What is a good camera and lense for taking photos of coins?

I’d like to take better pictures and close ups and my iPhone isn’t quite good enough.

Does anyone have any recommendation on a camera and lense that would be good for this?

Thanks!

 

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The iphone is actually better than most much more expensive set ups. That said it does depend what version you have.

 

Plain ol' 'polnt and shoot' (Nikon, Canon) with macro capability. Tripod too....

 

Anything probably is better than a 3MP-8MP USB camera. The programs that process the data in the computer portion of the system fills in false information so people see less pixelation( squares) when enlarged, but they may make false shapes that the owner thinks are real and argue for many posts about a "new find".
Jim

 

For a DSLR, I use a 60mm macro lens (but I really want to get a 100mm macro), a Manfrotto tripod, and I will be getting a couple of Ott lights soon. As @green18 said, the point-and-shoot cameras work well, too, especially the more recent models with higher megapixels. Always use a tripod. It helps keep any camera steady so you don't get blurred pics. Also read this thread:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/advanced-coin-photography.362765/

I hope this helps!

 

I bought this from Amazon a month so I could sneak up on a coin with no shaking. Still have to make a nice easel at right angle to line up at the far end. Seems to work fairly well. It was then on sale, but went back up. Jim
https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Centi...keywords=neewer+sliding&qid=1616271242&sr=8-3

 

I use my iphone 8 for pictures of coins and sometimes a microscope for closeups. I rest my phone on something, zoom in (crop) on the coin, then snap the pic.

 

Second. The iPhone SE 2020 has an excellent camera. Get a $20 macro lens and you’re all set.
Alternatively, shoot through a 20x loupe and you’re pretty much there.

unless you play on going professional and sell your services/photos PLEASE don’t go spending many hundreds on a setup. It’s not worth it .

 

I have an iPhone XS.

 

I’m thinking about upgrading my IPhone XS to an IPhone 12 Pro Max.

 

I’ll try that but doesn’t zooming in take away some of the details?

 

Not if you shoot through a Loupe or a cell phone macro lens

 

Basically what I’m looking for is a camera that can take photos good enough so I can show someone on Facebook some doubled die coins I have.

It’s really hard for me to take photos good enough to where you can see the doubled die on a Lincoln cent.

They’re all PCGS slabbed so they are genuine DDO coins but it’s hard to show the DDO in a photo.

The ones that aren’t like the 1955 DDO where it’s clearly visible even to the naked eye on first glance.

 

These are some extremely close ups taken with the iPhone SE thru a macro lens... works for me without having to get a new kit.

If you happen to already have a camera, you could get a reverse adapter (basically turns your regular lens into a macro lens by mounting the lens in reverse)

 

Can you show me a photo of a coin with it? I don’t know what your photo is of but my coins don’t have all those colors.

 

Try a simple trick. Instead of holding the phone when you take a pic, set it up so it's on something above the coin, then use the 2 second timer to take the pic. Half the time, a bad photo was due to camera shake caused by the camera being handheld.

try it and see how that goes.

 

I just posted this in another thread:

Image quality is determined by the following (and in this order); 1) photographer's ability 2) lens quality 3) camera body

Point is, quality photos can be taken with almost anything.

 

Sure, here’s the coin with simple edits via the native iPhone photo editor. Contrast, exposure, sharpness, and brightness.

 

My picture above isn’t the HIGHEST resolution, but reproduces the in-hand appearance rather well. If you need to get microscopic, the close ups I posted showcase the same camera/phone with a cheap Amazon macro lens.

it really comes down to hobbyist versus paid professional.
To be fair though. The pictures I can take sometimes end up being higher quality than auction house attempts.

 

Some of my favorite photos were taken on a $100 point and shoot GE camera.
I got so good at using the camera, despite the VERY limited settings, that I could make great art with a cheap camera.

ironically, when I spend a few hundred for a really nice Olympus OMD E M5, I had a tough time producing the same level of art as I did with the cheapo camera. A good photographer/artist can make good art out of just about anything. Give Da Vinci printer paper and a crayon and he’ll make a better image than any art major could with the finest brushes and paints.