What is the best way to take good, semi-high resolution pictures of coins? I have a sony dsc-f717 5 megapizel camera. The problem lies when i am setting up for the shot. I set my camera to macro, i set it to the highest possible resolution it can take - 2560x1920. My camera has to be zoomed all the way 'out' for macro to work, so i have to get really-really-really close to see the coin. At that close distance the shadow of the camera gets in the way. I have tried artificial lighting, but that leaves a very bright glare on the capsule of the coin i am trying to capture.... I am jealous of the pictures other members have taken!! They look very crisp and clean. I thought i bought a good camera, but its just not workign right ---Any Suggestions??
Do a search with "photography" as the key word and you will get many threads addressing your question. Also you need to diffuse the light. I put a plastic grocery bag or two over the light.
First of all you willneed a tripod..this willallow you to take birds eye view of the coins without the camera shadow. Second..set your white blance on the camera to whatever light source you have..i.e. daylight, flash, shade..etc etc Use manual mode to control the in camera metering and bracket your shots to +1, 0, and -1. You should get a nice photo. A very good guide to go by is the following...use the inverse of the lens mm for shutter speed setting. example if you are using a 60 mm lens then 1/60 the (inverse of 60) should be the slowest shutter speed to use for handheld shots. Anything under that speed will be blurry from hand shake!! Good luck!! RickieB
My camera would only let me adjust the light source on movies. Im also not sure what my main lens is as far as 'mm'. I do have a macro .5x wide angle lens, but that didnt help all that much. I leaned a quater up against the wall, put on an overhead light and snapped a few pics.... i attached one -- hope it looks good. If it does, i will at least have the process down to post a question i have on a dime in my legacies of freedom set.
Hey.. go to the thread "Modern Commerative Coins" you will see some of the pics I took with the advice I gave you... RickieB Edited: I meant the thread " The Eyes of Texas are Upon You"
I have an older Olympus D-510. It is only 2 MP. Macro is good, but I have run into the same problems with shadows ruining the shot when I get too close. I have tried using all sorts of lighting solutions. My answer is: back off till the shadows and reflections go away. Your digital pic WILL have enough information. You will need a photo editing software program. I used to have photoshop. I now use a free photo library program from GOOGLE called Picasa. It allows basic lighting and crop features. Back off of your coin and take several pics. It takes a steady hand, and you may want to think tripod..... I have taken as many as a dozen pics of a single coin, just to get the right combination. You may want to zoom in, zoom out. Don`t expect to take just one or two shots. Use your photo-editing program to crop your pics. Picasa has an option to upload your crops to "Your Pictures" with several different pixel options (100x100, 400x400, etc)
I have seen that thread before... its one of the posts that make my pics look crappy!! I think my problem is that i am using scrap circulated coins as a test. After i take the picture i cant make out any of the finer details so i think i need to get closer. I will get one of my graded franklin proofs and try the photo on that. thanx to all for all the great suggestions.
I've been researching lighting for the stereo microscope I plan to buy and I came across 'macro lens ringlights' for cameras. Maybe something like that would help to eliminate the shadows? Does anybody on CoinTalk have experience with them? Sorry, I don't know too much about photography, but I'll know a lot about microscopes by the time I'm done.
Jeff... Macro ring lights are for Macro or Micro photography..they are designed to provide even all around lighting for extreme close ups most micro or macro lens produce a 1:1 ratio (lifesize)..for coins..all you need is some diffision material a tripod,,a black or dark background and you are off to the races... Rickie.. BTW your coins shipped today.. RickieB
Sorry speedy ... my franklin prf's are no where near your preffered grade Mine are all only prf-64, and all in the old style holders.... sorry to dissapoint
Try tilting the coin towards the light source. I use an 1/8 inch spacer under the coin. Also try using white cloth over the light source to defuse it if needed. Larry Nienaber
