a Grand Peace Dollar with great details

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Even came minted with real hair! Sweet!

But for real nice peace dollar.

 

Yep, glad it's not a pube!

 

It is hard to capture the luster of these coins. And I got the macro lens from pops, and it is so good that I can't figure out how to keep the entire coin in focus.

 

The main trick is to make sure the lens is perpendicular to the coin. An easy trick, which I've seen mentioned here before: put a small mirror on the flat surface where you're going to put the coin, and adjust the camera until your lens' reflection is centered in the image. At that point, your camera is perpendicular to the mirror; take the mirror away, replace it with the coin, and you'll be able to get both the coin's top and bottom in focus at the same time.

(If you're using a DSLR or mirrorless body with a macro lens, it might be hard to get both the devices and the fields in focus at the same time. There are ways to get around that, too.)

 

I think that is the problem. I even upped the Apt to 5.6 and there is still not enough depth of feidl to get the fields and the devices both in focus, especially with this peace dollar. Israeli Putahs were flat and easier.

 

and there is trouble with the tilt as well. But the tilt is SO slight and the camera is mounted on a strong tripod.

 

From looking at the image, the coin's fields are in focus about 1/3 of the way down from the top. Everything below that is too close to the camera, and I assume all the devices are as well. The tilt was the first thing that struck my eye in this image.

You're right that it can be hard to get both devices and fields in focus, and you're on the right path to fix that. But you'll need to stop down a lot further than f/5.6, most likely. If it's a full-frame camera, you can stop down to f/22 or more; for a smaller sensor, try f/11 to f/16 or so. (If you stop down too much, everything becomes less sharp, even though depth of focus continues to increase.)

 

F8 and don't be late. It is a cannon DSLR. The Apature goes 2.8 3.2 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0. You suggesting to go all the way to F11?

 

OK experiments with F11 - seems to work better!

exiv2 IMG_7145.JPG
File name : IMG_7145.JPG
File size : 5263056 Bytes
MIME type : image/jpeg
Image size : 4272 x 2848
Camera make : Canon
Camera model : Canon EOS REBEL T3
Image timestamp : 2021:03:15 11:12:38
Image number :
Exposure time : 1/80 s
Aperture : F11
Exposure bias : 0 EV
Flash : No, compulsory
Flash bias : 0 EV
Focal length : 100.0 mm
Subject distance: 0 m0.53 m0.60 m
ISO speed : 6400
Exposure mode : Aperture priority
Metering mode : Multi-segment
Macro mode : Off
Image quality : Fine
Exif Resolution : 4272 x 2848
White balance : Auto
Thumbnail : image/jpeg, 10992 Bytes
Copyright :
Exif comment : binary comment

 

It doesn't show luster though

 

If you're using a Rebel, F/11 is probably the sweet spot. I use a 100mm macro lens myself. I found that I started losing detail due to diffraction when I went to F/13 or F/16, but for some subjects it was worth the tradeoff.

With a full-frame camera like my 6D Mark II, I should be able to use narrower apertures, but I've done very little macro work with it so far.

Showing luster is strictly a matter of playing with your lighting. Try getting a flashlight or small spotlight, move it around the coin while watching through the viewfinder, and see what happens.

 

What is a full-frame camera?

 

It's about sensor size. A "full-frame" camera has a sensor that's the same size as the image area on a 35mm film camera. The Rebels have a "cropped-frame" sensor, which is smaller. That means a given lens gives you a narrower field of view (like it's "zoomed in"), and also gives you more depth of focus than it would on a full-frame camera.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full-frame_DSLR

 

I understand! It is like a pinhole camera, or the principle is. Your the MAN!

 

Wow those full frame cameras are a lot of money.

 

For sure! That's why I don't own one

 

Good pic!

 

Sorta. A pinhole camera is like stopping your lens way down, like to f/100 or higher. The narrower the aperture, the less effect the lens has; with a pinhole, you don't even need a lens.

Full-frame cameras are certainly more expensive than crop-sensor cameras, but they've come way, way down. I think I've seen new full-frame bodies for under $1000. Worth it? It depends on what you use the camera for, and how much enjoyment you get out of it. For that matter, phone cameras today are embarrassingly good.

 

I was thinking of upgrading the T3 - it is an old design by now nd we can use a more sensitive sensor. It is Dad's lens collection that makes everything work. If I can swap out the body, I can "borrow" the lenses.