he accomplished his amazing images. Anticipation plays a large part in getting the "better" shot.
