I need a camera

I would strongly urge against ever buying a used camera. Maybe if it came with a warranty, but otherwise you can lose your money quickly if it breaks after 5 shots.

You guys crack me up I have to laugh when someone inquires about low price camera suggestions($250 in this case), and people say get a DSLR and this or that lens.

Last time I checked, a D90 with a 105mm lens is well over $1200.

So if anyone can hook me up with a new DSLR, 105mm lens, and a light ring for $250 or under...please contact me immediately!!!

 

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for the guys using the d3100, d90, d5000, d40....

can you share your settings? Thats the toughest part because the variables in setting are multitude.
I spent a week trying to find optimal settings and still never became satisfied.

the d3100 images above are very good, but the physical lighting needs work i suspect. IMO.

 

For the record, this was taken with a $70 camera...

 

Coin photography, especially coin photography for the web, is more about getting the lighting and camera support right than what camera or lens you choose. I can't think of a camera system with interchangeable lenses for which the currently offered macro lenses aren't at least excellent.

I use a Nikon D800 (having upgraded from a Nikon D200). The lens I use most often for coin photography is a 105mm f/2.8 VR, but roughly the same comments would apply no matter what macro lens you used, or even if you use extension tubes or accessory close-up ''filters."

For camera settings, I start with aperture priority mode. Normally I start at f/11. If I'm making a very large print, I'll drop down to f/8 or perhaps a bit wider and if I'm photographing a high-relief medal I may stop down to f/16. Smaller apertures are more forgiving when it comes to precise focus, but this comes at a cost in both diffraction and exposure time.

When setting up the shot, you want to keep everything as stable as possible. A tripod is the most common approach, but it can be awkward when trying to position the camera with respect to the coin. I prefer to use a copystand. These come at all prices, and you pretty much get what you pay for. For a heavy camera like the D800 (or my Pentax 645n), a new copystand can easily run twice the original poster's $250 budget. To minimize camera shake, I use a remote release. If you're shooting with a dSLR without flash and it supports mirror lock-up mode, consider using that as well.

I find there's no one lighting solution for coins. Sometimes, I want direct lighting, and use a ringlight or the Nikon R1 system. Other times, I want more diffuse light, so I use a couple of full-spectrum fluorescent bulbs at a 45 degree angle to the coin and add diffusers as needed. Choosing a background can be tough as well. Recently, I've started using the dark blue outer holder from a proof SAE, which seems to work pretty well. I recommend setting white balance manually instead of using your camera's auto white balance features. If you want to get fancy, go ahead and use a gray or white card to preset white balance, but I'd rather get close and do the final tweaks on the computer.

Focus on coins, especially in a slab, can be tricky. Especially with old copper, there may not be enough contrast for the autofocus system to find a reasonable solution. Give it a try, but don't be too surprised if you have to focus manually.

So once you've got all that set up, take a shot and see what shows up on the screen. Depending on how bright or dark the coin is, you may want to use exposure compensation, or even switch to manual mode. Again, as long as you are reasonably close you can make the final edits on the computer. Tweak focus as needed and repeat until you are satisfied with the result.

If all that sounds hard, I'm sorry. It's actually more time consuming than difficult unless your physical support system isn't up to the job.

 

alright folks, I went and bought some coins so i could do some photography. heres what i got....
a 1917 seated liberty and a 1925 stone mountain comm. btw if anyone wants to buy them i am up for that as I just bought them to use for photos. These were taken with my olympus x-915 any thoughts on these?

 

You are right. At the same time many waste that much on low end cameras over time. I did. Wish I had just saved up for an SLR and a macro lens from the start.

 

I would never hesitate to buy a used Nikon or Cannon or used lenses for them. I have owned 4 used Nikons over the years and every one gave me excellent service and shot thousands of frames.
I have only bought brand new twice. In the early days of digital cameras there were a lot of draw backs and the latest models were barely steps closer. It was a growing and still developing technology.
Now there is a lot of great technology packed into even a 5 year old digital. A model that is one back from the current new model can be a lot cheaper and give you a lot for the $.
Several have mentioned that the lenses are what make a great camera and I whole hardheartedly agree. Even a basic Nikon like the 3100 is a lot of camera and can do a lot. The thing that sets it apart, as well as the older models, is the glass. Great lenses. A great lens gathers a lot of light, does not distort it and renders a good image. A small lens can not gather as much light and so right from the start you can not get the kind of light settings that Benveniste describes. Those settings are good advice and you need good glass to get them.
I do recomend that you buy it from a camera shop or good dealer that has checked it thoroughly to be sure it is operating as it should. That and a 90 day warranty to give you time to work with it and make sure you are happy is well worth the extra a dealers charges. Nikon is a sturdy camera and barring someone doing real damage to one, it should last a long time. BTW, I still have my 2 old Nikkormat bodies and my lenses I started with in the early 1970's. The lenses can be modified to work with new bodies.
RE the $250 limit, I thought the OP said he had $250 AND some coin he could sell? You don't have to go crazy, but a little over that can buy a lot of camera.
So, don't be afraid to get last years model with a good lens. I've had great success.