Best rig for die attribution and photography

I know, I know.......just couldn't wait to test 'em out. They are far superior to the Verilux lamps that I've used in the past. I'll fiddle with the Kleenex tomorrow.

 

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Here is my setup.





I would highly recommend diffusing your Jansjo's not just to help control specular highlights, but also the Jansjo's I beleive use an array of RGB LED's to produce the white light. This can cause some weird looking red, green and blue sparklies on your coins with a lot of luster.

Here is a 100% crop without diffusion.


The same setup with diffusion.


And here is the whole coin with and without diffusion.

Without diffusion.


With diffusion.


I use the caps to the square half dollar tubes with a diffusion material cut into circles the size of half dollars inside the lid. My preference is to use two layers of the material inside. The lid fits nice and snuggly over the head of the Jansjo lights.

 

Great hint. I never thought about using those. I've been taping vellum type paper to the light head. After awhile the tape starts shredding or comes untaped. I'll have to buy a couple or three tubes.

 

It's funny. They were an "ah hahhh!!" moment. I was sitting at my desk trying to figure out the best way to attach the diffusion material. I glanced at a half dollar tube I had sitting on my desk. I thought hmmm, that looks like about the right size. The round one would not fit, but I had a square one sitting next to it and voilá!! It's funny how things can work out so perfectly. LOL

 

These lights...what are they? Did I miss it from earlier?

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0055IVM1I?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

 

They are fabulous......just have to fiddle a bit with the white balance on your camera. I never had to do that with the Verilux lamps as they are 'daylight' lamps. Can't wait to have another go at it tomorrow with the diffusing material.

 

Wow!! I had no idea they were that much on Amazon. I pay $9.99 for each at my local Ikea.

 

I might have to start a supply company on these for my fellow photographers. LOL

 

And here I thought I was getting away cheap.......

 

I use a custom white balance, no matter what light source I use. Even then, I might tweak it a bit in the RAW conversion to get it more inline with what the actual coin looks like in hand.

 

Absolutely....... I never shoot 'auto'........

 

Color temp on those are about 3000º compared to 5000º-5500º for daylight lights such as the OTT lights.

You used to find these on Amazon for $9.99. I don't know why they've risen so high. They are still cheaper than OTT lights are.

 

Most definitely Bob........They are a pittance when compared to.

 

Guess I just missed the boat. Still, I'm happy.

 

I put together a setup like Ray's, using a B&L stereo microscope stand some 6061 aluminum flat stock, a Canon FL bellows, A used Canon 1000D camera body, a few adapters and found a NIB 75 mm El-Omegar lens. I also use the Jansjo lamps and have them diffused with ping pong balls. It works great, thanks Ray and SuperDave for sharing all their knowledge!

 

You can definitely piece together an affordable set up if you hunt around. I got some incredible deals on the stuff I got.

$30.00 for a brand new Vivitar bellows
$30.00 for a brand new Vivitar focus rail for the bellows system
$45.00 for a precision leveler for the bellows and camera
$105.00 for a pair of brand new Bogen Mini Repro copy stands which I sold the second one for $75.00 to a local buyer. So net cost was $30.00
$175.00 for a like new Rodenstock Rodagon APO 75mm f4 1X lens
$50.00 for a Tominon 35mm f4.5 Macro and 135mm f4.5 lens
$19.98 for (2) Jansjo lights.

So for under $380.00 you can get a really nice set up. Another couple hundred and you can get a nice DSLR to mount to the system. You could save $150.00 or more by buying a less expensive lens such as a Nikor 75mm enlarging lens. Also you could forego the 35 and 135 lenses and save more there. It just depends on what kind of equipment you want and how long you want to hunt and wait for the right prices.

 

Heck. I think my setup, with the cat, trumps you all.......

 

Incidentally the 135mm lens makes a fabulous loupe for examining coins. It's about the equivalent of a 5X loupe. The optics are incredibly bright and clear and easy on your eye's. I use it for examining my coins as well as shooting full slab shot's.

 

Ray got me started down this road, too; I owe everything I know about bellows shooting to him. He didn't invent the technique - Van Allen and Mallis use it in the Encyclopedia of Morgan and Peace Dollars; they were using it with film in the 1960's - but he sure as heck perfected it.

The only thing I'd add to jtlee's last is, lenses like the El-Nikkor 75mm can be had for ~$40 on Ebay, and offer results you have to pixel-peep to tell from the more expensive lenses. The f/4 Rodagon is the fixed-aperture version of its' more expensive brother, and is just as good within the limits of that aperture.