I have a question,any body have any info on this.I used my cell phone a couple times for pictures of coins but can`t seem to get the lighting right.Any ideas on a fairly good setup just for coin pics.any info would be appreciated,thank`s
I have taken great photos with my cell phone. What I do is: 1. I take advantage of natural light during the early morning when the sun is not directly overhead. 2. I use something to prop the coin at an angle to get the right lighting. Sometimes I use a towel which can easily be manipulated to get the angle I want. 3. I take the photo from a few feet up and then zoom in so as to not get my shadow or the phone's shadow on top of it. I know many will laugh at me and this method, but my results speak for themselves. They are sharp, reveal amazing detail, and are all around awesome HD photos. Here are just a few examples in order from top to bottom: 1. 1909 S VDB AU55 Cent 2. 1943 D/D MS65 Cent 3. 1942 P Type 2 PR66 Nickel 4. 1943/2 P MS64FS Nickel 5. 1937 D 3 Legs AU55 CAC Nickel 6. 1932 D AU55 Quarter 7. 2012 S (Silver proof) half (angle #1) 8. Same 2012 s (Silver proof) half (angle #2) 9. 1935 P MS63 Dollar (obverse) 10. Same 1935 P Dollar (reverse)
I bought a Dino-o-Lite a couple years ago and a stand with it. As it turned out, the stand wouldn't stand without putting a sock full of metal on the base. So buy a decent stand. I also had trouble getting the whole coin in the picture with proper focus. Consequently, it occupies a spot on my work table and is no longer used.
I, too have a Dino-Lite, and I, too, never use it. The focus is not flat. They are fine for projecting images for a talk, but if you want good photos, you need a camera.
I haven’t priced a dinolight lately, however I bought one a few years ago. I wasn’t able to focus the micro shots, because the clear guard at the bottom of the scope (just barely) prevented the lens from getting close enough. I ended up taking about 1/8” off of the clear polycarbonate with a belt sander and it works fine, now that the manual focus will allow the lens to get close enough to take a decent picture.
What kind of Dino-Lite are we talking about . If you buy a 5MP you'll be able to take excellent closeups . But be ready to spend some cash too ..
I took these photos with a dino-lite. Had to make a stand for it tall enough to get the whole coin in the photo.
Thanks for the input guys,I figured I`d get some real info here from people who used it. Hommer, your pictures look good, nice even lighting. That was my problem,I`ll give your method a try. Thank`s all.
Hmm. I gotta say I am not impressed with the dino-lite. Is there a way to reduce glare maybe? It does show luster. But not so much on detail.
My first scope I bought was a dino-lite and it works great on full shots . All these are taken with it .
This is a common problem. Two solutions... 1. Turn off the internal lights and use external lighting - makes it easier to controld 2. Make a donut of diffuser paper (like rice paper). You need to make a circle just the size of the dino-lite LED ring - you'll put that inside the plastic housing and tape it to the sides with a couple tiny pieces of tape. FIRST you have to make an internal central hole that is just the size of the imaging sensor.
Resolution and flatness of field is a primary concern with any low resolution camera. many depend on software to enlarge and "sharpen" images, thus inserting false pixels in the photo. 3-5mp resolution is normal. Most such cameras have plastic lens rather than optical glass. A camera ( even in a cell phone )usually has a much higher resolution. Today 20mp or better is common and can be done in a raw format where extra pixels are added. A 5 mp camera in the hands of an expert often is much better than a Good camera in the hands of someone who doesn't bother to use it properly, a camera such as a 5mp Canon Point and shoot can be focused down a microscope tube and give good results. When you see a photo where there appears to be tiny square or rectangular blocks , that is the result of false pixels, IMO. Jim
