Best Coin Lamp

Coinosaurus

I'm embarrassed to admit I don't have a dedicated coin lamp. Recommendations?

Boosibri

I use an Ott light

Mr_Spud

I like Ott lights because they mimic natural light. Both to look at coins and also for taking pictures. I have a few of the older fluorescent ones designed for crafting and also one of the newer LED ones. But the LED one is the Amazon brand generic Ott light.

chesterb

I bought a simple architects type swing lamp from the big box home store and fitted it with a GE Reveal Halogen bulb. It's my go-to lamp.

yosclimber

My favorite is the light source that goes with my stereo microscope.
You can really get the low angle lighting to bring up the die cracks.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/143760380249
and the scope is
https://www.ebay.com/itm/274817681298

Rob9874

I'd like to see which Ott Light everyone uses. i use these that I got from Costco. They're nice with daylight or warm light settings, and 3 different brightness settings. But I wish I could get the light directly over the coin for photos. You have to aim it at an angle.

hiijacker

please do tell which one

Mr_Spud

I have 2 of these fluorescent ones OttLite L139AB 13 Watt Desk Lamp with Swivel Base, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00070PA8U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_JF92HA0KKJ950PY9CCDC

And one of these LED generic Ott ones
Amazon Basics Dual Head LED Desk Lamp, 3 Lighting Modes with 40-minute Timer and Touch Control - 48 LEDs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084Z8CXXN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_RN59VGANQ72SZV3GCWSX?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

The fluorescent ones I keep one on each side parallel to the coin slab. They make less glare and boost the light level to help light up the whole coin, the LED ones make more glare but more colors come out and you can get the luster to show easier. If you make a ^ shape with the adjustable LED lights you can light up the coin evenly without getting a reflection of the light on a slab showing up in the picture if you do it just right. The picture below shows a side view of what I mean by ^ shape

Like this (see picture below) you can see the reflection of the lights going around the coin but not on the coin. Only I have a big drop of volatile mineral oil on the slab right over the coin to make the slab invisible to my iPhone camera and it makes the reflection rounded because of the oil drop shape, but you get the idea. I started to use the oil to make slab scratches invisible but then realized it makes un-scratched slabs more invisible to the camera and the round drop makes the lighting easier to get right without glare because of how it basically bends the light around the coin as seen in the reflection.

Then when you crop out the slab you can’t see the lights reflection but the coin gets lit up evenly, like this

Rob9874

I gotta know more about that mineral oil technique. It's a big drop? Any particular type of mineral oil?

Mr_Spud

Like this, only I just put the slabbed coin there without the oil drop on the slab so there’s some reflection showing on the coin which would ruin the picture. You can do it dry, but you gotta spread out the ^ a bit more.

koynekwest

Is Amazon the best place to buy one of these Ott lights?

Crusty

@koynekwest said:
Is Amazon the best place to buy one of these Ott lights?

Got mine from Best Buy on EBay . I forget how much but I know is was a little cheaper than Amazon plus I got the 5% E bucks....

chesterb

A lamp for photography isn’t necessarily the best lamp for everyday coin inspection and research. Fluorescent and LED bulbs have their purpose too but aren’t always the best for all-around viewing.

Mr_Spud

@Rob9874 said:
I gotta know more about that mineral oil technique. It's a big drop? Any particular type of mineral oil?

I’ve been using isoparrafin (isopar L)
That they sell to refill those liquid filled compasses you see on boats. But other people use regular mineral oil, cooking oil and even WD40. I like the isoparrafin because it is optically clear and after you blot it off with a paper towel, any residue you miss will evaporate off. I’ve been putting it on the slab with a medicine dropper right over the coin and I keep adding it drop by drop until it forms a little dome that completely covers the coin. It takes a few drops. People use oil like this to make scratches in the slab disappear temporarily so they could take a picture, but I noticed it allows my autofocus on my iPhone to work better because it can’t see any glare or haziness from the slab. I’ve been using this oil

Compass Oil, 1 Pint https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077BLP62F/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_06GANN5SE4JCFXSCH5Q9

SeattleSlammer

@Mr_Spud my mind is blown over this whole oil thing! 🤯 I had never even heard of it .... but it makes sense too for the reasons you describe, and your pic looks excellent.

Rob9874

Thanks @Mr_Spud, just ordered some. Excited to try it.

johnny9434

thats a good idea to act on. good thread

savitale

Very cool. Never heard of the oil technique before.

derryb

viewing coins requires different lighting than photographing coins.

For viewing you want an LED desktop magnifier such as this one.

Mr_Spud

Sorry if I derailed the thread. For just viewing coins people have different preferences for different reasone. I use the same lights to view coins as I do for taking pictures, but I have to use a hand held magnifier to see details. The lights mounted to a magnifier would be great, but I get by without one. Instead I use one of these magnabrite magnifying lenses that pulls light in and focuses it on the coin (kinda like how the oil dome does)
https://magnabrite.com/

DelawareDoons

I have used an Ottlite for years. Recently upgraded to the slide model (adjustable brightness) and I am in love. Not cheap, but you get what you pay for.