Camera and copy stand for coin photography

Yes. My 105 is an f4 lens.

 

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You're in luck FV-5 has a

• Self timer for delayed shooting.

 

I have a high-end camera, and two macro lenses. It just so happens that my 1st-gen Nikkor AF 60mm macro, which cost me only $275, takes considerably sharper coin shots than my $900 105mm macro lens. The same can be said of many point-and-shoot cameras--they can take excellent coin shots, although you are more limited in manual setting such as aperture and shutter speed. Also, getting a camera that shoots in RAW format really opens up a lot of flexibility in processing the image. Here's a picture I took with my 'cheapo' macro lens:

 

That's good to know. I never checked for a self timer. Since I already have to hold my phone when taking the picture with my current setup, it was a moot point. I was just thinking if I went for a copy stand, cell phone adapter, and clip on macro lens that it would have been useful.

The problem with this though is that while FV-5 gives me access to fine tune the focus to be able to take a macro shot, the cell phone camera has such a wide angle lens that I have to get the coin only a couple inches away from the camera. At that point, I can't get the lighting right. The Galaxy Note 4 is a BIG phone.

I highly recommend FV-5 though in general. They use the hardware SDK for the camera phones to really give you as much manual control as possible. If you have a decent camera phone, this will make it better, and it's only a couple bucks.

 

I ended up going this route. I was able to pick up a Micro-Nikkor 105mm AI macro lens and a D80 body with all the important accessories for just over $300. I'm definitely going to check out ControlMyNikon since they offer a trial version of the software.

Next step, I'll need to figure out the maximum height this needs to be mounted to photograph a slab, and then pick up a sturdy copy stand that is tall enough.

As for lighting, right now I'm using a pair of 50W equivalent compact fluorescent daylight bulbs, but they don't seem bright enough. I was thinking of trying halogen. Any advice?

 

The issue isn't actually motion or light, its depth of field. At such close distances, f/2.8 has a razor thin DOF and you won't get the whole thing in focus. When I started shooting coins I did some experimentation and ended up with f/8 as the "right" aperture for my setup.

 

If you like the color of the CFL bulbs, then with your new setup the answer can be as easy as "leave the shutter open longer".

 

Yes, I use f8-ish for most of my shots. Where the faster f2.8 lens comes in handy is when focusing. Twice the light comes through the viewfinder as compared to the f4 lens when focusing. When shooting the picture, f8 is the same for either. Since you have control over how much light you supply to the scene, the f4 lens and bulbs sufficient for a 1/40 sec. exposure at f8 with ISO set to 100 will be fine.

In some cases, the optical quality of two very similar lenses will determine which one you want. Since both the 105/4 and 105/2.8 Micro-Nikkors are super sharp lenses, that doesn't come into play when choosing between them.

 

I use that software for all my coin shots--it's really useful to have a full-screen image of the coin for focusing and lighting adjustments. You can also use the focus-stacking workflow in the software for capturing maximum detail and relief--especially useful for high-relief ancient coins, but it also helps on some moderns too. The 105mm AIS micro is an excellent lens!

 

In looking at a lot of copy stands, I found that the cheap ones are too short and the next price tier up either have mixed reviews due to build quality or are sturdy but bare bones. Common complaints were cheap bases made of particle board, key weight bearing components made from plastic that wear out or break quickly, and mounts that don't support the camera adequately and cause it to sag so that it doesn't face straight downward. A few companies had really solid copy stands with nice features, but they weren't cheap.

After some searching, I found a bargain on a used Beseler CS-14 copy stand kit with copy light arms, lamps, and reflectors. It's got a metal base board and an adjustable mount with counterbalance, so it looks very sturdy. So, I should be all set now. Thanks everyone for the input. I'll post updates once I've got everything set up.

 

"If you have a decent camera phone, this will make it better, and it's only a couple bucks."

Good luck with your new rig.

I'm going to check out FV-5 software.

 

Congrats and good luck!

I use a Beseler CS-14. It's very nice to work with and sturdy enough to hold a medium format film camera (Pentax 645n with 120mm macro) or a full-sized dSLR with a large lens (D800 with 180mm f/3.5 macro). I only have a couple of caveats. First, check to be sure that the platform holds the camera so it points exactly downwards. I use a hot shoe bubble level for this. Second, you may find that opening of the reflectors is too narrow to use many compact fluorescent bulbs, and that traditional photofloods (if you can still find them) get hot in a hurry. I have to use a socket extender with my CFL's.

 

What make and model lamps are those on your copystand?

 

I use these CFL's, which claim to have a CRI of 95. But as I noted, I need to use them on a socket extender.

http://www.amazon.com/Indoor-Sunshine-Trio-25-watt-Bulbs/dp/B00369D482

 

I haven't been able to find the exact dimensions of the reflectors, other than they are 5" at the widest point. I was considering a pair of these Eiko CFCs. Do you think these would work with the reflectors?

 

The Eiko's I tried had the same issue; I'll see if I can dig up my records to see if was the same model or not. The socket extender is a fairly simple piece of kit:
https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/5842/ELEC-243000.html

 

Well I got everything set up last night and then realized that the D80 doesn't support live view while tethered. Since the lens I have requires manual focus and this is mounted to the copy stand, it's going to be impossible to do without live view. I'm going to see if I can trade this in and pick up a D90 (which does support tethered live view).

 

Alright I've got my new photography setup going. I'm using a D90 on the copy stand in tethered mode using the ControlMyNikon software.

Here are my first attempts at photographing that bust quarter again. You can really see a huge difference. I was able to faithfully capture a lot of the colors that were completely absent before.

Here's the obverse with my old setup:

And the obverse with my new setup:


Here's the reverse with my old setup:

And the reverse with my new setup:


After some trial and error I ended up using F/8 1/40 ISO 250 for these shots. I didn't like the look of the coin with two lights as the absence of shadows took away some of the highlights on the devices, so I went with one light. In retrospect, one light seems a little too dim, and I should have moved the light higher and closer to the camera because the shadows are a bit too pronounced, but I am happy I captured the color faithfully in this attempt.

Any tips would be appreciated.

 

So I'm using ControlMyNikon, but when I enable LiveView, the feed displayed in the software is rotated 90 degrees. If I unmount the camera and hold it horizontally the LiveView feed returns to normal (horizontal). I have "auto image rotation" and "rotate tall" both set to OFF in the D90 settings. Am I missing something?

 

Not sure why that's not working. Pointing the camera straight down wreaks havoc on the auto-rotation (it's a "divide by zero" position), but if you have it turned off, you shouldn't have this issue. I wonder if there's something in the software that's turning it on. I don't use LiveView -- just the camera viewfinder.