I'm shooting in raw L which I believe is raw jpeg.
Am I right?
There are 2 things you can do to get to optimize exposure. You can use the exposure compensation setting, for many coins I use and EC of +0.7 (two units positive) but not all, this can be tested with each coin until you get a handle on how to use it. For metering, you can use center-weighted or spot metered (i.e. meter on the coin not the full area) if your camera has those settings. This avoids any contribution to metering in the background, especially using the spot function on the center of the coin.
You’re currently creating two files, a raw image and a JPG. The extra file sizes and handling are just taking up card/disk space — so shoot JPG for now. I don’t know Canon’s color profiles, but try to keep them natural if you’re messing with in camera settings. Auto white balance and center-weight meter may help out as well. Matrix meter is great for outdoor images, but in macro photography may be metering too much of your negative space.
Later on if you’re shooting with a gray card and color/white balance correcting, shoot raw.
Not really mentioned, but getting the light right on a 1921 Morgan is more difficult than an 1878-1904. You may find some relief in shooting an older Morgan. Your last walker was well balanced, and shows good progress!
I'll spend some time playing with the lighting. This coin is at least PL so there is a lot of reflection. I'm just happy I learned what I have.
I appreciate all the tips.
Keep them coming. I'll listen.
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
We're getting really close to where you need to be to have really good images. The ones you have are actually pretty dang good.
I think camera shake may be causing the blurriness. Use a timer (either 2 or 10 second depending on the age of your Canon) to shoot. This will cause a delay from between when you push the button and the picture is taken.
@DeplorableDan said:
Cool thread, I can easily see a substantial improvement in quality with each step. Last shots above look pretty damn good.
This is a hobby within a hobby.
It went from frustrating to hopeful to success. I'm sure I can still learn plenty and I will now that I have some confidence.
Huge shout out to Alex and everyone else who pitched in. I could not have accomplished this without your help.
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
Hmm. Still a tad blurry. A few more things to check.
1) Make sure you use a single focus point, not the whole array the camera has (these appear as boxes in your viewfinder) . I use my center box for obvious reasons. I believe you can toggle this with your arrow keys on the rear of the camera, but it will depend on settings of the particular model. Put your focus on the center of the coin.
2) Make sure you focus right before you take the shot. Press halfway, let it focus, and then press all the way and let the timer start. Make sure everything is as stable as possible, and try not to move anything at all.
I believe 9 . I adjusted as I went to experiment. All the images have different settings. I am also shooting at 1/30.
Manual focus. I will try auto focus again but I think this camera or lens works better in manual.
I set the camera aside for dinner but I will get back to it and play with the settings.
I am using one shot.
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
@Morgan13 said:
I believe 9 . I adjusted as I went to experiment. All the images have different settings. I am also shooting at 1/30.
Manual focus. I will try auto focus again but I think this camera or lens works better in manual.
I set the camera aside for dinner but I will get back to it and play with the settings.
I am using one shot.
Oh, that's probably it. ALWAYS autofocus - the camera is WAYYYY better than your eye. I promise.
If you’re using a Canon have you given any thought about using the EOS Utility software and tethering the camera to the computer? I guarantee you’ll never go back. Fine tune focus, camera control as well as snapping the photo with a keystroke.
@robec said:
If you’re using a Canon have you given any thought about using the EOS Utility software and tethering the camera to the computer? I guarantee you’ll never go back. Fine tune focus, camera control as well as snapping the photo with a keystroke.
I will do that as soon as I get my iPad unlocked. Lol that's a whole different can of worms. That's something I've been thinking about.
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
I took a couple of shots this morning. Something is up with my auto focus. It doesn't work well. Maybe the camera needs a good cleaning. I'll do this tonight after work. I took these using manual focus. I'm learning to circle crop so these are not perfect. It's not easy.
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
@Morgan13 said:
I took a couple of shots this morning. Something is up with my auto focus. It doesn't work well. Maybe the camera needs a good cleaning. I'll do this tonight after work. I took these using manual focus. I'm learning to circle crop so these are not perfect. It's not easy.
It’s not a good idea to use auto focus unless there is no alternative. The sensor may zero in on a piece of lint or in the case of a slabbed coin, a scratch on the slab, which would result in the coin being out of focus.
@Morgan13 said:
I took a couple of shots this morning. Something is up with my auto focus. It doesn't work well. Maybe the camera needs a good cleaning. I'll do this tonight after work. I took these using manual focus. I'm learning to circle crop so these are not perfect. It's not easy.
It’s not a good idea to use auto focus unless there is no alternative. The sensor may zero in on a piece of lint or in the case of a slabbed coin, a scratch on the slab, which would result in the coin being out of focus.
Makes sense. The top image is of a Morgan in slab while the second one is of a raw Morgan. I'm getting there. Practice, practice......
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
@ctf_error_coins said:
Sometimes a unsharp image is from camera or shutter or mirrormovement and not the focus.
If he is using a Canon EOS DSLR, there is an option to lock the mirror. It’s buried somewhere in the settings…….the manual will tell you where to find it.
Before I discovered tethering a few years ago I used too think my photos were in focus.. As good as I thought I was focusing while eyeballing through the tiny view finder, I couldn’t have been more mistaken. Looking back on those images maybe one in twenty were focused clearly.
@Morgan13 said:
I took a couple of shots this morning. Something is up with my auto focus. It doesn't work well. Maybe the camera needs a good cleaning. I'll do this tonight after work. I took these using manual focus. I'm learning to circle crop so these are not perfect. It's not easy.
If you're having trouble with autofocus but manual focus is sharp, you may need to use Canon's autofocus microadjustment. You can set an amount of compensation for each lens. Instructions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxAcyjl_l-0
I may have hit the sweet spot. I made some adjustments as I learn to use my camera lens and field of view. I also added a third light. This coin is in a holder. I took these images and I'm pretty happy with them.
Still trying to get these WLH to come out a little more crisp. The reflection I think is causing a problem. Inch by inch I am determined. Alex I'm using your image of the 3C piece as my example. Once I hit can take images like that this thread will end.
I cleaned all the glass then took this with auto focus.
Pretty good but not perfect.
I'll take some time to think about this. I hope it's not the camera.
Last two shots for the night. More to think about.
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
@Morgan13 said:
I took a couple of shots this morning. Something is up with my auto focus. It doesn't work well. Maybe the camera needs a good cleaning. I'll do this tonight after work. I took these using manual focus. I'm learning to circle crop so these are not perfect. It's not easy.
It’s not a good idea to use auto focus unless there is no alternative. The sensor may zero in on a piece of lint or in the case of a slabbed coin, a scratch on the slab, which would result in the coin being out of focus.
Yup. I always manually focus. The focus indicator in the viewfinder can help, but often it'll say it's in focus when it's only almost in focus. Autofocus will get it close all the time but not perfect.
@robec said:
If you’re using a Canon have you given any thought about using the EOS Utility software and tethering the camera to the computer? I guarantee you’ll never go back. Fine tune focus, camera control as well as snapping the photo with a keystroke.
You can also use a focusing rail - messydesk alerted me to these, for example:
@robec said:
If you’re using a Canon have you given any thought about using the EOS Utility software and tethering the camera to the computer? I guarantee you’ll never go back. Fine tune focus, camera control as well as snapping the photo with a keystroke.
You can also use a focusing rail - messydesk alerted me to these, for example:
Good thinking. A focus rail is a must have accessory.. I’ve been using one for the last five or six years. Great for pinpoint focusing. I wasn’t able to open your link. Might be my internet connection.
If you rotate the focusing rail 90°, you should have finer control using the knob that controls lateral movement in the position you're showing it now. You also won't have as much risk of the weight of the camera changing the focus on you.
@messydesk said:
If you rotate the focusing rail 90°, you should have finer control using the knob that controls lateral movement in the position you're showing it now. You also won't have as much risk of the weight of the camera changing the focus on you.
I’m not sure how it would work by rotating the rail 90°. I’ll look at it tomorrow. I have little need for lateral fine tuning. Maybe I’m misunderstanding what you’re saying. My main use for the rail is the vertical adjustment. It fine tunes more efficiently than the copy stand wheel.
@messydesk said:
If you rotate the focusing rail 90°, you should have finer control using the knob that controls lateral movement in the position you're showing it now. You also won't have as much risk of the weight of the camera changing the focus on you.
I’m not sure how it would work by rotating the rail 90°. I’ll look at it tomorrow. I have little need for lateral fine tuning. Maybe I’m misunderstanding what you’re saying. My main use for the rail is the vertical adjustment. It fine tunes more efficiently than the copy stand wheel.
By rotating it, the knob currently controlling the lateral movement will control the vertical movement.
@messydesk said:
If you rotate the focusing rail 90°, you should have finer control using the knob that controls lateral movement in the position you're showing it now. You also won't have as much risk of the weight of the camera changing the focus on you.
I’m not sure how it would work by rotating the rail 90°. I’ll look at it tomorrow. I have little need for lateral fine tuning. Maybe I’m misunderstanding what you’re saying. My main use for the rail is the vertical adjustment. It fine tunes more efficiently than the copy stand wheel.
By rotating it, the knob currently controlling the lateral movement will control the vertical movement.
@Morgan13 said:
I'm pretty happy with these. No photoshopping done.
I like everything except the sharpness. Exposure is good. The brightest spot on Liberty's forehead does not look blown out, nor do the darkest shadows look too black. Keep everything the same and play with the focus. If you're using auto-focus, switch to manual and see just how sensitive it is to tiny adjustments.
@Morgan13 said:
I'm pretty happy with these. No photoshopping done.
I like everything except the sharpness. Exposure is good. The brightest spot on Liberty's forehead does not look blown out, nor do the darkest shadows look too black. Keep everything the same and play with the focus. If you're using auto-focus, switch to manual and see just how sensitive it is to tiny adjustments.
I agree with you about focus. I am going to buy a small level tomorrow. Hopefully that will do the trick. Right now I'm eyeballing it. I also look at the image of the coin. If I don't see reading I should be focused.
Are there any other setting that could make the focus better?
The manual focus is no good on this camera. I've tried it multiple times.
I'll keep this thread going while I seek perfection.
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
@Morgan13 said:
I'm pretty happy with these. No photoshopping done.
I like everything except the sharpness. Exposure is good. The brightest spot on Liberty's forehead does not look blown out, nor do the darkest shadows look too black. Keep everything the same and play with the focus. If you're using auto-focus, switch to manual and see just how sensitive it is to tiny adjustments.
I agree with you about focus. I am going to buy a small level tomorrow. Hopefully that will do the trick. Right now I'm eyeballing it. I also look at the image of the coin. If I don't see reading I should be focused.
Are there any other setting that could make the focus better?
The manual focus is no good on this camera. I've tried it multiple times.
I'll keep this thread going while I seek perfection.
@Morgan13 said:
I agree with you about focus. I am going to buy a small level tomorrow. Hopefully that will do the trick. Right now I'm eyeballing it. I also look at the image of the coin. If I don't see reading I should be focused.
A good accessory (note what I have sitting on the back of my camera), but the unsharpness in your pictures seems uniform, so that's not your problem.
Are there any other setting that could make the focus better?
The manual focus is no good on this camera. I've tried it multiple times.
A picture of your setup and the make and model of camera and lens is in order. It doesn't look like auto-focus is any good, either.
@messydesk said:
If you rotate the focusing rail 90°, you should have finer control using the knob that controls lateral movement in the position you're showing it now. You also won't have as much risk of the weight of the camera changing the focus on you.
I’m not sure how it would work by rotating the rail 90°. I’ll look at it tomorrow. I have little need for lateral fine tuning. Maybe I’m misunderstanding what you’re saying. My main use for the rail is the vertical adjustment. It fine tunes more efficiently than the copy stand wheel.
By rotating it, the knob currently controlling the lateral movement will control the vertical movement.
I can’t decide if I want the controls on the top or on the bottom. I’ll try with them on top for a while. Since I’m sitting at a desk while shooting I wouldn’t need to reach as far if they were below.
@messydesk said:
If you rotate the focusing rail 90°, you should have finer control using the knob that controls lateral movement in the position you're showing it now. You also won't have as much risk of the weight of the camera changing the focus on you.
I’m not sure how it would work by rotating the rail 90°. I’ll look at it tomorrow. I have little need for lateral fine tuning. Maybe I’m misunderstanding what you’re saying. My main use for the rail is the vertical adjustment. It fine tunes more efficiently than the copy stand wheel.
By rotating it, the knob currently controlling the lateral movement will control the vertical movement.
I can’t decide if I want the controls on the top or on the bottom. I’ll try with them on top for a while. Since I’m sitting at a desk while shooting I wouldn’t need to reach as far if they were below.
I like the controls on top. The stand sits on the floor next to my desk. If I see red or blue fringing on the high contrast edges in an image, I just reach for the knob and give 1/4 turn one way or the other to fix it. I don't even have to look through the camera. Controls on the bottom would be more awkward and you'd invariably bump the camera in such a manner as you wouldn't want to.
@messydesk said:
If you rotate the focusing rail 90°, you should have finer control using the knob that controls lateral movement in the position you're showing it now. You also won't have as much risk of the weight of the camera changing the focus on you.
I’m not sure how it would work by rotating the rail 90°. I’ll look at it tomorrow. I have little need for lateral fine tuning. Maybe I’m misunderstanding what you’re saying. My main use for the rail is the vertical adjustment. It fine tunes more efficiently than the copy stand wheel.
By rotating it, the knob currently controlling the lateral movement will control the vertical movement.
I can’t decide if I want the controls on the top or on the bottom. I’ll try with them on top for a while. Since I’m sitting at a desk while shooting I wouldn’t need to reach as far if they were below.
I like the controls on top. The stand sits on the floor next to my desk. If I see red or blue fringing on the high contrast edges in an image, I just reach for the knob and give 1/4 turn one way or the other to fix it. I don't even have to look through the camera. Controls on the bottom would be more awkward and you'd invariably bump the camera in such a manner as you wouldn't want to.
I’ll try this way for now. Mine sits on the desk next to me and is already higher than I am. I can see why having the controls underneath would be very awkward for you. For me I would only have to reach up less than an arm length.. with the controls on the top I will be reaching up, over and behind the camera which would make knocking the camera or lens more likely. Either way though, with the rail sitting lateral now instead of vertical, the reach to the control is shorter.
@Morgan13 said:
I'm not using an expensive camera. It's an older Canon EOS XTI with a 55mm lens pictured here.
That explains the sharpness problem. Zoom lenses are limited in regards to focus sharpness, even in macro mode.
The camera itself is more than adequate enough.
@Morgan13 said:
I'm not using an expensive camera. It's an older Canon EOS XTI with a 55mm lens pictured here.
That explains the sharpness problem. Zoom lenses are limited in regards to focus sharpness, even in macro mode.
The camera itself is more than adequate enough.
Okay can you please tell me what I need?
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
@Morgan13 said:
I'm not using an expensive camera. It's an older Canon EOS XTI with a 55mm lens pictured here.
Turn off image stabilization. On some older cameras and lenses that feature caused problems when using a tripod or copy stand, believe or not. Back up a little, too. Maybe you're at the limit of the close focusing of the lens. You'll have to crop a little more, but you're starting with plenty of pixels.
The 18-55 mm kit lens is not that great for coin close-ups. A better lens will be a 100 mm macro. You'll get a longer working distance and have a lens that's optically made for this application.
@messydesk said:
If you rotate the focusing rail 90°, you should have finer control using the knob that controls lateral movement in the position you're showing it now. You also won't have as much risk of the weight of the camera changing the focus on you.
I’m not sure how it would work by rotating the rail 90°. I’ll look at it tomorrow. I have little need for lateral fine tuning. Maybe I’m misunderstanding what you’re saying. My main use for the rail is the vertical adjustment. It fine tunes more efficiently than the copy stand wheel.
By rotating it, the knob currently controlling the lateral movement will control the vertical movement.
I can’t decide if I want the controls on the top or on the bottom. I’ll try with them on top for a while. Since I’m sitting at a desk while shooting I wouldn’t need to reach as far if they were below.
I like the controls on top. The stand sits on the floor next to my desk. If I see red or blue fringing on the high contrast edges in an image, I just reach for the knob and give 1/4 turn one way or the other to fix it. I don't even have to look through the camera. Controls on the bottom would be more awkward and you'd invariably bump the camera in such a manner as you wouldn't want to.
I’ll try this way for now. Mine sits on the desk next to me and is already higher than I am. I can see why having the controls underneath would be very awkward for you. For me I would only have to reach up less than an arm length.. with the controls on the top I will be reaching up, over and behind the camera which would make knocking the camera or lens more likely. Either way though, with the rail sitting lateral now instead of vertical, the reach to the control is shorter.
My stand is on a table, I get pinpoint focusing with the normal orientation of the focus rail with my left hand. I see your point if your stand is on the floor though John.
@Morgan13 said:
I'm not using an expensive camera. It's an older Canon EOS XTI with a 55mm lens pictured here.
That explains the sharpness problem. Zoom lenses are limited in regards to focus sharpness, even in macro mode.
The camera itself is more than adequate enough.
Okay can you please tell me what I need?
The 18-55mm lens produces nice results but for closeup photos the best results come from a dedicated macro lens or extension tubes. I have no experience with extension tubes so I can’t comment on their results..
Macro lenses are able to produce a 1:1 magnification where as the 18-55 can’t do better than 3:1 magnification. That means a large amount of fine detail is lost compared to what a dedicated macro lens will produce.
It all boils down to what your goal is. If you want to see the diagnostics, minute details and overall clear focused photos of your coin go with a dedicated macro lens. The 18-55 lens will produce nice photos but rarely will they be as clear or sharp as the macro.
To add and reiterate some of the excellent suggestions already mentioned.
Manual focus is much preferred over auto. On top of that-
Many cameras have a diopter adjustment on the eyepiece which is another tool built into the optical system to help compensate for your individual eye refraction. Look into your camera’s handbook, or on the camera itself to determine whether this is a component of your camera toolbox, if it is, adjust that to your eye and go from there.
Unless you’re making very large physical prints, you should be able to utilize a higher ISO than the lower ones often recommended. Try 400 or higher unless your printing and this could help with camera vibrations and mirror flop. A higher ISO will allow you to utilize a faster shutter speed and help with the sharpness issues.
It may seem obvious, and it appears that your making great strides in this area, but LOOK and carefully observe what your lights are doing and where they fall on your subject. You clearly have moved beyond the “Frankenstein” lighting, now pay attention to the subtleties surpassing that.
Your white balance has improved dramatically since early on.
Great progress so far!
Happy, humble, honored and proud recipient of the “You Suck” award 10/22/2014
Comments
LOL> @Morgan13 said:
There are 2 things you can do to get to optimize exposure. You can use the exposure compensation setting, for many coins I use and EC of +0.7 (two units positive) but not all, this can be tested with each coin until you get a handle on how to use it. For metering, you can use center-weighted or spot metered (i.e. meter on the coin not the full area) if your camera has those settings. This avoids any contribution to metering in the background, especially using the spot function on the center of the coin.
Best, SH
You’re currently creating two files, a raw image and a JPG. The extra file sizes and handling are just taking up card/disk space — so shoot JPG for now. I don’t know Canon’s color profiles, but try to keep them natural if you’re messing with in camera settings. Auto white balance and center-weight meter may help out as well. Matrix meter is great for outdoor images, but in macro photography may be metering too much of your negative space.
Later on if you’re shooting with a gray card and color/white balance correcting, shoot raw.
Not really mentioned, but getting the light right on a 1921 Morgan is more difficult than an 1878-1904. You may find some relief in shooting an older Morgan. Your last walker was well balanced, and shows good progress!
I am moving much closer. These aren't perfect but pretty good.
1000% better than 4 days ago.
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
I'll spend some time playing with the lighting. This coin is at least PL so there is a lot of reflection. I'm just happy I learned what I have.
I appreciate all the tips.
Keep them coming. I'll listen.
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
We're getting really close to where you need to be to have really good images. The ones you have are actually pretty dang good.
I think camera shake may be causing the blurriness. Use a timer (either 2 or 10 second depending on the age of your Canon) to shoot. This will cause a delay from between when you push the button and the picture is taken.
Coin Photographer.
All of these photos are unedited. That's going to be a whole new challenge. These were taken with a 10 second timer. I went into another room.
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
I will set a timer. Things tend to move when I walk. I'm six foot 3 and 287lbs unless I'm on concrete which I'm not.
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
Cool thread, I can easily see a substantial improvement in quality with each step. Last shots above look pretty damn good.
Founder- Peak Rarities
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This is a hobby within a hobby.
It went from frustrating to hopeful to success. I'm sure I can still learn plenty and I will now that I have some confidence.
Huge shout out to Alex and everyone else who pitched in. I could not have accomplished this without your help.
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
Hmm. Still a tad blurry. A few more things to check.
1) Make sure you use a single focus point, not the whole array the camera has (these appear as boxes in your viewfinder) . I use my center box for obvious reasons. I believe you can toggle this with your arrow keys on the rear of the camera, but it will depend on settings of the particular model. Put your focus on the center of the coin.
2) Make sure you focus right before you take the shot. Press halfway, let it focus, and then press all the way and let the timer start. Make sure everything is as stable as possible, and try not to move anything at all.
3) What's your F-stop?
Coin Photographer.
I believe 9 . I adjusted as I went to experiment. All the images have different settings. I am also shooting at 1/30.
Manual focus. I will try auto focus again but I think this camera or lens works better in manual.
I set the camera aside for dinner but I will get back to it and play with the settings.
I am using one shot.
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
Oh, that's probably it. ALWAYS autofocus - the camera is WAYYYY better than your eye. I promise.
Coin Photographer.
If you’re using a Canon have you given any thought about using the EOS Utility software and tethering the camera to the computer? I guarantee you’ll never go back. Fine tune focus, camera control as well as snapping the photo with a keystroke.
- Bob -
MPL's - Lincolns of Color
Central Valley Roosevelts
I will do that as soon as I get my iPad unlocked. Lol that's a whole different can of worms. That's something I've been thinking about.
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
I took a couple of shots this morning. Something is up with my auto focus. It doesn't work well. Maybe the camera needs a good cleaning. I'll do this tonight after work. I took these using manual focus. I'm learning to circle crop so these are not perfect. It's not easy.
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
Mark Goodman excellent book which I studied, as others have, is going for $300!
Sometimes an unsharp image is from camera or shutter or mirror movement and not the focus.
It’s not a good idea to use auto focus unless there is no alternative. The sensor may zero in on a piece of lint or in the case of a slabbed coin, a scratch on the slab, which would result in the coin being out of focus.
- Bob -
MPL's - Lincolns of Color
Central Valley Roosevelts
Makes sense. The top image is of a Morgan in slab while the second one is of a raw Morgan. I'm getting there. Practice, practice......
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
If he is using a Canon EOS DSLR, there is an option to lock the mirror. It’s buried somewhere in the settings…….the manual will tell you where to find it.
Before I discovered tethering a few years ago I used too think my photos were in focus.. As good as I thought I was focusing while eyeballing through the tiny view finder, I couldn’t have been more mistaken. Looking back on those images maybe one in twenty were focused clearly.
- Bob -
MPL's - Lincolns of Color
Central Valley Roosevelts
If you're having trouble with autofocus but manual focus is sharp, you may need to use Canon's autofocus microadjustment. You can set an amount of compensation for each lens. Instructions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxAcyjl_l-0
And here's a focus chart to print: http://blog.dojoklo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/1357920792272-focus_test_chart-657x1024.jpg
Collecting: Cents, Dansco 7070, Half Dollars, 1947, 1976, random pieces I like
My PCGS Registry
I may have hit the sweet spot. I made some adjustments as I learn to use my camera lens and field of view. I also added a third light. This coin is in a holder. I took these images and I'm pretty happy with them.
Still trying to get these WLH to come out a little more crisp. The reflection I think is causing a problem. Inch by inch I am determined. Alex I'm using your image of the 3C piece as my example. Once I hit can take images like that this thread will end.
I cleaned all the glass then took this with auto focus.
Pretty good but not perfect.
I'll take some time to think about this. I hope it's not the camera.
Last two shots for the night. More to think about.
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
Yup. I always manually focus. The focus indicator in the viewfinder can help, but often it'll say it's in focus when it's only almost in focus. Autofocus will get it close all the time but not perfect.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
You can also use a focusing rail - messydesk alerted me to these, for example:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1574871-REG/nisi_nisi_nm_180_nisi_macro_focusing_rail.html/?ap=y&ap=y&smp=y&smp=y&lsft=BI:6879&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvrPquuSLhAMVRQitBh35hA0eEAQYASABEgK18PD_BwE
Once you get your focus figured out, you'll be on the right track. Those last Morgan images look promising, especially if they were focused.
We're all improving or trying new things. Here's something I was working on today:
Coin Photographer.
Good thinking. A focus rail is a must have accessory.. I’ve been using one for the last five or six years. Great for pinpoint focusing. I wasn’t able to open your link. Might be my internet connection.
- Bob -
MPL's - Lincolns of Color
Central Valley Roosevelts
If you rotate the focusing rail 90°, you should have finer control using the knob that controls lateral movement in the position you're showing it now. You also won't have as much risk of the weight of the camera changing the focus on you.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
I’m not sure how it would work by rotating the rail 90°. I’ll look at it tomorrow. I have little need for lateral fine tuning. Maybe I’m misunderstanding what you’re saying. My main use for the rail is the vertical adjustment. It fine tunes more efficiently than the copy stand wheel.
- Bob -
MPL's - Lincolns of Color
Central Valley Roosevelts
By rotating it, the knob currently controlling the lateral movement will control the vertical movement.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
Ah, ok, I’ll give it a whirl. Thank you John.
- Bob -
MPL's - Lincolns of Color
Central Valley Roosevelts
I'm pretty happy with these. No photoshopping done.
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
I like everything except the sharpness. Exposure is good. The brightest spot on Liberty's forehead does not look blown out, nor do the darkest shadows look too black. Keep everything the same and play with the focus. If you're using auto-focus, switch to manual and see just how sensitive it is to tiny adjustments.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
I agree with you about focus. I am going to buy a small level tomorrow. Hopefully that will do the trick. Right now I'm eyeballing it. I also look at the image of the coin. If I don't see reading I should be focused.
Are there any other setting that could make the focus better?
The manual focus is no good on this camera. I've tried it multiple times.
I'll keep this thread going while I seek perfection.
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
What camera and lens are you using?
- Bob -
MPL's - Lincolns of Color
Central Valley Roosevelts
A good accessory (note what I have sitting on the back of my camera), but the unsharpness in your pictures seems uniform, so that's not your problem.
A picture of your setup and the make and model of camera and lens is in order. It doesn't look like auto-focus is any good, either.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
I can’t decide if I want the controls on the top or on the bottom. I’ll try with them on top for a while. Since I’m sitting at a desk while shooting I wouldn’t need to reach as far if they were below.
- Bob -
MPL's - Lincolns of Color
Central Valley Roosevelts
I like the controls on top. The stand sits on the floor next to my desk. If I see red or blue fringing on the high contrast edges in an image, I just reach for the knob and give 1/4 turn one way or the other to fix it. I don't even have to look through the camera. Controls on the bottom would be more awkward and you'd invariably bump the camera in such a manner as you wouldn't want to.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
I’ll try this way for now. Mine sits on the desk next to me and is already higher than I am. I can see why having the controls underneath would be very awkward for you. For me I would only have to reach up less than an arm length.. with the controls on the top I will be reaching up, over and behind the camera which would make knocking the camera or lens more likely. Either way though, with the rail sitting lateral now instead of vertical, the reach to the control is shorter.
- Bob -
MPL's - Lincolns of Color
Central Valley Roosevelts
Now I know why I stopped shooting coins. Reading all of this has made my head hurt. But you guys do a fantastic job!!!
I'm not using an expensive camera. It's an older Canon EOS XTI with a 55mm lens pictured here.
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
I shot this tonight. I used the slab lettering as my focal guide. Seems pretty dead on. This coin has highly reflective surfaces.
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
That explains the sharpness problem. Zoom lenses are limited in regards to focus sharpness, even in macro mode.
The camera itself is more than adequate enough.
- Bob -
MPL's - Lincolns of Color
Central Valley Roosevelts
Okay can you please tell me what I need?
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan
Looks like you're pretty much there. I'd be happy with that.
Turn off image stabilization. On some older cameras and lenses that feature caused problems when using a tripod or copy stand, believe or not. Back up a little, too. Maybe you're at the limit of the close focusing of the lens. You'll have to crop a little more, but you're starting with plenty of pixels.
The 18-55 mm kit lens is not that great for coin close-ups. A better lens will be a 100 mm macro. You'll get a longer working distance and have a lens that's optically made for this application.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
My stand is on a table, I get pinpoint focusing with the normal orientation of the focus rail with my left hand. I see your point if your stand is on the floor though John.
You are getting better & better, keep it up!
The 18-55mm lens produces nice results but for closeup photos the best results come from a dedicated macro lens or extension tubes. I have no experience with extension tubes so I can’t comment on their results..
Macro lenses are able to produce a 1:1 magnification where as the 18-55 can’t do better than 3:1 magnification. That means a large amount of fine detail is lost compared to what a dedicated macro lens will produce.
It all boils down to what your goal is. If you want to see the diagnostics, minute details and overall clear focused photos of your coin go with a dedicated macro lens. The 18-55 lens will produce nice photos but rarely will they be as clear or sharp as the macro.
- Bob -
MPL's - Lincolns of Color
Central Valley Roosevelts
Great thread!
To add and reiterate some of the excellent suggestions already mentioned.
Manual focus is much preferred over auto. On top of that-
Many cameras have a diopter adjustment on the eyepiece which is another tool built into the optical system to help compensate for your individual eye refraction. Look into your camera’s handbook, or on the camera itself to determine whether this is a component of your camera toolbox, if it is, adjust that to your eye and go from there.
Unless you’re making very large physical prints, you should be able to utilize a higher ISO than the lower ones often recommended. Try 400 or higher unless your printing and this could help with camera vibrations and mirror flop. A higher ISO will allow you to utilize a faster shutter speed and help with the sharpness issues.
It may seem obvious, and it appears that your making great strides in this area, but LOOK and carefully observe what your lights are doing and where they fall on your subject. You clearly have moved beyond the “Frankenstein” lighting, now pay attention to the subtleties surpassing that.
Your white balance has improved dramatically since early on.
Great progress so far!
Happy, humble, honored and proud recipient of the “You Suck” award 10/22/2014
What time of lens do I need?
This is the only other lens I have.
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
Dantheman984 Toyz4geo SurfinxHI greencopper RWW bigjpst bretsan