This subject has been covered before but this site http://www.tabletopstudio.com/ gives lots of good tips if you follow all the links. It is a commercial site (which I have NO connection to) and it does sell equipment, a lot of which you can make for yourself. I particularly like the small copystand ($50) they have.
Hi david/thanks for that great information I could use as much help when it comes to that area of the hobby. Thanks again good info Jazzcoins Joej
David - I looked at their coin kit (I'm not a DIY type). What does everyone think of this along with my Canon IS-5 (35mm with super macro capabilities) as a decent setup? http://store.tabletopstudio-store.com/cophkit.html
I got their tabletop copy stand a while ago, and replaced it soon after I replaced the point-and|hoot camera it was small enough to work with. Their setup would probably give good results, but I have gotten good results with just their copy stand, some black velvet for background, two normal gooseneck desk lamps and a pair of both incandescent and daylight compact flourescent bulbs. You swap bulbs based on the type of coin you're protographing - and you might end up needing a third lamp as well, but those are easy enough to come by. If you had money to throw at you setup you can get pne that can give gorgeous results for about $2000 or so.
While for many purposes, a more expensive camera might do a better job that a simple point-and-shoot, those better jobs generally are in-camera manipulation of the image. For taking pictures of a single object in a fixed position, e.g., a coin, a "cheap" camera is completely sufficient. The owner of the referenced web site says the pictures he shows on the site were taken with a small 2 MP camera. That is sufficient to take pictures of the size of the one on the site, 1.5-2" screen size. If you want pictures that will fill a 8" screen without pixelling you'd need a camera of 6 MP or greater. 1. A camera capable of capturing 6 MP or more without distortion on its CCD (the digital equivalent of film). Almost any camera around $200 or more has this capability. 2. A way to focus close. Almost all cameras meeting the first qualification have a macro setting capable of focusing as close as 1.75-2". Without macro focusing, you can get a bit closer using a telephoto lens or function but it's not quite a good as macro. 3. A way to hold the camera rock steady. A tripod or copy stand fits the requirement. With a fast enough shutter speed, you might be able to get away with hand holding the camera, but it's not recommended even then. It's best practice to use the time delay for releasing the shutter. That will eliminate any shaking of the camera when you push the release button. 4. Suitable lighting to light the subject without shadows or reflections. This is what a light box does. It takes the light from two or more lamps and diffuses it on and around the subject to prevent hot spots or dead areas. 5. Beyond those basics, a camera with light adjusting capabilities is a plus. Since coins, or any objects, photograph differently depending on the light source such as sunlight, incandescent, flourescent or LED, adjustments in the camera can change the results. Adjustments in the camera when the picture is taken reduce the need for photoshopping after taking the picture. Digital cameras with a LCD view screen pretty much show you what the final result will be. Two final thoughts, when photographing coins, the background will affect how some self-adjusting cameras process the photo. Experimenting with different color backgrounds will give you results which you are comfortable with. Also, copper coins do not photograph quite the same way as silver ones do. When you find combinations that suit you, notate it somewhere so you can duplicate the results the next time you try it..
