Creating digital images of coins

byergo

Which camera or scanner gives the most "bang for the buck" in creating high quality digital coin images?

Is any camera/scanner particularly good at capturing the subtle look and colors of toned coins?

Any "tricks" to taking good pics?

tompkins

I took Russ's advice and sniped a Ricoh RDC4300 on eBay (about $100). With any camera, lighting is important. Again, on the advice of several board members, I am using two GE Reveal light bulbs, coming in at two different angles and it seems to work pretty well. but you still have to be careful to get the coin fully lit and to avoid reflection both from the mirrored coin (if it is a cameo prrof) and also from the slab. As you can see, I haven't totally mastered the art of avoiding reflection. Haven't tried any toned coins yet, but I have some old toned 47, 48, and 49 double mint sets. I'll put them on the photo queue.

One more thing---while some people have had success with scanners, my experience with cheap scanners is that they work quite well with coins that are placed directly on the glass; but they do not focus on things held off the glass, such as a coin inside a slab. I have nevere been able to successfully scan a slabbed coin (it's always badly blurred) with my $50 scanner.

Pete

Pete's JFK's with more to come

[edited to add note about scanners.]

windwhispersintrees

Go for a camera...scanners, while easy, don't allow you to control lighting. The scanning process gives flat even light, which doesn't do justice to a coin's features and tones.
I have a Kodak DC215 (discontinued), but needed to buy a +7 & +10 diopter lenses. Used in combo with macro mode, I can photo a coin from about 2-1/2" away. Even then, the camera's highest quality setting is only ok compared to newer cameras. Try to find a camera a step or two up from this in megapixel quality. Here's a photo (resized to be smaller) I took with this setup.
Good Luck.

Blade

Wind Wisper,
Tell me more about these diopter lenses. I have a very nice Kodak DC4800 with 3 megapixels, but the darn thing can't take close-ups due to the fixed lense and only 3x zoom. Some newer cameras have "macro" lens features for close-ups but mine does not. How does the diopter work?

LanLord

It seems to me that most subtle toning on coins is lost at best or made very ugly at worst with scanning or digital photography. However, Tomb has some success with using a standard camera (film not bits) and then converting the film to a digital image. For more information on using film for imaging coins review this.

Many good images can be found that have been made with both scanners and digital cameras, but if you want to be able to control image color saturation nothing beats film.

RLinn

LanLord, thanks for the link.

windwhispersintrees

Blade,
Don't know about your model, but on mine I first needed to buy a lens attachment. Its a plastic do-dad that clips around the side of the camera, and allows you to screw lenses on in front of the existing lens. The diopters are just round 37mm screw on lenses of different magnifying powers. It's easy to find a +1, +2, +4 three lens 37mm thread set for sale, but I dont think this gives enough magnification. I found a +7 +10 two lens set from Kodak on ebay awhile back for around $20. The do-dad with lenses attached is in the photo below.

Once you screw the two lenses onto the attachment, hit the macro button and watch your preview screen. If you already have a copy stand or camera mount that can hold your camera just above the coins, you're in luck. Watch your preview screen for in focus picture, and adjust your stand accordingly.

I'm cheap though, and didn't have a stand. So: When you find the right distance from the coin for in-focus shots, measure from table surface to camera face. I then built a small rest for my camera that distance tall (below left in photo). It's just a small square to rest the camera on & hold it steady while shooting. That's important, because I turn off the autoflash, and usually adjust the exposure setting to take in more light. If you're shakey holding the camera then, it'll really blur things. I make minor focus adjustments by slipping paper under the stand to raise or lower it.



You don't need Kodak's brand lenses though...any brand 37mm thread (assuming your camera/do-dad have that thread size) will do. If you have any old camera lenses around, or get a good yard sale deal, you might also try jerry-rigging up one of those in front of your camera lens. Focus by watching the preview screen on the back of your camera. Then start experimenting with a system to hold it all together.
Good Luck.

Russ

Ricoh RDC-4300. Cheap, does great macro, and the aperture swivels, which helps when working on reducing reflection. And, of course, GE Reveal bulbs.

Russ, NCNE

windwhispersintrees

Here's a typical shot with the DC215 with attached lenses. The original photo has been resized to be 50% smaller, and the jpeg compressed 30%. Auto flash off, exposure set to +2. Lighting from 60watt desk lamp, with some daylight from window. Background is light gray cardboard.

Blade

VERY cool. I appreciate all of the info and will print this thread for reference. Now all I have to do is hunt down the components.

I'm not sure I have the macro feature, but this was an $800 digital camera just a year ago and is supposed to have every feature available on an SLR film one. Once you go off auto, you've got f-stops, white balance, "film" speed, etc. Plenty of variables to mess with, so I'm hoping for success.