Could I get an opinion on these two pictures, please.

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by KeviniswhoIam, Jan 28, 2026 at 5:19 PM.

  1. KeviniswhoIam

    KeviniswhoIam Well-Known Member

    Here is a recently acquired Limetanus. Love the coin, and am trying to take pictures to catalogue it. The only difference in the two shots is simply a +3 white balance when taken, and no white balance (darker one)......your opinion, please?

    DSC02680a.JPG DSC02686.JPG
     
    KeviniswhoIam, Jan 28, 2026 at 5:19 PM
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  3. Spark1951

    Spark1951 Accomplishment, not Activity

    IMO…the +3 white balance setting chases away the shadowy recesses so you see the entire surface condition. I would choose that for cataloging…Spark
     
    Spark1951, Jan 28, 2026 at 5:33 PM
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  4. The Meat man

    The Meat man Supporter! Supporter

    How about a +2? I like the higher contrast on the first one, but to @Spark1951 's point the second shows a bit more surface detail.
     
    The Meat man, Jan 28, 2026 at 7:03 PM
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  5. KeviniswhoIam

    KeviniswhoIam Well-Known Member

    My camera has +3 increments, so its 0 or +3.......I am trying to avoid processing after the fact through editing programs
     
    KeviniswhoIam, Jan 28, 2026 at 7:47 PM
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  6. GinoLR

    GinoLR Well-Known Member

    The 1st pic is better IMO. It's more eye-appealing.
    This coin is superb, congratulations BUT... the white plastic slab with its sort of teeth ruins the picture.
     
    GinoLR, Jan 28, 2026 at 7:54 PM
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  7. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic numismatist Moderator

    That's a lovely coin.

    I think a "happy medium" that's somewhere in between your two photos would be best. The first picture shows the contrast and the brightness of the silver nicely, but is a bit shadowy. The second picture shows more of the surfaces, but it looks just a little bit too "hot" to me, maybe? Then again, I'd probably go with the second one. It's not too bad, really.

    Why not? Didn't stop me from tinkering around with it in Lunapic. ;)

    Since you have the coin in hand, you could be a better judge of how the post-edits would look.

    My tinkering produced something that's probably farther off the mark than your second photo, but oh well. I was just playing around.

    imageedit_4_4552727027.jpg

    That's the problem with those accursed NGC prongs. Mind you, I am an unrepentant slabber of ancients myself, and I use NGC, but I always pay the 8 bucks for the (pre-slab) Photovision images. It's totally worth it. In fact, when I've bought ancients that were already in NGC slabs, I've paid for them to be sent back, cracked out, photographed in the raw, and reholdered.

    Compare the rather hazy, prong-ridden slab pix on this Athenian Owl with the Photovision images.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jan 29, 2026 at 1:13 AM
    lordmarcovan, Jan 29, 2026 at 1:08 AM
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  8. BRandM

    BRandM Counterstamp Collector

    The second picture is best in my opinion. It's a more natural view of your coin.

    Bruce
     
    BRandM, Jan 29, 2026 at 4:38 AM
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  9. The Meat man

    The Meat man Supporter! Supporter

    That's one reason I prefer PCGS to NGC slabs. The PCGS "prong" style is WAY less visually obtrusive. The slabs themselves are also much stronger and harder to break than NGC's slabs, and just look nicer IMO.
     
    The Meat man, Jan 29, 2026 at 7:39 AM
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  10. KeviniswhoIam

    KeviniswhoIam Well-Known Member

    I’m going to reimage this, paying more attention to F stop and I’ll lower the ISO as far as I can. Silver seems easier than copper….:my Fugio should be interesting.

    I bought it in the slab, so, I had to accept the slab. I don’t think I want to go through the expense of having it reslabbed….also, they aren’t making more of these (well, except
    For maybe China), so I don’t want to risk losing it. Bad as those teeth are, the coin is protected.

    I absolutely appreciate everyone’s input here. I can alter the white balance with editing software, but I’ve seen too many over processed pictures, and was trying to avoid that. Also, those scratches on the slab! Has anyone tried to minimize them with a light wipe of mineral oil, etc?
     
    KeviniswhoIam, Jan 29, 2026 at 8:46 AM
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  11. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic numismatist Moderator

    Indeed, but PCGS is not an option with ancients. And since the quality of their TrueView imaging has declined so drastically over recent years, and NGC’s Photovision has become quite superior, NGC gets all my business now.

    Now if only NGC would switch to a clear, unobtrusive prong style like PCGS has…

    *sigh*
     
    Last edited: Jan 29, 2026 at 1:40 PM
    lordmarcovan, Jan 29, 2026 at 1:32 PM
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  12. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic numismatist Moderator

    Here is a photo of @messydesk evidently using some kind of oil on one of my slabs recently, when I had him photograph some of my coins at the FUN show earlier this month. (I had six pieces that needed better photos but where reslabbing was not a good option.)

    You could ask him what he uses.

    IMG_6230.jpeg
     
    lordmarcovan, Jan 29, 2026 at 1:38 PM
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  13. messydesk

    messydesk Well-Known Member

    Ultra-Pure Lamp Oil. I also use this as valve oil (see avatar). $10 worth will probably last you the rest of your life. Bring your own dropper bottle.

    [​IMG]
     
    messydesk, Jan 29, 2026 at 2:06 PM
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  14. KeviniswhoIam

    KeviniswhoIam Well-Known Member

    Lamp oil…..oddly, I have this at work. It doesn’t appear to cloud the slabs apparently, so I’ll have to give it a look! Thank you!
     
    KeviniswhoIam, Jan 29, 2026 at 2:54 PM
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