Question about the angled glass technique...

Gonfunko

I've heard about using a sheet of glass at a 45 degree angle to better capture the colors of toned coins. I'm wondering if a clear plastic CD jewel case would work as a cheap, easy and instant alternative? The nice thing about it is that I have tons of them and they could easily be made to "stand up" to pretty much any angle you wanted. Has anyone tried this, or, if not, do you think it would work?

lordmarcovan

I tried it but had problems with glare, scuffs or uneven-ness in the plastic, and so on. But you could give it a shot.

CarlWohlforth

It is worth a try. My guess is the plastic is of poor optical quality. But as you have them why not give it a whirl? I got some scrap glass for free from my local hardware store so that was cheap too.

lordmarcovan

<< <i>My guess is the plastic is of poor optical quality. >>



That's the phrase I was lookin' for.

Lakesammman

Agree with above - I try and use good quality glass and clean it frequently - keep fingerprints off the area your shooting through.

Bottom line is, probably need several different shots to show the attributes of a coin. Think of how many ways you look at a coin when it's in hand. It's silly to think a single photo can capture all that.

K6AZ

While it will bring out color, it will also rob the coin of luster.