What is the best (and cheap) way to take photos of coins and in particular mint mark varieties? My digital camara is a few years old and won't cut it even for a basic coin photo. I have and old minolta 35mm SLR that I just bought a bellows for on ebay and will try that when it arrives? Any inexpensive suggestions out there...
Cheapest is probably to try holding a loupe up to the camera lens. Assuming you own a loupe, of course. These were done with a 16x cheap loupe. http://coinpeople.com/index.php?showtopic=37
I like my QX3. It's a kids toy microscope. The new model QX5 is even better. It takes the pictutes, you just export them to where you want them. It won't take a picture of the whole coin though.
Yep. I have one of those too (QX3 model) and it is good for such things. You can probably pick up one of the newer qx5's for around 50 bucks.
Thanks Becky, Just looked up QX5 thats might just be what I was looking for! Everywhere else I've asked tried to make things so difficult.
I've heard that QX3+ is actually better than the QX5. Any truth to it? I'm thinking of getting a QX3+ and its about $59
The only way to buy a QX3+ is to buy a used one. You can find them on eBay for about $25. They quit making them and went to the QX5. I got lucky and bought one at Toyz-R-Us last year when they were closing them out. The pics that I have seen from the guys with the QX5 are killer.
Thanks for this as well I am going to try this on a 2004 bison in a westward nickel mint set that has a possible double die reverse. Will aslo try to post the photo if I am succede.
Nickelman I found I can get pretty close up with my scanner and adjust the contrast so the picture comes in clear
Here are some of the first photos trying your suggestion. Got to work on my lighting though. 54S - S over Horizontal D over D 50 D over D south
You can get close-ups of coins with the QX5 and the QX3, but it is harder to get pictures of the whole coin especially a larger coin. A good Nikon with a macro feature is better for pictures of the whole coin. Any digital camera with a macro distance of 2-4mm is probably O.K.
Thanks Moen, I think my camara will do OK for the whole coin, I have been more interested in the close up shots of mint mark varieties. I have a lot of varieties that are not listed in any referrences and wanted close ups to maybe send along with a letter of inquiry to CONECA or Coinworld. I said micro but I guess I should have said Macro I get those two confused. If my kids don't get me a QX5 for Christmas the loop trick will work until I find the deal of the century on a QX5 on ebay (well maybe deal of the year!).
The pictures I have seen witht eh QX5 are much better than I get with my QX3. I believe the image resolution is better and the lighting was improved.
Thanks, I've seen the QX5 advertised for $69 w/free S&H I forget what sit ebut I was redirected for Amazon to it. I missed bidding on a QX3+ on ebay the other day it went for 42 w/$6 S&H New in box. I can wait awhile.
