My Axial Lighting Setup Complete!!

Hey guys,

So like everyone else here, I've always questioned and struggled with photographing my coins and had gotten good, but not really good. I finally decided a while back to do an axial lighting setup. It took a while to get the logistics down and everything, but after a loooong time of planning and building, here it is! I've got the base covered in black felt along with all the blocks on the board. The blocks that hold up the glass can be moved to adjust the glass if you dont want it at a 45 degree angle for a certain coin. Depending on the coin, I will also use a filter for the light (like a white piece of tissue paper or something similar). I have included a before and after shot of a coin. Enjoy guys:thumb:












BEFORE






AFTER

 

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I'm liking the results but I thought the lighting source came from the side and not from the rear with axial.

 

It is coming from the side, the coin is lined up perpendicular to the light source. If you look at the first pic, the camera stand goes into the bottom of the camera. In regards to location on the coin, the light would set up on the side where it says "Prince".

Also worth mentioning that I would recommend pictured there is the little remote that I use to take pictures without touching the actual camera, great to help with not seeing any movement on the camera.

 

My bad North49guy. One too many (on my part) so to speak.....

 

Lol no problem. Now that I look at it, the second picture is pretty deceiving in that regard.

 

BTW. I love that avatar......

 

Thanks, here's the rest of the note...

 

That is one beautiful note.

 

very nice pictures.

 

Lookin good.

 

I would love to get some in-depth information on how to set up a station like that! Anyone have a link to a previous thread that may help? Also, if you don't mind me asking, north49guy, excluding the camera itself, what was the price tag for all of those accessories?

-Brian

 

PM sent

 

Good Pictures! Green: could I have the price tag?

 

Your pictures look great. The currency photos are knock outs. I've been scanning my currency but after viewing yours I've got to start taking pictures of them.

 

PM sent Taylor

 

thanks

 

That's a very nice, straightforward system, with excellent results!

 

Actually that note was actually scanned with my HP scanner. I just included it in the thread cause green liked my avatar. Sorry if it misled that I took that as a picture. It is a scan.

 

To be honest Brian I'm not sure what the total cost was as I spaced out the purchases for it over the past few months, just gradually working on it when I had some free time. The camera stand (apart from the camera) was the most expensive piece of equipment out of anything there. It is suction cupped onto glass (which i have viced to the side of the desk.

As for the base, I just took a piece of scrap wood that I had laying around and covered it with the black felt using glue.

The long black block to block direct light coming across the coin, as well as the other 2 blocks that hold the glass, are just pieces of wood I covered in felt.

The piece of glass on the angle there is just a regular square piece of glass that I bought. It is just leaning up against an edge that I built onto the back of the board and being held on the angle by those 2 black boxes.

All thats left is the felt I just put on the back wall, the light, camera, and the little remote to take the photos so I dont touch the camera and cause vibrations/blurryness in the photos.

Hope that helped, and good luck to anyone wanting to build something like this. It is definitely worth it!

 

Axial lighting setups should not cost much unless you splurge for axial or optical glass.