Imaging of Coins

WalkerGuy · September 4, 2002 1:48AM

I've looked at a lot of really nice pictures of everyones' coins, and I wonder how you get such precise images.
I would be interested in favorite approaches. Cameras, digital or not, pixel count, etc. Or, scanner and which applications to run with it that give best results.
I'm running a fairly new machine with XP - I know, I feel the pain, so I should be able to handle most software suggested. I have the USB ports, not firewire.
Anyway, thanks for the help, ideas and lessons learned.
Dick

nwcs · September 4, 2002 2:39AM

I use a Ricoh RDC-4300 and have a very simple setup. I use a travel tripod pointing down on a white surface. Then I aim a reveal bulb at a very direct angle so that the reflected light hits the camera lens dead on. I set the light source on the camera to bulb and reduce the white/black balance to -0.5. I use a white background because digital cameras use a white balance to guage color. So I position the coin flat on the white background and tilt it to me till the background is bright white in the LCD.

Take the pic and then it's mostly done. Each camera has color problems and needs to be corrected. Good software like Photoshop is essential for accuracy. Typically, once you have a setup you need to do a profile for color correction. Take a pic of an object with black, white, and a neutral color on it. Color correct the image when you see it on the computer and save the settings. And every future pic you take, use those settings to do the first color correction.

Photoshop is an excellent tool and handles many of these things with ease.

You can see one of my recent pics here on my web site. (large image)

Neil

lincolnSence · September 4, 2002 4:00AM

NICE IMAGE!!!! DO you shoot much copper?

littlewicher · September 4, 2002 4:34AM

I have a scanner that isn't that great. I'll post some images later.

Fairlaneman · September 4, 2002 5:00AM

Just use a Digital Camera hold it steady with good light on the coin and shoot. Usually takes a couple of tries but the results seem good enough.

I guess....

By the way. Hi Dick and Welcome to this Place. Please Enjoy..

nwcs · September 4, 2002 5:05AM

<< <i>NICE IMAGE!!!! DO you shoot much copper? >>

I haven't tried that much, but now that I've figured out some tricks it's a lot easier. The technique I recommended does best for non-proof coins. With proof, you want a black tarp over your head so that the coin reflects the black and creates the deep look. Or shoot at a slight angle to show the white of the field.

Lakesammman · September 4, 2002 5:56AM

I've just posted a few pics with my IHC "registry" set (Lakesamm collection). I use a Nikon Cool-Pix 995 because of the macro capabilities. I'm still having color accuracy difficulty but have in general been pretty happy with the pics. The pics I post have to be "dummied down" to a low enough res. to be accepted by PCGS (reduced from 325k to under 100k, usually 50k or so).

I'll try the tips as they roll in and post a few pics if they work. I like the white background and hood ideas - will try them. Hopefully Shylock will pick up on the thread as he has alot of experience.

TomB · September 4, 2002 6:20AM

If you don't mind my rambling writing style you might want to look at a thread I wrote in the beginning of August about getting good images of coins. The thread is here.

shylock · September 4, 2002 7:32AM

From examples I've seen from products that aren't in the professional range, scanners more easily capture accurate color while digital cameras excel at lustre and detail. For me, that alone makes it worth the effort to learn how to make a good digital camera work correctly.

I have the same Nikon as Lakesammman and he knows how many gadgets I've wasted my money on trying to get a quick fix on true color, especially on an ellusive subject like copper (anybody want to buy a Photo Optics tubular lighting system, a macro light ring, or a cloud dome?). I've come to the conclusion that all the gadgets I needed came within the camera. Besides an inexpensive diffuse light source, learning how to set the camera correctly for the conditions is the key. Particulary the white balance, but also the exposure, metering and sharpening. The Nikon is loaded with little button and combination button settings, and they use to intimidate me to the point where I stuck with Auto mode. Lately I'm venturing into the unknown, and though the learning curve is slow I'm seeing more improvement in Manual mode than I had for the entire first year I owned the camera.

Dick -- your computer is more than adequate for whatever imaging software you decide on. Photoshop is the ultimate for color corrections (personally I avoid that), but for basic image cropping and resizing there are many inexpensive software programs out there. For the basic stuff, I still use the one that came with my Dell (Picture Studio) more than Photoshop.