• Your Biggest Coin Photography Frustrations?

I'll try, but not tonight. It's something I learned about a long time ago, so I don't have specific links handy.

 

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That is a challenge even for seasoned coin photographers. It requires careful control of the type and placement of the light, and often multiple exposures.

 

Without a doubt, phone cameras have made coin photography faster and easier for collectors and dealers alike. There's no learning curve, or very little, as the algorithm does all the processing. But that will only take you so far. The question is, is that far enough?

 

Is the coin still in the capsule? The shot will improve if you take the cover off it. The coin will determine the light effect, not the plastic cover.

 

Solving both of those issues requires a little more investment in the capture process. For the first issue, you can tether your camera; for the second, you can use lights with greater control over beam and direction.

 

Good point, and something I will address in the presentation. For many proof coins or those with monster toning, axial lighting is the best method for capturing the colours, but of course, the slab kills that option. Multiple exposures and precise light placement can bring you much closer to a raw coin image. Still, nothing can fully match it.

 

6500? That's a soft light source, and I assume you adjust the colour temperature to daylight (5500) in editing?

 

@Denis Richard
I could be wrong about the K rating as it is a LED lamp and I do have it on a dimmer.
But what ever it is, it works for me.

 

I have trouble with brown copper. I'm using an DSLR with the Sigma 150 macro lens. I do a custom white balance using a gray card.
My images come out a lighter brown color. With worn copper, I get green spots that I don't see in hand. I don't think it's PVC. It looks like junk stuck around the devices.