Assistance from coin photographic expert...

Derick, -jeffB: When you both mention about UV light, do you mean you literally use purple light to bring out tone color or just bring out the flaws?

 

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Tom B: Yes, I am going to buy the book.

 

No, I'm saying that I don't think UV light helps to show toning. I haven't tried it, but I can't imagine how it would work.

For fingerprints, it's different -- fingerprints leave behind oils containing various chemicals. Some of those chemicals are fluorescent under UV; you can also treat the fingerprints chemically to make them fluoresce more brightly. None of the compounds responsible for toning really fluoresce, as far as I know.

 

You're absolutely right. USM is nice, but it's really not relevant for your purpose.

I have the third lens you listed, and I'm extremely happy with it. I haven't used the 60mm lens; I seem to remember that it gets good reviews, but it wasn't available when I was looking for a macro lens, and I'm also keeping in mind the possibility that I may one day get a full-frame camera, which wouldn't be compatible with an EF-S lens. (It seems like I mostly shoot at longer focal lengths/narrower fields of view, so a full-frame camera isn't a high priority -- the smaller-sensor cameras are actually an advantage for me.)

I don't know anything about the EF 50 f/2.5, so I can't advise on that.

 

Its all about the lighting

 

Bingo...........and lots of practice.

 

What I am saying is that the use of pure white light does not give the same colour result as with full spectrum (broad spectrum). The difference between the two is mainly that broad spectrum include near UV wave lengths. One can see that in the coins I posted above.

 

I kind of go overboard with lighting. I use two 300watt studio lights with soft box's from my photography studio. I use a Canon 5D MK-II DSLR with a 100mm Canon macro L lens and a 180mm macro.

 

That is serious stuff. Nice pics.

 

Thanks Derick. I made a mistake, the photos I posted are older ones when I used a Canon 30D with a 105mm macro. This photo is from the 5D MK-II

 

The 100mm macro is magic!

 

Just joking around. Fingerprints are detected using silver nitrate added to the subject and when it gets in contact with a fingerprint, the sweaty chloride converts it to silver chloride, which gives a nice brown reddish fluorescence under UV type wavelengths. It is widely accepted that silver chloride is one of the "toning compounds" But again, just theory. The proof is in the pudding!