Just wondering if anyone has any tips on taking photographs of coins? I'm not trying to sell any of them (at least not until I retire 30 some-odd-years from now) but I just want to take neat pictures. I've tried scanning the coins and while it does show a lot of detail and very good focus, the pictures just don't look very exciting. In fact they are very dull and boring. I've tried using a digital camera at various angles under various lighting conditions, both with and without a flash. I just haven't been impressed with anything yet. I'm posting a photo below, and it is the best picture I've managed so far and I'm still not really happy with it. This particular photo was actually taken with my iphone using a Pro-HDR application to enhance the dynamic range. I do not own any sort of fancy SLR camera or anything. All I have are my iPhone and a pocket-sized Canon digital camera.
The basics: (Your canon digitial will be fine) Two light sources (I use desk lamps) 10 an 2 o'clock positions, or 9 and 3 Macro setting on flash off neutral background color manual white balance (experiment with this as you take pictures) avoid zoom if possible position camera about 7-12" from coin set metering to center That's it in a nutshell. Lighting position and white balance will have the greatest effect on your images. The slighest variations in light position and camera angles will make drastic differences. Practice. Practice. Practice.
Please take photos of coins straight on rather than at an angle. Photos taken at an angle will almost always have some (or most) of the coin out of focus and portions of the coin will be distorted.
I use my motorola electrify for all my pics. It has macro setting and has most of the functions a digital camera has
