Blurry photos thing of the past?

in2Coins

With the evolution of camera’s focusing capabilities, blurry photos no longer an issue?

Mirrorless camera with focus peaking and bracketing have “almost” completely rid us of blurry photos.
I mentioned “almost” because you still need proper tooling/components to have sharp photos.

1) Sturdy copy stand
2) Mirrorless Camera with focus peaking and bracketing capabilities
3) Macro lens with manual focus (for coin photography)
4) Focus Rail
4) Software with focus stacking capability

The picture below was taken with the slabbed coin slightly tilted for explanation purposes.

Multiple pics were taken from focusing on the bottom edge to the top edge of the coin as shown below.

The pics taken were then loaded to the software for focus stacking for final coin presentation.

In my humble opinion, lighting is the hardest part of coin photography. This is where I still struggle 😅.

The pics above were taken using 2 OTT lights. I do have other light source that I will be using to bring out the coin’s luster and minimize the somewhat dark surfaces of the coin.

Reverse shot of the coin (same technique)

PeakRarities

Well they should be a thing of the past, but I guess some dealers might appreciate the nostalgia .

JWP

My photos are still a work in progress. So is my bank account balance

rmpsrpms

Being able to tilt the coin toward the light for 'axial' lighting, then use focus stacking to eliminate the focus issues, is a powerful tool. One problem though is the coin ends up being a bit oval.

Manifest_Destiny

oih82w8

My imagery has gotten better, but still far from great.

yosclimber

Only the most serious coin photographers will use focus stacking, as it requires a lot of extra equipment and effort.

Those out of focus ebay coin photos will persist, due to sellers with few photo skills and those trying to conceal problems.

skier07

There’s no excuse for lousy out of focus pictures. Even with an iPhone I can take halfway decent pictures that depict the coin and aren’t blurry.

golden

I know of one well know dealer who has terrible photos of his coins but thinks that they are great.

jesbroken

Poor photos on ebay help to keep the selling prices down. 😉😁
Jim