Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;benveniste, post: 2662267, member: 25547&quot;]Disclaimer:&nbsp; I am by no means a photo pro, but I do play with a lot of macro gear.&nbsp; All of the coins I&#039;ve posted here are my own photographs.</p><p><br /></p><p>Let&#039;s start with the objective stuff.&nbsp; The D3300 you&#039;re considering has a sensor size of 23.5mm by 15.6mm.&nbsp; Canon uses a slightly smaller sensor in its consumer-level dSLR&#039;s.&nbsp; The smallest U.S. coin ever minted is 13mm in diameter.&nbsp; That means that using an off-the-shelf macro lens like the 85mm f/3.5 VR Micro-Nikkor, you can fill the frame with all but the smallest U.S. coins and come close on the rest.&nbsp; But if you wish to get close-ups on doubled lettering and other small features, then a bellows is just one of several possible approaches.&nbsp; Note that a PB-6 imposes a certain minimum amount of extension -- you may find that a few objects that are too big to use with a PB-6 but too small to fill the frame using a non-macro &quot;kit&quot; lens.</p><p><br /></p><p>Now back to opinions.&nbsp; One of the challenges when using a bellows to shoot a coin is trying to figure out how to position all of the bits and still eliminate (or at least minimize) vibration. Using an enlarger lens on a bellows takes a lot more time for me than, say, using a macro lens and some extension tubes on a copystand.&nbsp; At least to start, I suggest you keep the &quot;taking&quot; part simple and focus on lighting and support kit.&nbsp; Even if you like to MacGyver things (and who doesn&#039;t) you&#039;ll have plenty to improvise with diffusers, lighting brackets and the like.</p><p><br /></p><p>As for budget, if you live in the United States, Nikon offers a &quot;Macro and Portrait Two Lens Kit&quot; consisting of an 85mm f/3.5 VR Micro-Nikkor and a 35mm f/1.8 DX.&nbsp; Total cost is $500.&nbsp; Unlike an enlarger lens based setup, for that money you not only get a solid macro solution but you also get two useful lenses for general purpose photography.</p><p><br /></p><p>Many people sneer at autofocus for macro work.&nbsp; Still, about half the &quot;full coin&quot; shots I take are with Live View autofocus.&nbsp; I find that at least on my D800, it&#039;s more than sufficient for modern low relief coins, and my eyes aren&#039;t getting any younger :-(.</p><p><br /></p><p>So in conclusion, I&#039;m proposing that you spend some extra money as compared to a manual focus solution.&nbsp; For that money, you&#039;ll gain a lot of convenience plus options for general purpose photography.&nbsp; Good luck however you choose![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in