I am terrible at coin photography, I can never get the lighting right. Just curious if anyone has used this product and there review on it. Thanks http://store.tabletopstudio-store.com/bacophkitout.html
I have seen the item personally haven't used it. Reviews I've seen however are that it's better at keeping the camera centered and still. Like a tripod that hangs the camera over the coin(s) for photos. As for the lighting most people will say forget the price tag and just use a coin easle or other item to prop the coin, a desk lamp with a halogen bulb and do some trial and error as far as placement of the light and the coin. Unsteady hands is another issue but I would imagine there is something cheaper out there that would still the camera to take the pic. Something else to consider depending on how detailed you want the photos is a microscope camera. Most plug in to a desktop or laptop via USB sit on the table and zoom in as close as you want. In fact I saw one the other day for half the price of the halo gadget.
I just attach my camera to a photo stand like that one in the ad (without all the lighting attached) and set it up in a bright area by a window. I don't use artificial light at all. It works very well for me. I bought the stand for about $20 and have been very happy with the results. Bruce
For a start post one or two of pictures you have taken. Let us see what you're doing and maybe we can make some less expensive suggestions.
To be honest, all the gadgets in the world won't help much because the secret to good coin pics is not in the gadgets. The secret is in the coin, and you. Photography is nothing but the capturing of the refection of light, that's all it is. And everything reflects light. But everything reflects light differently. And since each coin is unique, each coin reflects light differently. That's where you come in. You have to be the one to determine what aspects, what qualities, of the coin, you are trying to show in the picture. And to do that all you have to do is change the angles. You have to experiment with various angles to find the specific angles that show the coin the way you want to show it. There are basically 3 things involved - the angle of the light to the coin, the angle of the reflected light to the camera, and the angle of the camera to the coin. Find the correct angles for your purposes and you will have the perfect picture. Now you can change the way things turn out with camera settings and lenses, but that's the easy part. Even an inexpensive camera that has a macro function can take great coin pics - if you get the angles right. And expensive and different lenses are not necessary because you can easily adjust how close the coin is to the camera. And that's all lenses do is adjust distance. Focus is dealt with by the macro function. And if you use the right kind of light bulbs, full spectrum bulbs, then you don't need to worry about things like white balance. So expensive cameras with all sorts of setting adjustments are simply not necessary. There are some very basic rules you need to follow. 1 - the right kind of light, full spectrum light. There are all kinds of bulbs that provide this. GE Reveal bulbs are one. They are inexpensive and readily available almost anywhere. And you need at least 2 lights. 2 - no other light in the room where you are taking your pics. 3 - knowing when to use direct light or diffused light. That will vary depending on what aspects of the coin you are trying to show. That's about it.
Lighting techniques for mirror proof coins is different than other coins. Experimentation is the only way to develop the different techniques for good coin photos. Remember, photography is an art and just like art (and coins), beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Here's a few random pictures I've taken with my setup. Again, just natural light with my camera mounted on a camera stand. I actually move it back from the window a little so it doesn't get direct sunlight on the coin. I turn off any artifical lighting in the room as it does cause flares and unnatural colors or tints. BTW, I use a Canon PowerShot 300...an old camera but it works great for me. Bruce
How do you get good pics of coins? It's an age old question just like: "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" "You take the #42 bus." (rimshot!) It takes a lot of practice. Start with what you have. A camera (without flash!), either natural light or a desk lamp and a tripod or stand to secure your camera into position. Try different lighting angles and see what comes out on your coin. Direct light will hide a lot of the fine details. Raking light (the lamp at a low angle) will highlight details, flaws etc.. Then put a tissue or "diffuser" in front of your lamp. The light will be softer. Just keep trying different things and compare the pics. You'll also find that some coins are far easier to photograph than others. Proofs are the most difficult with the mirror fields. Toning is also hard to capture. Post some of your experiments here. There are lots of good folks to help you along.
It all comes down to practice. I chuckle when someone posts a lovely picture of a coin as justification for the method he uses. A nice photo can come from a pinhole in a cardboard box. If you want to start cheap -- using your point-and-shoot camera (in its macro-mode...flower icon) then buy a desktop tripod ($10) and a gooseneck lamp ($5). Use an incandescent bulb. A cigar box can be used to position the coin upright. There are free photoshop-like utilities that will allow you to do the post processing editing. It should be used on every picture in order to make the image accurately represent the coin. Lance.
Not bad. Not bad at all. IMO the next step will be to use a non-reflective black or dark gray background. I use construction paper like from elementary school. The idea is for the camera to get as much light from the coin as possible. White/Light background tends to wash out the coin image. It's particularly bad with copper coins.
Good post Doug. The trick to good coin photography is light... get more light on the coin. I use either two or three lights, all diffused.
I tried many times to get good pics without putting a lot of money into a good setup and discovered my epson scanner did the job much better than anythig I did with a camera!
