Well I broke down and purchased a photobox from my local camera store. Some people call it a photocube or light tent. Basically, it is white fabric cube that has an opening on one end and allows artificial light to penetrate through the fabric, lighting up the area evenly. I started experimenting with it today to see how much better it makes the coins look. I am currently working on my sacs, but will move to other coins soon or until my wife kicks me off the counter. :whistle: I will reserve judgement as to whether I like this or not until after this poll, but I wanted to get everyones opinion and see which picture do you like the best. Please vote. Thanks for the help.
The first photo makes the coin looks dull and the light evenly diffused. It seems to be slightly out of focus. Or is it me? The second photo has some darker shadows that might obscure some aspects of the coin. This photo has a sharper look to it. Try some different and lets see what you get. Bruce
The second pic captures the luster better, which is very important in a picture of an uncirculated coin. The dark areas are a concern, but this can be alleviated with the use of a second light. Try using a second light, and position it so that it illuminates the dark areas on your current picture. Also, try getting it a little more in focus. I find using macro mode is essential, with manual controls - adjust the fstop, ISO, and whatever else you can change on your camera until you get the perfect picture. When I first started, I would easily take 30 or 40 pics of the same side of a coin, looking for just the right one. Now I usually take 6 or 7 and get one I'm happy with.
If those are my ONLY choices, #1 is better. #2 would be better if you added a second light source. And proof or Unc coins are not the best to start experimenting with. They tend to result in a LOT of harsh contrast. Start with a brown Lincoln or a circulated silver coin. Easier to deal with. Later you can make adjustments for the shiny coins.
they both stink. bahahah. no JK. But have you thought of using 2 lights? The 2nd pic, although better, has some shadowing.
I use a item called a D-Flector portable studio for shooting my coins for e bay does a great job just using natural light from a window. You can find this item on e bay. I looks like a breif case made of wood. open it towards the light sorce and it makes the item/ coin seem to floating in air. Pretty cool
My thoughts too.....Joe, I've seen your gallery. These photos just don't measure up....(this from a guy who sucks at digital photography )
Brutally honest.... I like that gang! :thumb: Yep, my pictures have not always been the best, but given that I have been taking them with a small Cannon pocket camera on my kitchen counter with no photo enhancement software to improve the qualitiy of the pics, I must stay that what I have done so far has turned out ok. For me, nothing is more difficult than to take pictures of copper. It is the worst - especially the dark brown toned coins. Hopefully I can experiment some more and get some ideas down on how to get those top notch pics. And directly behind that is the Sacs and Prez dollars. It is so tough to get the color and lighting the right way. And even when everything is perfect, it makes the pictures too perfect and they don't look natural. So back to the drawing board I go to get some more pics. Stay tooned!:headbang:
That was my first thought. Also... different coins require different techniques. For instance, I've never been happy with a light tent on white Morgans.
They're just a hair out of focus. If you could focus it manually, you should be able to make them a lot sharper. I'm not sure how all cameras do it but in manual mode on my Canon S3, when you use MF, it blows up the center portion of the pic into a large square on the center of the screen. As you adjust up and down, it makes it much, much easier to see those details come completely into focus. Even though the actual pic is not zoomed in that far. When you're done, the square goes away and you take the pic.
