Digital Camera Recommendations

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by robinjojo, Apr 2, 2020.

  1. robinjojo

    robinjojo Well-Known Member

    Are there any recommendations for a good digital camera for photographing coins that is not too expensive?

    Thanks
     
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  3. Robert Ransom

    Robert Ransom Well-Known Member

    Not too expensive???
     
  4. robinjojo

    robinjojo Well-Known Member

    Say $500 max. Feasible?
     
  5. Robert Ransom

    Robert Ransom Well-Known Member

    Definitely. Someone posted a comment recently that good pics. can be taken using a minimum of twenty mega pixels. My camera is 20.4 mega pixel Sony I bought a couple of years ago. If I could only arrange the proper lighting and stop the shakes, my pics. would be much better quality.
     
  6. dadams

    dadams Well-Known Member

    Ask @lordmarcovan who sells the camera setups - everything you need to shoot coins out of the box.
     
  7. Robert Ransom

    Robert Ransom Well-Known Member

    As you search the web, you will find many great coin pics. I suspect they have the adjustable camera docks and special lighting fixtures, But for the amount of time I spend (frustrating at times) photographing coins, that kind of investment doesn't work for me.
     
  8. Idries Pappas

    Idries Pappas Well-Known Member

    Main thing is to get an interchangeable lens camera (ie. DSLR, Mirrorless) so that you can also get a good macro lens to use with it as most of the image quality is determined by the quality of the lens.
    Point-and-shoot type cameras are to be avoided since they have a built in (usually zoom) lenses that are usually of mediocre quality and are not designed for close up photography.
     
  9. desertgem

    desertgem Senior Errer Collecktor

    A second alternative consideration: camera lens even macro lens are inferior for objects like coin differences such as RPM, DD, etc when compare to a binocular lab microscope of 10-30X with a less expensive camera attached to it. Just do not use an USB camera that will degrade the images as their advertised magnification and resolution measurements use screen size rather than image size. IMO, Jim
     
  10. Orielensis

    Orielensis Well-Known Member

    For $500, you could, for example, easily get a Canon EOS Rebel T6 or T7 with an 18–55mm kit lens, a cheap generic set of macro adaptor rings, and either build yourself a copy stand (best solution, see here) or alternatively buy a stable tripod. Together with two generic desktop lamps outfitted with daylight bulbs, this allows for taking very attractive coin pictures.

    Though this setup is a bit less elegant than the microscope solution mentioned above, it's big advantage is that you can simply detach the macro adaptor and have a fairly good DSLR for travel photography, family pictures, etc.

    This is fairly similar to my own coin photography setup, which I have tested and described in detail in this thread.
     
  11. Idries Pappas

    Idries Pappas Well-Known Member

    Screenshot_2020-04-03-01-35-14~2.png

    Anybody else getting camera ads after posting in this thread?
     
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  12. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    Only those who choose not to be Supporters of Coin Talk get ads. Management has to pay the bills and targeted advertising is the new normal. There are a few other features of Supporter status that I find worth the money especially editing of posts and attachments on conversations.
     
  13. gsimonel

    gsimonel Well-Known Member

    Here's my setup. I went to the hardware store and bought a 3/4" and 1/4" dowel and a conduit clamp, all for less than $10. It took me about 1/2 hr to put it together. The base is a piece of scrap 2" x 10" that I had laying around in the basement.
    Setup.jpg
    The camera is an old Nikon Coolpix 4500 split body. I originally bought it to photograph fossils for my masters thesis, but I like the split body because it makes it easier for me to center the coins. The photo are decent but not great. A better camera would definitely help.
     
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  14. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    I still own a working Nikon 990 that shares this style but was my first digital Camera in 2000. I used it not knowing that its 3 megapixels would soon be a tenth of a $1000 camera's count. I used it for my photos for the Failmezger book.
    Sample click to enlarge):
    011M(D)~.jpg

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nikon-Cool...on&brand=Nikon&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851
     
    Last edited: Apr 3, 2020
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  15. Paul M.

    Paul M. Well-Known Member

    I am no photographer, but my girlfriend is, and I have read a bit about coin photography. If you take nothing else away from this thread, I hope it is this: the camera body is the least important optical part of any coin photography rig. As long as you have enough resolution (where "enough" is basically a personal decision after you get to the point where you can post good quality photos on the web), you're much better off investing in a good set of lenses.

    We have people on this site who take coin photos with cell phones, and they turn out well. Just get yourself any reasonable camera in your price range, make sure you have at least one good lens, get a stabilization and lighting system, and work on your technique and post-processing.
     
  16. kevin McGonigal

    kevin McGonigal Well-Known Member

    The digital SLR with 12 megapixels, even less, can take excellent pictures of small objects, like coins, and can be picked up for far under $500 as used and the ads on sell stuff sites are filled with adds for them. What is more important than the body is the lens. You should get a micro or macro lens for whatever body you buy. Make sure it will interface with the camera body. Some of the newer bodies will not do that completely with older lenses. My preference is Canon or Nikon whose bodies and lenses are quite good. But, having said this, a good, newer cell phone camera can take excellent pictures if used right and you don't need much more than a few hardback books to make a steady stand. I use about five books to raise the camera and hold it steady. Using natural, filtered, sunlight is best, so a table near a window is good. Place the coin on a colored piece of paper on the table, the coin on top, stack the books about five (ca. 5-6 inches) high, next lay the camera flat on the books overhanging the coin. Pressing slightly on the phone camera with one hand you can use the other hand to snap pictures from a steady platform. Once you email these to your computer you can post process the images for display here. Does it work? All but a very few of the coins I have posted on this site, including my avatar, were done this way. I still use my SLR's for photography of insects as they move around quite a bit, but for stationary objects from a steady platform, a good cell phone camera will do nicely.
     
  17. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    I'm assuming these cameras take better pics than phones? My phone was supposed to offer the best possible photos on the market (google pixel phone) when I got it in 2018. Seems to work OK. My biggest issue tends to be lighting, meaning that certain times of day are better than others to take advantage of natural lighting. Overall it does a good job of showing what the coin looks like in hand, including the natural coloring of the coin. As you know, some dealer photos are B&W and/or don't capture the color successfully. Anyway, it sounds like it might be time to get a dedicated camera for the purpose.
     
    Last edited: Apr 3, 2020
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  18. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    We will have to agree to disagree on this. The cell phone cameras in my experience suffer greatly from software trying to make up for tiny or plastic lenses and tiny sensors. Cell phones take great photos when you have one on you but left the huge camera at home. Coins are not in a hurry, don't move or sting and benefit greatly for those who can see and care about decent photos. I posted that Nikon 990 coin for a reason. If your photos are not better than that 3MP image, it is most likely you and not the camera that needs upgrading unless, of course you are using a 'camera' with a lens smaller than a pea and a sensor that requires tweezers to pick up. This chart compares sensor sizes (NOT pixel counts) of various cameras. The last two in the last row are what is used in cell phones; the middle row right pair and bottom row left pair covers most point and shoot cameras; the first 6 are for DSLR and mirrorless cameras.
    Size, not pixel count, matters.
    [​IMG]
     
  19. Limes

    Limes Well-Known Member

    Just my thoughts: some people here take magnificent pictures of coins, really beautiful. As mentioned above, it takes an investment in time and ofcourse budget. If you want to buy a very good camera, it's important to learn how to use it to get the best out if it.
    I do not want a very expensive camera in hand. I have decided to not spend time learning how to use it. (For now at least.) I am also very happy with the pictures I can easily take of my coins, using a child friendly set up and our family-travel-multi-purpose-made-in-china-camera with 18.1 mp. Its the trade off, but for me its the best.
    See below for my very "elite" set up :) All it takes is some lego's of my daughter, a black card for the background (our floor gleams (?)) and a sunny day. I work on the background in Pixlr.
    P1090939.JPG

    The result, which is perfect for me:
    P1090935.JPG
     
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  20. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    No, that's not me! I am in fact a bit of a photographic dunce.

    @rmpsrpms, however, does sell such setups.
     
  21. Suarez

    Suarez Well-Known Member

    I've done these sorts of test before but can't resist another head-to-head between a cell phone and DSLR. It's the same setup, same lighting, same post-processing and no attempt to make one better or worse. Took me less than five minutes all told.

    0.jpg
    The first thing that jumps out is that your phone will probably have a much harder time getting the exposure and color balance correctly. If you enlarge the image you will then notice how much blurrier the phone is. This is a bit unfair. Much of that blurriness is camera shake but clearly near-pinhole optics aren't going to be able to dish out super fine detail.

    Still, with a little effort your phone is capable of making photos that are better than many dealers' photos. You should really ask yourself how good is good enough?

    Rasiel
     
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