No matter how I shoot...the top of the coin is more in focus than the bottom. Distance does not make any change. Take a look at this photo for example: Look how sharp the liberty is..in how out of focus the bottom is. I shot at the same angle...light set up..etc with my cell phone. This problem does not happen.
Yep, your camera has a major flaw. I'd sell it and get another. I'll give you ten bucks for it, I know how to fix it.
Detecto, per the above post, you need to shoot with a smaller aperature opening (larger f-stop number). This will increase depth-of-field, and allow things infront of and beind the focus point to be sharply in focus. You dont want to go too wild, like f22, since it lets very little light in, but anything around 8 or 9 should be good.
coins seem flat enough that a scanner would be OK. unless you're trying to show off something about the edge, which doesn't seem like an issue here.
Detecto, although "real men" don't read the instruction manuals, you might go over the pages on "FOCUS", as most point and shoots have several different modes. Also many have a focus lock and a manual-->press half way, Auto---> continue on pressing shutter, and it will correct the focus if you move it a little. Mine has a spot focus, a 3x3 grid focus, etc. "
Does it have a macro setting, usually represented by a flower symbol? I would think this would force the camera into f8+. Alot of point-and-shoot cameras have a shutter release delay after you press the button, and this kills focus (your hands are moving/twitching) at low shutter speeds less than 1/250 or so and also you tend to miss the shot with moving objects. Since macro shots are so close to the subject, any tiny movement will kill focus. You might be able to go into a local camera store and get a few years old used dslr for super cheap, and it will give you all the options you could ever want. If that's just not feasible now, keep it in mind for the future. Since you will be in the hobby for a long time, it will be a worthy investment. You'll just have to skip a few coin purchases.
It isn't just the f stop setting, it is the lighting, Coins need excellent light to be well-photgraphed, and since I assume you are doing the pictures indoors, that makes it doubly complicated. Autoexposure controls make it much harder--the "auto settings" make too many compromises. First of all, a tripod is essential for coin photography. Backlighting with a light bulb always yields strange exposures--natural light is best, but that requires skill and experience.
In my line of work, real men do. Us senior guys love telling the newbies to go RTFM all the time when they ask questions when the answer is in the manual... :thumb:
Aside from needing a tripod, I agree with this. I have seen all of your images lately, and you are not throwing enough light at the coin. The more light, the faster the shutter speed, and the more crisp the details will be.
