Coin Photography

i still have my XP computer, can one still use it w/o updates?
========

I don't know. A lot of features require Service Pack 3 and its predecessors to work correctly. I think they are available free online, but it would be a monumental nuisance to track them down and install them, free or not. Try entering your question into Google.

In fact, I did it for you, with this question:
"Will a computer with Windows XP work without updates?"

This generates 5.1 million hits; start reading. A hardware guy at a big chain like Micro-Center could probably tell you in 30 seconds...

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I think Dino-Lite is a much better choice than lenses. "Lenses" suggests a slavish devotion to Kodak, and look what happened to them.

 

I'm a hardware guy, yes, of course an XP computer will still work. I have one that's dedicated to certain tasks but it's not connected to the web.

That's where XP fails, I would not use it for general web stuff or email. There are MANY security exploits for XP....the updates were primarily for patching these exploits. If you have updated anti-virus, some anti-malware protection software, stick to known safe websites and use a third-party browser like Chrome, you'll probably be fine with XP. One wrong click though and the XP party will be over.

 

Aha, you have just learned one of the most common lessons related to numismatics. Nothing is permanent!

Would you like to know how many Eagle holders I no longer use? They weren't cheap, either!

FWIW, Alan @coinzip is the "go-to guy" when it comes to USB Microscopes.

Chris

 

Hmmm...are you under the impression that the Dino-Lite has no lenses?

 

Only the cheapest of Dino-Lites costs less than my entire dSLR rig with multiple lenses.

 

Hmmm...are you under the impression that the Dino-Lite has no lenses?

I meant the individually-mounted lenses for a camera, that you can fuss with for 20 minutes and still not find the optimum setting.

 

I guess it's just a question of refinement of technique. Since i'm looking at the coin in real time, real color and real exposure filling the screen on a 27", 2560x1440 monitor, it's extremely rare that I need a third shot for the "keeper." And since I'm making all corrections with the mouse onscreen - not touching the camera at all - I can consistently shoot two or three coins a minute. If they're all the same composition and relative wear, make that four or five coins a minute because after the first I'll get the rest all on the first shot.

And, as I mentioned, I've less money in this rig than all but the cheapest Dino-Lites.





That's half size.

 

Can't argue with success.

 

Beautiful image...and coin.

For those interested, these shots represent a near-ideal shadow detail. For best presentation of the devices, there should be shadows around their edges, and the field and surfaces of the devices should be bright. Here is the information in SuperDave's images between 0 and 32:

 

....and the beauty of this type of lustrous brown copper is, I required no diffusion whatsoever to shoot these images. Just two Jansjos bearing directly at the coin from the usual 10:00 and 2:00, about 4" from the coin which was more distant than usual. I was even able to use ISO100 (the "slowest," least-grainy ISO setting) @ 1/25 for the obverse and 1/30 for the reverse (reverses almost always use a shorter exposure, all other parameters being equal). Nikon El-Nikkor 75mm (a $40 lens) @ f/5.6. Shot with a 10MP Canon Rebel XS which cost me $84 used from Adorama.

This is a 100% crop (full size) from the above image; the coin has a die crack nearly the whole way around the perimeter:



If I desire more magnification, I just lengthen the bellows. No need for a "microscope." Of course, almost all lenses are only happy within a narrow range of magnification, and they become far less sharp when you exceed it. So, for situations where greater magnification is required, I just pop in my Nikon 4 Plan microscope objective which cost me all of $25.



A couple points regarding that one: With increased magnification comes greatly decreased depth of field. This is a law of physics you'll run into with whatever tool you're using to shoot, more or less. The above shot was just a "proof of concept" to test a new lighting source, and it's about the bare minimum of magnification available with the 4 Plan, below its' most comfortable magnification level. In a case like this, one will need to focus stack images - shoot a succession of images with the focus point shifted slightly in the vertical each time, and combine them using software (which can be had for free) afterward. That's where the "devil in the details" comes with this type of equipment - if you want professional-level results, you need to invest professional-level work into the project. This image would probably require a stack of 25-30 separate images to have the whole depth of the field in sharp focus. It's not like full-coin images, which are darn near automatic.

@rmpsrpms: This was lit with the lamp I mentioned elsewhere, on Auto white balance. I backed off the Blue channel completely in post (RGBCMY available channels with the Gimp), which only affected the highlights. True color correction should be easy with it. I think it's going to be an effective tool for these situations, and it's a heckuva convenient portable reading/detail lamp too.

 

Which DinoLite do you suggest?

They can get rather pricey...The one Ive got now is the 99$ one which is 640x480 resolution (I know its not much). If I want any higher, its probably worth it for me to go with my Canon, rather than invest in a pricey USB microscope.

 

There is a tradeoff you must make when you go to higher quality optics. As SuperDave mentions, his 4Plan has shallow DOF. This is due to the fairly large aperture (high "NA" in objective terminology), which gives him good sharpness but shallow DOF, requiring stacking to get both sharpness AND DOF. The Dino Lite is designed to have a smallish NA/aperture in order to have a deep DOF so that stacking is not required. So if you go for a Dino Lite, you are trading sharpness for DOF. It is simple (???) physics but many folks would prefer to make that tradeoff rather than be forced to take multiple images at different focal planes and stack them to achieve a sharp image with good DOF.

 

I'm sorry, but the concept of "compromising sharpness" is such a stupendous oxymoron that I'm unable to process it.

 

I'll post more when Ive made progress on this. I just dropped a bunch of money on some new coins, so this will have to wait.

More advice is welcome though. Ideas on macro bellows, microscope stands, cameras, etc. I'm looking at all my options for using a Canon DSLR Rebel 3, which is the camera I have

 

Hey Egyptian...did you ever put together a system with your T3i?