I was just reading this on Engadget. A new camera coming out from Olympus but what makes it interesting is a macro spotlight. It could make taking macro shots of coins easier & nicer. http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/31/new-image-of-olympus-e-pl2-leaks-shows-off-macro-spotlight/
Most cameras have a decent macro setting, it's depends on the photographer skills and the type of lens (if DSLR) being used.
Skills.... you got that right. I have two digitals cameras and the dino-lite digital microscope and I have several sources of light, but still some coins are very hard to photograph correctly. Gold coins are hard to photogrpah but I am having difficulties taking quality pictures of rainbow toned silver coins. Still looking for the correct set up, with no luch so far.,
Rainbow toning is caused by diffraction effect on the toning layer's thickness, like the rainbow of an oil sheen on water. If you look straight down on the oil smear, you won't see the rainbow. You have to have the camera and lighting at an angle to the coin. I find it easiest to just use a slanted stage for the coin( than slanting the lights and camera. One half of a hard plastic coin holder, will hold a coin well until the angle gets very large. Just glue the largest half on a support piece and raise one end with something under it. Then experiment Jim
Thanks Jim, your right that the angle needs to be right for toned coins. Done a lot of expieriments but I cant seem to get the picture to look as good as the real thing. I have been selling off my toned collection but do mostly in person and at shows because I cant get the pictures to look as good as the real thing and thus the ones sold on ebay were sold at bargin prices. I am sure there are more thread on CT thaT might be able to hlep me.
Pentax has the W90 with 3 LED's built in lights for Macro use. It's been around for more than a year and some people love it.
