Working with my Camera, Merc pic here, any guesses on the grade?

mrpaseo

I noticed that working with a coin behind a slab or in a 2X2 is much harder to photograph. In this photo I have two lights my Minolta Dimage S404 CAMERA IN macro mode (Which isn't that great...unless I'm using the camera wrong...lol) and my number one Loupe. I hold the loupe right against the camera lens and the camera has no problems focusing in on the coin.

Any pointers on how to catch the glimmer and toning of a coin would be appreciated.

Thanks for looking,
Ray

maxB3535

I don't know about anybody else, but it looks pretty damn good. Nice coin.

fcloud

Looks a bit yellow. Are you using reveal bulbs? The cheek looks hairlined in the photo, so my cop-out guess is au58.

CaptainRon

Nice, You can try playing with the white level of the camera. I also have good luck sometimes turning the macro off, while shooting through a loupe.

Any pointers on how to catch the glimmer and toning of a coin would be appreciated.
Practice with photoshop, and differant angles of lighting

mgoodm3

Color on raw coins is easy compared to slabs. My experience with getting color from a slabbed coin requires that you shoot directly into the glare of the light. The resulting picture will have a lot of glare but if the glare is even you can get rid of most of it by cranking up the contrast and darkening the pic.

Your coin looks MS65? You may want to change the white balance to get rid of some of the yellow of the light. Also crop the picture down to the edge of the coin and it will be a smaller file.

To get the glare even, I use a piece of white paper taped over the light, which acts as a diffuser. Generally requires shooting at an angle. The farther the camera is from the coin, the less the angle. Small coins are harder because the camera has to be closer, thus requiring more angle to get the light into the pic.

The pic below is a pretty good example except that you can delete the other two undiffused lights on the right. If you add in extra lights like those on the right it will wash the color out a bit, but will give you some luster in exchange.



This was shot with that method. I used software to make it look round again to get rid of most of the angle effect.

mrpaseo

Wow, beautiful picture...of a beautiful coin

Do you have a tri-pod? It looks like a tripod and how do you take pics? Do you have one of those buttons att he end of the wire or do you take it with software attached to your computer?

Ray

mrpaseo

here is a pic of the reverse for those that are interested.



Here is a touched up pic which I think better represents the colors of the toning.



Again it has glare. I think I may have to get a few more items to better enhance, maybe I should work with a Raw coin for a bit.

mrpaseo

Now that I look at them both together, the bottom one is deeper but the top picture is much nicer.

JrGMan2004

fcloud

What a difference in the photos! I think you'll get there! The focus is better on your original image, but the colors are there in your final photo.

Fragmentum

Your pictures look pretty good. If your using a good graphics software, like Photoshop, add some sharpening to it from the filters selection and you will give it a little 'snap'. It should come up a liittle more realistic in detail, too. Good rainbow colors are a difficult to get digitally without a ton of trial and error.
Show us some more, dar hey.... (Wisconsin talk, ya know?)

ursabear

I really enjoyed your pictures. They look great.

I'm also glad to see you back on the boards. I'm glad you're safe.

BigGreek

Without having seen the reverse, I'd grade it MS-66.

mgoodm3

I use a copy stand. For the exposure I use the auto timer. One wire is the computer hookup (unhooked when taking pics). Second is the AC adaptor. the last pic has much improved color.

rainbowroosie

AU 58, first picture shows lines on the cheek.....has a nice look.

jom

After you take a lot of pics you'll notice that the NGC holder creates lighting problems. Not glare so much as the way the camera adjusts it's iris (in auto mode). It also causes the color temp to be too high (I think it's too high...maybe it's too low...I don't remember which...lol). Either way try adjusting the white balance if you can.

jom

ColonialCoinUnion

Sixty-five.

mrpaseo

ANACS Says this Merc is an MS66