What do you prefer when you look at a coin's picture?

airplanenut

It's basically not possible to capture both the full color, as well as the luster of a coin--sometimes you can get close, but results seem to be better when you just shoot two sets of photographs. With that in mind, if you had to look at ONE set of photographs for a coin, would you prefer the luster, or the color?

Example:





Jeremy

EDITED to change to show the same pictures, smaller file size.

boz

Luster, like the top pic much better.

cosmicdebris

Jeremy keep up the great work. You can get both in one image.

nepbrs44

Hands down.............LUSTER!

airplanenut

<< <i>Jeremey keep up the great work. You can get both in one image. >>

After I contest the spelling of my name, I'll contest that statement.

First, you spelled my name wrong

Secondly, the coin you pictured has very little color. On white coins with lustre, getting dripping lustre isn't so hard--only on few coins can you actually hit both luster and color well in the same shot... examples:

Lustre:


Both on one coin:


What usually happens with a shot of lustre, then the toning (and I shot this coin from all angles):



Sometimes, it depends on how much of the coin is toned, and how the lustre flows off of it... other times, normally, it's just damned near impossible to get the two on one shot...

Jeremy

EDITED: To show the same, but smaller file-sized pictures

cosmicdebris

Here's a better one, toning and lustre in one shot:



P.S. What spelling error

airplanenut

Is the reverse toning mostly dark, not there, or is this a proof and those are untoned mirrors?

cosmicdebris

Reverse toning is dark and it is a proof. Tilted just right will also give you the mirroring too.

islemangu

beautiful prefer overall eye appeal.... luster/color/angle would be a little different with each coin

airplanenut

Ok, Cosmic, you've proven an exception to the rule... now try some mint state, white coins... those are the ones that offer the most difficulty, especially with that Franklin, which has such strong die polish that the lustre only flows in one direction and casts nice shadows.

cosmicdebris

How about this one?

Prometheus183

Jeremy,
You are absolutely correct. No matter how good the camera, nothing will take the place of the human eye. And, even everyone of those will differ
Out of the two sets, I would choose the first (top) for it's best depiction of luster. Bottom for it's best definition of color. Neither for best clarification of best representation, and both if I were to purchase it with a return policy.
I know, it sounds like I'm talking in circles, but how does one truly determine the difference between a two dimentional digital image, and three dimentional, in person viewing, with all possible light refractions? We can't, unless we can have both options.

By the way, spectacular Rossie!

Craig

airplanenut

See, there's no toning on that one...

I'm trying to be specific about lustrous, toned coins, and you are just showing pretty images

mgoodm3

I think the problem of luster vs color is hard to overcome with a camera. i find myself looking at a particular coin, I see what i want a picture of and I can't reproduce it with the camera. the eye and camera see things a bit differently. When you look at a coin you are looking at a very smll portion af the coin at any one time. You may think you're seeing it all, but you're not. With the camera you are trying to duplicate those lighting conditions over a much larger area, and that's where it breaks down. I find some coins I have are very photogenic and some are not.

Dog97

On the dime if I were buying a toned coin then the luster picture don't mean much because everybody knows what the luster looks like on a ms66.
The bottom pict with the color is the one that would make me get up off my wallet @ selling time.