How do you get good pictures of coins?

mansco

I know that this has been a topic in the past. How do you get good photographs of your coins? I have a Hewlett Packard Scanjet 6200C scanner and an Olympus D-490 Digital Camera with 2.1 megs and a zoom lens. I've got access to PhotoDeluxe and Photoshop (which I don't know how to use) and Microsoft Paint.

Thanks.

Mansco

Cocoinut

Mansco,

A fellow Board member sent me an e-mail last week, asking about my technique. Here is what I wrote then:

The two most important factors in producing good images are the camera and proper lighting. My camera is an Olympus C-740 Ultra Zoom (3.2 megapixels). There's now a C-750 available that's over 4 megapixels. My camera has a 10x optical zoom, which is greater than most digitals. The camera has many adjustable settings, so I had to do a lot of experimentation to find the "right" combination. Fortunately, I'm able to save combinations so I don't have to reset them every time I take pictures. It's a great all-around camera, and I use it when taking shots of people and scenery.

I achieve the best results with natural light. The morning hours between 8 and 10 a.m. are best, when the sun is fairly low in the sky and fills my "studio" with lots of light. I don't let the sun shine directly on the coin. I place the coin on a black copy stand at about a 60 degree angle, and the camera is mounted on a tripod 12 to 18 inches away, aimed down at the coin. I guess the best way to describe it is to imagine a line between the coin and the sun, with the camera in between, and something behind the camera to block the direct rays of the sun from touching the coin. Sometimes it also helps to hold a blue file folder to the side of the coin to either block or deflect light.

Looking through the camera's monitor, I tilt the coin so that the luster and detail are sharpest, and adjust the angle of the copy holder so that I don't have to hold the coin with my hand. I put the camera on a 2 second timer so that it's steady when the shutter is released. It takes about a half hour to take 130-140 pictures, which is what will fit on my 256mb memory card.

The pictures are then downloaded to the computer, where I can crop, resize, and merge them. I use the Image Expert software that came with my first digital camera. I'm told that it's very similar to PhotoShop (which I have never used).

I'm sure others achieve excellent results using different processes. Hope this helps.

Jim

numonebuyer

I use a trinocular microscope with the third port connected to my digital camera.

pontiacinf

I ahve a sony dcrdvd300 that takes killer pics, but it took a long while to acclimate to it...or get used to it...ask cosmicdebris here on the boards, he can give you killer info on pic taking..

and Bill: dont get a big head

mansco

Thanks for the suggestion. Please send more if you have them.

I came across a good site as well:

Chuck D's Tips for Scanning Coins

Dan50

First thing you do is for get about the scanner Mansco. I have had a half dozen over the years, and never found one yet that can do a good job on coins. That camera you have should do the trick nicely. Never use the flash (IMHO) and try various lighting until you find what works. I like to do mine in daylight, but others may have their own ways of doing it. The paintshop pro is great for working with pictures. If you can't get someone to show you in person how to use it, I could maybe talk you through some of the basics over the phone. Best if you can do the work as we talked. Helps to have someone there with you while you are learning. .. In person is by far better if you can manage it. Dan.