Comparing Scans to Photos - comments please

I have finally got round to buying a decent camera. Herewith my first attempts - same coin. First pick is from my scanner set at 1200ppi. Second is using my camera on a tripod with delayed shutter release and a simple desk lamp for lighting (no flash). I can see huge improvements - what do you think?

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Yes sure, huge improvement in everything except the color. Scanners tend to make the coin look flat, which that scan certainly does, whereas the photo has dimension to it.

Doesn't hurt it's a nice coin, too

 

I assume that the 2nd picture is truer to the actual coloring of the coin?

Nice.

You may want to shoot against a white or black background.

 

Yes much truer to the colour, though maybe a bit more yellow. (Probably a cast from the desk lamp.)
Interested in thoughts on the effect of background colour - I have tended to use green baize particularly with bronze coins to make the redness stand out. Any other thoughts?

 

Do you have any software that can adjust white balance, etc.?

Also, when you're done, you can use some good free software to crop the coin out so you don't see any of the background.

 

No - I do not have photoshop or anything similar, and I have been using just Paint to crop. Any recommendations?

 

I think that Photoscape will get a lot of votes here.

http://www.techradar.com/news/the-best-free-photo-editor

It also lets you do cool things like mirror the image.

 

Get 2 lamps and use high CRI led lamps. They will produce more true colors. 2 lamps lets you get the light and shadows where you want them.

 

Look on ebay or amazon for lights with cri over 90 for best colors. They are around $10 per bulb.

 

.

 

If your camera has automatic white balance, just put a gray card in front of the lens and use the white balance function. This should mostly eliminate yellowish (or blueish) cast.

Long ago, I used to shoot coin photos with film. Then, I got a computer and scanner. The scanner could produce more consistent coin pics that were better than all but the best film ones. For some years afterward, I routinely used the scanner instead of film.

When digital cameras came along, they produced better results than the scanner, but focusing was unpleasant with a DSLR, so I continued to do scans. More recently, DSLRs started supporting focusing via magnified live view on the computer screen. This removed the last problem with using a DSLR, so I stopped scanning coins. Coin photos can be much better than scans, since you can adjust the lighting to best suit the coin.

More recently, I noticed that my modern scanner produces images a whole lot worse than my old scanner, so scanning coins is now out of the question.

 

Thanks for all that - I will investigate the white balance as I am still learning all the functionality on this new camera. My concern at the moment is the slight lack of focus. I am using the camera's autofocus but the results are not as sharp as I would like. It is possible I am close to the shortest range for it, or that there is still some vibration in the old fashioned tripod I am using. Still exploring!

 

Getting better I think. Some before and after shots - first this Austrian 7 Kreuzer:
Before:

After:

 

... and then this Spanish 40c:
Before:

After:

 

Hi @Dougmeister I have been trying to get Photoscape. As I am on Windows 10 I get directed to Microsoft website and they don't offer a free trail - only a £24.99 "Pro" version. Any other thoughts?

 

As others have mentioned before, your white balance is off. It is still too yellow. What sort of light bulbs are you using? I find it best to use 2 lights (preferably halogen). Incandescent lights are just too yellow (although they are more pleasing when I'm reading).

The other problem that I'm starting to see are focus issues. What kind of camera are you using? You said you are using a tripod, which is good. However, the images appear out of focus. I think if you get more light, and reduce the exposure time, that might help. Also, are using the "macro" mode on your camera?

A camera will definitely take better pictures in the end, and you are making progress. However, a camera can also take a little while to get used to because there is more to it than a scan. Keep trying!

 

Thanks for that! Yes I am aware of the colour cast problem - I plan to buy some better bulbs tomorrow as I only have ordinary Tungsten balanced ones at the moment.
I also spotted the focus problem - I am using a Pentax K-r with a 18-55mm lens on Macro but I fear sometimes I am at the limit of its focus on the desk tripod I am using. I will keep experimenting when I get the better bulbs and see where I end up!

 

http://www.photoscape.org ?

 

Thanks yes - I got there in the end. The photoscape page is badly worded and implies that if you are on Windows 10 you have to use Photoscape X, which is only available through Microsoft, but what they actually mean is that if you want Photoscape X you have to be on Windows 10! So I now have the free Photoscape 3.7 version, which seems to work fine. Thanks for your help.

 

Always shoot against a neutral gray background. I think you can still get a neutral gray card at camera stores. If not, a Google search yielded MANY options.