Why does this 1961 penny look like this. What’s wrong with the L in Liberty

Discussion in 'Coin Roll Hunting' started by CDW, Apr 15, 2018.

  1. CDW

    CDW Active Member

    It’s not bad really considering ingot the attachment for free. It just gets a little blurry around the edges. But it actually zooms in pretty far
     
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  3. CDW

    CDW Active Member

    79AAE664-5D16-49E3-A7CE-533A9A7E078C.jpeg This is it. It is like a case just snaps on your phone and the lens screws on and off. Pretty handy
     
  4. BooksB4Coins

    BooksB4Coins Newbieus Sempiterna

    Thanks. The center is quite sharp, but the corners (as well as pretty much everything outside of the center) is very poor, especially considering your subject matter. While this may be useful for more artistic purposes or even when wanting to photograph a specific part of a coin (like photo #3), it's probably not the best choice for whole-coin imaging.
     
  5. CDW

    CDW Active Member

    What is the best fairly inexpensive viewer to get?
     
  6. BooksB4Coins

    BooksB4Coins Newbieus Sempiterna

    "Viewer"?

    What you have isn't bad at all for detailed closeups. It's just not usable for whole coin images, at least based upon those in this thread. In fact, the results very much remind me of those of a certain Russian lens when the rear element is reversed. This, of course, could be purely coincidental, but the similarities are there. Unfortunately, I've little experience with such add-on "lenses" and cannot say if what we're seeing is just the result of poor design, or if there's more going on. Is there any way to try reversing this lens in order to see what happens?

    Many folks take whole coin shots using their iPhones and achieve acceptable results. By any chance do you have any old camera lenses or the like around?
     
  7. CDW

    CDW Active Member

    I don’t. Would you like me to take another picture with the lens off? Is that what your getting at?
     
  8. Michael K

    Michael K Well-Known Member

    If the edges are blurry, take 3 photos so that the left and right edge are towards the center in both photos, and then of course the straight on shot for the center.
     
  9. BooksB4Coins

    BooksB4Coins Newbieus Sempiterna

    No, I'm not "getting at" anything. You asked a question and I tried to address to the best of my ability.

    I realize you're new to this and have many questions, so I was simply trying offer suggestions/possibilities that may be of use to you when asking them. No harm, no foul.
     
  10. Clawcoins

    Clawcoins Damaging Coins Daily

    The basic problem with photography is that cheap lenses are "okay" in the middle but then get "fuzzy" and lack detail around the edges. Thus the request to take various pictures with the edges in the middle of the picture.
     
  11. CDW

    CDW Active Member

    Ok yea that’s a good suggestion thank you.
     
  12. BooksB4Coins

    BooksB4Coins Newbieus Sempiterna

    Just to be clear, I mentioned how some use their iPhones without additional lenses mostly because (and especially) if you wanted post a coin larger than a cent and wanted to show the entire coin, I assume it's not going to be any easier.

    Trust me, your photos as-is are better than many we see, so you're already somewhat ahead of the game. :)
     
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  13. YoloBagels

    YoloBagels Well-Known Member

    Someone's already pointed out the problem with the "L". The reason the coin looks stripey (normally called woody) is due to an error in the metal composition, something wrong with how the copper mixed. They are slightly uncommon but I haven't met anyone willing to pay a premium for one.
     
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  14. CDW

    CDW Active Member

    Thank you. This attachment is pretty handy especially for getting up close to see fine details. I like to really look it over before I claim to have something.
     
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