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New coin photos...more advice sought (thx)

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  • nwcsnwcs Posts: 13,386 ✭✭✭
    A little color correction would help. Also reducing the brightness on the lights will help keep the details from washing out. If you're using photoshop, try auto levels as a quick color correction.
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  • shylockshylock Posts: 4,288 ✭✭✭
    Focus has gotten much better! All the photo's look a bit too bright. I think I read you were using 1/15 shutter speed in the previous thread. Have you tried 1/8 or 1/4 to let a little less light in? With the gold PCGS Saint have you tried using a black background, setting the white balance against it first? White may work better for that coin but it's always worth the time trying something different.
    Paul <> altered surfaces <> CoinGallery.org
  • ziggy29ziggy29 Posts: 18,668 ✭✭✭
    Great focus (and love the Dahlonega gold) -- I think the pictures look slightly green. So it's perhaps either tweaking the color a bit on the software side, or perhaps adjusting the lighting on the "front end."

    Have I mentioned that Dahlonega gold is totally cool? image
  • wingedlibertywingedliberty Posts: 4,805 ✭✭✭
    Its interesting, I kinda of like the bronze tinge to em, makes them look attractive.
  • tjkilliantjkillian Posts: 5,578 ✭✭✭
    Pictures are ok, a little washed out. I would prefer larger pictures and the color more saturated.

    I LOVE That 1861-D half eagle. Where did you get it? Do you have any more that you'd like to unload?

    Tom

    p.s. I LOVE THAT 1861-D Half Eagle!!!!
    Tom

  • nwcsnwcs Posts: 13,386 ✭✭✭
    I did a little manipulation in photoshop to conjecture what I think the coin actually looks like. Lemme know if it's close. What I did was set the black point to the tail end of the black data. I set the neutral point to a gray section to balance the color. I set the gamma to .6 to help correct some of the washout. I also upped the saturation by just a hair to compensate for lost color due to the other things.

    image
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  • RYKRYK Posts: 35,797 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Have I mentioned that Dahlonega gold is totally cool?

    I like Dahlonega gold, too. image In your honor, I changed the appearance of the 61-D $5:

    imageimage
    My Box of 20: https://pcgs.com/setregistry/collectors-showcase/box-20/ryks-gold-box-20/17132
  • mgoodm3mgoodm3 Posts: 17,497 ✭✭✭
    Much better. I just bump the contrast a bit on most coins in slabs because you always get a little glare off them and you might back off on the exposure a bit. Play with eposure compensation.
    coinimaging.com/my photography articles Check out the new macro lens testing section
  • TommyTypeTommyType Posts: 4,586 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Been lurking and learning....I didn't realize there was so much MANUAL work involved. I've been leaving my camera in auto-everything....and getting opposite results from RYK: too dark even in what I THOUGHT was good light.

    image

    Finally bought a tripod, so now time spent trying to keep my hands steady can probably be used to learn how to adjust the camera! image
    Easily distracted Type Collector
  • nwcsnwcs Posts: 13,386 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Much better. I just bump the contrast a bit on most coins in slabs because you always get a little glare off them and you might back off on the exposure a bit. Play with eposure compensation. >>

    For my camera, a Nikon 3100, I use -0.7 for my exposure compensation. It works very well for me.
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  • BarryBarry Posts: 10,100 ✭✭✭
    Do a custom white balance to correct the colors.
  • RYKRYK Posts: 35,797 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Do a custom white balance to correct the colors.

    I have been playing with the white balance but am not sure how to get it to do what you recommend.
    My Box of 20: https://pcgs.com/setregistry/collectors-showcase/box-20/ryks-gold-box-20/17132
  • nwcsnwcs Posts: 13,386 ✭✭✭
    Usually you do a custom white balance by setting the camera mode to custom and then depress the shutter against a solid color surface. The camera will then adjust the balance for you. I usually find it easier to approximate with the light source and then fix further in photoshop.
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  • BarryBarry Posts: 10,100 ✭✭✭


    << <i>I have been playing with the white balance but am not sure how to get it to do what you recommend. >>


    What kind of camera is it?

    I know they are all different, but the basics are the same. In the white balance menu there should be several choices, such as incandescent, sunlight, fluorescent, etc. Hopefully, one of the choices is custom. Generally, you go into this mode, point the camera at a gray or white piece of paper, illuminated with the lighting you'll be using for your coin pics. This sets the camera to compensate for any color introduced by the light source.

    Once set, make sure when you snap the pics, your custom settings are ON. With my Nikon 4500, for example, if I set a custom white balance, but then go back into Auto mode, the custom setting isn't used. I typcially shoot in Aperature Prio mode, and save my customized settings in a User profile.

    When in doubt, read the manual! Feel free to PM me with any other questions.

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