I was wondering what the best camera or settings to use so a coin can be posted and be viewed here.I read how people want help with there coins but the photo just isn't good enough for the senior members to analyze.
I've seen some very nice ones with even camera phones. The detail you need to supply depends on what you need evaluated. Just make sure the coin is flat and shot head-on shot. Just about any camera will do, really. Try some in the test forum or even here and we'll let you know where they might need improvement and how to do it. As you post them you'll get better at it.
It depends on what you want to accomplish. The requirements for simple full-coin photos is quite a bit different from those for someone who is collecting varieties and errors. My suggestion would be to purchase a good book on numismatic photography like the one by Mark Goodman. Chris
Ok thanks i get just a basic photo is pretty easy,but as far as verifying errors or varieties seems to be a little bit more tricky.I will try a few and educate myself as Chris recommended and go from there...Thank you...I am seeing now that they should not be in any kinda holder because of the reflection...
First two pictures, and you're learning already. You're very right on that second picture in the holder and the interference from the glare. And the first picture is as good as any, probably better than most.
Thanks Fast Eddie One question,so if i take coins out of the holders to photograph i need to do do more than handle from the edges?Like where the white glove i see in other photos?
It depends. That first coin I might see handling with gloves because it's nice, fresh skin. You'd want to wash your hands and handle these generally the best you could by the edges so you don't leave perspiration salt in a fingerprint. Essentially, for most, just clean hands, handle by the edges, that's the way. Good choice in background color on that first one, too. Good you paid attention to that, it shows off the coin good.
There are several good threads at CT describing how to take good coin photos. There was one thread started by Lehigh where everyone submitted their best photo using their phone's camera function. Search "photography". Here are some basic instructions: Set your camera for the type of lighting you are using. This will help make the photo match the true color of the coin being photographed. Use a couple of the same lamps (Don't mix sunlight with Florescent with incandescent, etc). Set the camera to Macro so that you can get the camera close to the coin & achieve good focus. Basically get the camera as close to the coin as you can & still focus. Set the camera to 2-second delay. This will help you to hold the camera steady at the instant that the camera takes the picture. Edit the resulting photo with a photo editing program to crop-out unwanted background & possibly do some color/brightness/contrast adjustments. The goal is to make the photo look like the coin. (The goal should not be to make the photo look better than the coin).
No need to take your coin out of a holder...every photo I have taken and added to this form was in a 2 x 2 holder or slab. Just learn how to adjust your light source to deal with the glare. Larry Nienaber
