So I got a camera with macro...

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Does anyone know where I can get a copy stand in person? I don't really do the on-line shopping thing. Also, this is a stupid question. But how do I crop my photos?

 

I'm not sure what photo editor you have. It's different for everything.

 

I'm not sure I have a photo editor. Thats the problem. lol

 

download GIMP or I could do it for you. : )

 

How do you upload photos? I'm sure you can crop it from the program that comes with your camera.

 

I just thought of that today actually. But the stupid thing won't let me change the shape of the picture, just the size. So I have a big rectangle with a coin on one half of it.

 

also, if you want a high quality photo editor, you can download older versions of photoshop for free, it may not have all the latest and greatest tools that the newer versions of photoshop has, but even the most basic features that it has, such as crop and other photo editing features, will work much better in photoshop than in the junk photo editors you get free with a digital camera or scanner, even if you use photoshop 7.0 (which is a really old version of photoshop), it'll still work better than some knock-off photo editor you get free with your scanner or digital camera. (the biggest problem with a knock-off photo editor is that it could automatcally resize your picture to it's previous size after you crop an image, not even the older versions of photoshop will do that, and as you should know, if you take a picture of a coin that has a background twice to three times the size of the coin, you don't want the image of the coin blowing up to that size automatically because that'll make it blurry)

 

Download gimp

 

Where do I download gimp?

 

http://www.gimp.org/

 

Thanks.

 

I try to NEVER zoom on anything. You using a lightbox? They help a lot

 

Adam,

Without seeing sample pictures of your coins it is hard to give you advice.
But I will just let you know what I do.
I set my camera on the "P" setting, and set it on "Macro" The little flower shaped logo.
I then go into the settings and set the picture to the largest size picture available and the highest resolution.
I put the coin on a blue and black background, and shoot from about 3" away with the coin tilted at about 45 degrees or so. I will post pictures of where I take the pictures after this post.
I then use paint.net to edit my pictures and put the Obverse, reverse, and the slab tag in one picture. and I resize it to 1500 wide.
That is large enough for both side of the coins to be 750 which is plenty large enough to see all the detail.

I Use two white bulbs with a plastic milk carton over one bulb to diffuse the light, and they are at about 11 and 2 O clock about a foot away from teh coin.
I generally hold the camera about 3" away, and zoom until the autofocus doesn't work anymore. With no tripod.
Here is a sample of some images.

 

This weekend, I completed my coin photography setup. I agree with gmherps and snaz. I set my camera as snaz suggested, and then I made a lightbox, bought a $8 table top tripod, and am taking much better pics. It's all in the lighting.

I have taken some really nice pics, but as other's have said, it takes lots of trial and error to get it to where you're happy with the outcome.

-LTB

 

Yes. Lots of trial and error indeed. And I agree that lighting is whats most important. As I'm discovering it is important that your camera settings are set according to the lighting you're using as well. I think I need to get a copy stand. As for a lightbox, I'm not exactly sure what it is.


Snaz, I'll have to try some of your techniques.

 

Hi Adam, here is a lightbox/tent...I modified the instructions a bit to be better suited for coin photography.

http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-make-a-inexpensive-light-tent

-LTB

 

I've tried alot of different stuff. What am I doing wrong, besides not cropping this first pic?

http://s369.photobucket.com/albums/oo140/AdamL1983/Coins/?action=view&current=102_0067.jpg

http://s369.photobucket.com/albums/oo140/AdamL1983/Coins/?action=view&current=102_0160.jpg

 

Here are your camera specs (I believe these are right, but if you see something different, yours should be right);

auto: 2.0 ft (0.6 m)–infinity
macro, wide: 3.9 in.–2.3 ft (0.10–0.70 cm)
macro, tele: 1.1–2.3 ft (0.35–0.70 cm)
landscape: 32.8 ft (0.10 m)–infinity

Your picture properties says its focal length is 14 MM - approximately 1/2 inch. Without using the zoom, the closest your camera will focus is 3.9". You need to back you camera up to 4" and increase your quality. You might also back it up to 13" and zoom in.

 

I just checked your half. Focal length for that one is 11 MM. You are way too close.