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Gold dollar picture comparison
messydesk
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Teeny, tiny coins are a little harder to photograph than great big ones. I just received the 10th coin for my client's PCGS 65 gold type set. Here are four pictures of the same 1850 gold $1, all taken slightly differently, all with a Canon A80 (4 MP, 3x optical zoom). The scratch across the date is on the slab.
This one was shot through a microscope with a fluorescent ringlight, where roughly 1/3 of the ring was blocked. The color is a little off on this one compared to the others
The next one was shot with the camera at the shortest focal length, with the macro setting on. At this focal length, and this one only, the camera can focus down to an inch or two. Nice for getting close, but bad for trying to light your subject. The light is at a rather low angle here.
At the longest focal length, the macro mode will only focus to about 1 foot. With a +2 close-up lens, I can focus at about 7-8". The longer focal length is better for controlling lighting. This is lit with a desk lamp partially covered with a piece of paper to diffuse it a little. The lamp is about 45 degrees from vertical.
Next, I moved the light to about 20 degrees from vertical and kept the paper in place the light is still somewhat diffused as above.
Which picture do you like the best (nicest to view), and which do you think gives you the best picture of the coin (if you were a buyer)?
This one was shot through a microscope with a fluorescent ringlight, where roughly 1/3 of the ring was blocked. The color is a little off on this one compared to the others
The next one was shot with the camera at the shortest focal length, with the macro setting on. At this focal length, and this one only, the camera can focus down to an inch or two. Nice for getting close, but bad for trying to light your subject. The light is at a rather low angle here.
At the longest focal length, the macro mode will only focus to about 1 foot. With a +2 close-up lens, I can focus at about 7-8". The longer focal length is better for controlling lighting. This is lit with a desk lamp partially covered with a piece of paper to diffuse it a little. The lamp is about 45 degrees from vertical.
Next, I moved the light to about 20 degrees from vertical and kept the paper in place the light is still somewhat diffused as above.
Which picture do you like the best (nicest to view), and which do you think gives you the best picture of the coin (if you were a buyer)?
John
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
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Comments
Jeremy
Thanks for sharing.
Michael
I don't have the coin in hand, so please look at the all the photos and the coin together and tell us which photo most depicts the color of the coin.
Actually, all of these images are pretty good technically and if they were just a little sharper they will be better than just good.
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"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
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<< <i>Messydesk---It looks like a nice coin for a type set. What's the grade on this coin? Is it slabbed or raw? The second image shows a fine sratch going through the date. Is that on the coin or the holder? Thanks for sharing with us. >>
It was for a client's PCGS 65 set. I hope it is in a PCGS slab with a big ole MS65 on it
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
<< <i>The 1850 is a great date to buy. Most price guides treat it as a common date but its a much better date. >>
I couldn't agree more, which is why I jumped on this one. The PCGS population in 65 is less than that of the 1851-O, and the coin costs much less.
To answer a couple other questions, it is in a PCGS MS65 holder, the scratch across the date is on the holder, the color is somewhere between the first one and the other three. I'm looking at a different monitor today than yesterday, and the bottom ones look too "Dahlonega," while the top one looks too orange, depending on my viewing angle. Getting a sharp picture of something this small with my camera is a challenge, but the turnaround time is better than with my Nikon FM. The sharpest picture is the one I took through the microscope (it is greatly reduced in size from the original picture), but it is also the flattest, and doesn't show the "bling" that the others show. I could have turned up the gain on the edge enhancement filter, but I was trying to stay somewhat dial-up friendly. The bottom picture shows the heavily polished dies the best, while the first shows the design the best. The second one shows the flashy luster the best.
Two rather spendy coins to go, then I hope to get good pictures of the set.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution