About lighting ...

CoinOnTheCob

I finally bought a camera. It's a Kodak Z740.

I know what you're thinking ... "Why?"

I wanted a camera that would take adequate macro pics and also adequate family pics.

About lighting

I’d be really interested in hearing, or seeing if you can photograph it, how you set up lighting to photograph coins.

mgoodm3

See the link on my sigline. I have a lot of thoughts there.

CoinOnTheCob

Great link, mgoodm3. Thanks.

nwcs

I really liked the Z740. I had one for quite a while. It's a great digicam. I usually use 2 lights at opposing angles arranged to create the best highlights on the coin. The lights should be at a high angle and diffused if possible.

Gemineye

<< <i>See the link on my sigline. I have a lot of thoughts there. >>



Thanks .......added to my favorites......................

CoinOnTheCob

<< Thanks .......added to my favorites...................... >>

Same here.


<< The lights should be at a high angle and diffused if possible. >>

What do you use, parachute cloth or something?

nwcs

In the past I've used coffee filters and typing paper. Thing gauze can work. I'm going to get some lastolite screens sometime and use more reflected light in my work but haven't tried it yet. That way I beam a lot of light onto a reflector to diffuse the light where and how much I want it.

Russ

Lighting on the cheap.

Russ, NCNE

CoinOnTheCob

NWCS, I think I got ya'.

Nice set up, Russ.

CarlWohlforth

I hold the coin near my sliding glass doors in the morning when the light is from behind. I need to try some of the ideas in mgoodm3's article. It would be nice to have a set up where I could consistently take good photos quickly.

Hobbyist

This is the setup I am using now. It may not be the best in the world and I may not get perfect pictures but it is cheap (a pre-requisite for me ) and I am getting the best pictures I have ever been able to accomplish as a total point and shoot hack. It is also reproduceable from coin to coin and that makes things much better than what I used to do. In other words, I don't have to take 20 different pics hoping to get one that I am satisfied with. One shot, one kill.





The explanation:

http://www.stujoe.com/content/view/47/45/

Of course, most of my coins are raw so I don't have the whole slab hassle to go through. Shooting thorugh 2x2's comes out good too, though.

Burks

Interestingly enough, I've found my best pictures come from having the light behind the camera and coin (I use a timer because of my shakey hands). Just a normal desk lamp and a white light.

I need to invest in a couple more lamps.

messydesk

Variation on this:

13W daylight fluorescent in the desk lamp, 23W daylight fluorescent overhead smoetimes used as a fill light. Desk lamp is moveable, overhead light isn't. The advantage of this setup is that all I have to put away after I'm done is the camera stand. Additional hand-held light I use occasionally not shown. Nikon FE camera body shown for illustration only. The Canon A80 I use was being used to take the picture.