As an ebay seller, I'm constantly trying to improve my coin photography skills. I don't have the cash or the space for one of those fancy contraptions that you mount your camera to. I used to use a tripod that had bendable legs, but I'd spend ten minutes bending it just right. What I do now, and it saves me a lot of grief, is to take the coin and stand it on end on my mousepad and lean it up against my computer speaker. Then I take my camera and stand it up and take the pictures that way. My desk lamp has a flexible gooseneck which allows me to change the lighting without moving the coin. This works for me. Does anybody else do it this way?
I posted this thread a while ago to show that you can take acceptable pics using the most basic equipment. Granted, they are not high-end images but they are good enough for posting. The camera is only 3.1 mp and well used. 99% of my coin images on this forum are shot with this camera: Cheap Coin Photography
Macros with Smart Phone I just got my new LG G2X phone that is supposed to be able to shoot 1080p HD video , so I dug a little deeper into the camera functions and discovered it has a macro setting. Attached are 2 photos taken with the auto-focus macro setting. The G2X let me rotate and crop the photos right in the phone.
I have the same problem. I can't afford a $500 camera with all the bells and whistles. I have tried my camera phone with no such luck. Now I just use the scanner on my printer. Its a cheep model HPF2110 but it seems to do okay... well maybe not as good as the phone pic's some have posted, now that I look at mine. This one is from my scanner.
If you do some searching here on Coin Talk , you will find some posts or threads that give some useful info on scanning coins. Although a lot of it depends on your hardware , one very helpful hint was to never lay the coin flat on the glass surface. If you are able to create a small amount of space between the coin and the glass , your coin's details won't get all flattened out. Try placing the coin in a clear plastic flip and then scan it. You may also need to learn how to use your scanner's software to crop the area you want to scan before you do the scan. You will end up with a higher quality scan of the coin itself instead of all the blank space around it. Back to the original topic , Pilkenton - I also used to stand my coins up leaning against the palm rest on my mouse pad. I was using my Logitech Quickcam 9000 Pro to shoot the close ups. Even though the macro settings on the Quickcam 9000 Pro were very helpful , getting the right lighting still proved to be a challenge (especially on reflective coins). Nothing more annoying than seeing the reflection in the coin , of the camera that you are taking the picture with.
you dont have to spend a fortune to get great pics. I get fantastic pics with my smart phone which i bought second hand for 50 pounds
