What equipment recommeded for coin photos?

greghansen

I am very much interested in acquiring the equipment needed to take high quality digital images of coins, both raw and in slabs. I would like to hear from those who have some experience in this area. In the past, I have simply stored digital images on my computer by laying the coin on my scanner and working from there. Ideally I would like to have a digital camera, and some type of framework apparatus to be able to take high quality digital images of coins. Before I start visiting local photography stores, I hoped to get a primer from those of you who may have blazed the trail before me.

What type of equipment will I need?
Can I get this done for less than $1,000?
Does anyone have a digital camera that they use for coin pictures that will ALSO work on a coin microscope?

I don't have a coin microscope yet, but I'm going to get one at the FUN convention and I would like not to have to buy a second camera just to work with the microscope. Thank you for any information or comments on issues I may not have thought of on this venture.

Greg Hansen
Melbourne, FL

FC57Coins

Greg - try sending Bryan at Texas Bullion Traders an email (borsborn@txucom.net). He's a great guy and takes awesome pictures. He may be able to give you some pointers on the subject.

Frank

keoj

Greg:

Please let me know what you find out on this. I have a digital camera but am at a loss as to how to get a good DD picture. If you find out how to do this reasonably, please let me know. I recently started looking at an Edmunds Scientific catalog for ideas. I have a set of bellows that works great for film but its too tedious to get a good picture (too many attempts, no feedback until the film is developed).

Thanks.

keoj

MastaHanky

Three words:

Nikon Coolpix 995

merysu

Try this link:

Photography

-mark-

DCAMFranklin

The same Greg Hansen with the #5 Proof Franklin Registry Set? I think we battled for more than a few coins a couple of years back. That is quite a set of coins you have there! Congratulations.

LucyBop

Anoconda is another that is very good at taking pictures, while I was in Portland we visited Columbia Coin in Downtown Portland and the dealer, I believe his name was Johnathan showed us some amazing pictures of toned coins that he took, he then asked us if we knew a Anoconda, so I smartly replied "Oh Yeah, Adrian Crane" as if I've known him, anyhow he said Adrian gave him some good info on how to do this, Johnathan did say though that he had a photography background so he clearly understood what Adrian was saying... Give Adrian a pm.

greghansen

Thanks to all who replied. I have lots of good leads/information to follow up on. I will probably post the results and what I decide to go with once I complete my education and make some decisions. I DO NOT have any significant photography background at all, but (uh-oh here comes the ego) I'm only interested in photographing coins, so I think I will be able to understand the lighting/exposure or other technical issues as they relate to the extremely narrow field of photography I am interested in. I got such good leads here, I got to post a similar inquiry regarding stereo microscopes.

Mersu- Thanks for the link. Lots of great follow up opportunities there.
DCAM- Yep, thats my Franklin set. Thanks and same for yours.
MastaHanky- I'll definately look into the Nikon.

Greg Hansen
Melbourne, FL