pictures are frustrating me

i am trying to take some pictures and i cant get a good clear shot. i am using a kodak 4.0 mega pixel. what is the secret or am i just out of luck thank you now for any and all help

 

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Does your camera have a macro setting? Its usually the little flower.

 

Feel the pain old man. I'm still struggling.........

 

yes it does. thanks i will play with that and see what happens. oops that sounded wrong.

 

I am still working on my pictures also. I have a Nikon D40X and an old Conon PowerShot A95 5mp. I seen to take better photos with the old Canon. I even built my own copy stand out of pvc tubing and shop lamps.

 

silly me i thought with todays technology , just point and shoot. but nooooooooooo. the macro button helps but can not zoom in enough to get the good detail.

 

Here fellas, give this a good read. Everything you need to know is in this article, and his book.

http://www.coinimaging.com/photography.html

 

ahhhhhh reading nooooooo actually thank you

 

lol! I didn't want to read either. This is supposed to be fun right?
Then after 2 years of frustration, I bought the book. Wish I did it 2 years prior.

 

Practice, practice, practice. And after that? More practice. Shoot tons of pics till you find the one you can live with. It ain't easy with a 'point and shoot' but it can be accomplished.........

 

i love to read just not tech manuals but you gotta do what you gotta do. now i am trying to decide if i should bang my head first or after i read the article. just did a quick scan and i need more stuff than just a camera. okey dokey thanks again

 

No doubt!
You need:
- a camera
- a coin
- a light

I will say, you are pushing it with a 4mp camera though
An new $80 point and shoot would be a massive improvement.

 

The only way to improve is by reading, my earlier pictures sucked. But after reading about coin photography and getting advice from members. I am beginning to see some improvement.

 

Yeah, 4mp isn't gonna do much, that's... 2004ish quality. Time for a new camera, friend!

 

That's great for you, but here in the modern age, I would suggest at least 10-12MP. At any rate, increased MP capability will allow for a larger photo with more detail... that's something a 4MP camera will never be able to provide. Show us some of these great pictures taken with old-school 4MP and smaller cameras... you always mention this and never show your cited examples.

 

I actually have to disagree. I know, big surprise right Doug? You don't need a $2000 camera, that is true. But there is a lower limit that makes it possible to image coins successfully. A 4MP camera with limited macro ability will really limit the quality. Yes, the lights and stand are also important...but you can't get away with an ancient camera.

I would like to also see some of these "best coin pics" you've ever seen. I sure haven't seen any...talk is cheap, let's see the proof!

 

Point and shoot 7.2mp, Sony Cybershot. Camera and lighting set up exactly as Mark Goodman suggest.I have read and reread his book several times. Find a new tip to experiment with each time. I can't do anything about the scratches on the case and it attracts dust like a magnet, but it came out pretty good. Not studio quality and I keep hinting for that SLR.

 

You can find a good deal on SLRs on Craigs or Ebay. Buy one and done.

 

For average web size images, a 4mp camera with a good macro mode will do fine. If you're really trying do get a detailed shot of a mint mark or something, the 10 year old cheapie point and shoot just isn't going to cut it anymore.

The two basic keys to decent coin shots are a good macro mode and good lighting.