Home U.S. Coin Forum

New Camera .. Large Images.. Dial upers beware....

So I went today I finally did it. I got the Canon EOS 30D. I am loving the camera so far. It is head and heals above my Canon EOS Digital Rebel. There is nothing to say about it but good things. The Rebel is good and I would HIGHLY recommend it. All the coin photos you have seen up to this point from me have been taken with it. I knew when I got a better camera one of the main differences would be in close up shots. Anyhow Lets get down to the goods. Photo sizes are at 100 percent and no messed with other than cropping.

Here is a close up with my old Digital Rebel

image

Here is a close up with the 30D

image

Comments

  • mrearlygoldmrearlygold Posts: 17,858 ✭✭✭
    Great closeup! What kind of lighting/set up do you have in addition to the camera?
  • Nice! I use a 30D as well. It is great for sports photography because of the 5 frames per second and the 11 frame (at least that's what I get shooting RAW) buffer.


  • << <i>Great closeup! What kind of lighting/set up do you have in addition to the camera? >>



    I am using 2 OTT lights. One on each side. Lighting has not changed. My camera skills may have gotten a bit better since the first shot.
  • FletcherFletcher Posts: 3,294
    OK ... I think that they are a little blurry, but I am having the same problem with a stellar set-up as well. Are you shooting in RAW mode or jpeg???

    image

  • I shot these are Jpegs. The first one is a bit blurry I admit. The 2nd is not blurry at all. Take a look at it image
  • Which lens do you have?


  • << <i>Which lens do you have? >>



    This was taken with the stock lens and set of close up rings. The Stock lens in 18-55MM.
  • JapanJohnJapanJohn Posts: 2,030
    I had a 20D which I loved. The first is a little blurry. You may want to bump up the in camera sharpening or apply just a bit of sharpening post processing. I don't think that's cheating at all since all cameras handle sharpness differently.

    Also try a manul focus. You may be surprised to find that you can get it razor sharp manually. Auto focus is a wonderful thinkg but I can almost always focus sharper manually. I don't always do it but your eyes usually see it better than the chip in the camera.

    Good job.

    John
    Coin Photos

    Never view my other linked pages. They aren't coin related.
  • John the first shot was long ago before I really mastered my Rebel. If I reshot it now it would be clear as day. I do agree that the manual focus setting works wonders.
  • FletcherFletcher Posts: 3,294
    Don't get me wrong, the second one is a great shot ... but, still a tad blurry. However, I think that it may be the in-camera jpeg compression. I would like to hear what Mark or Lee G think about it.

    image

  • You may be right about it all. I do not really see the blurriness you speak of.
  • mrearlygoldmrearlygold Posts: 17,858 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Great closeup! What kind of lighting/set up do you have in addition to the camera? >>



    I am using 2 OTT lights. One on each side. Lighting has not changed. My camera skills may have gotten a bit better since the first shot. >>



    how does that baby shoot gold coins? Any chance of you showing a pic of your ligthing set up? I saw on ebay several camera's like yours and they seem to be in the 1300-1400 range . But there's another version that has a telephoto I think that's 2100 and change. Which is the recommended path?

    Thanks! Great closeup. I'd really like to learn how to take em like that.
  • FletcherFletcher Posts: 3,294
    Just as an example, here is a pic I recently took of a feuchtwanger cent. I like it, however, it just doesn't compare to Mark or Lee G's sharpness. I also understand that there are depth of field issues, but I think that the main culprit may be the in-camera jpeg compression. I, like you, am just trying to get the perfect shot...

    image

    image



  • I see what you are getting at. Good luck. I will expierment some and see what I come up with.
  • JapanJohnJapanJohn Posts: 2,030
    Depth of field. Use a higher number on the aperture. I shoot most of my stuff over 7.

    Sometimes 2 will nail it and sometimes 22 will. Coins are tricky little devils.

    John
    Coin Photos

    Never view my other linked pages. They aren't coin related.
  • mgoodm3mgoodm3 Posts: 17,497 ✭✭✭
    Extremely high or low apertures will kill your image sharpness
    coinimaging.com/my photography articles Check out the new macro lens testing section
  • Nice pic. Your new camera really improved the white balance. I do see some softness at the outer edges though, but that is jpeg which does most of it's compression at the outer edges of the pic. I've gotten best result with my highest resolution jpeg setting since my camera doesn't have RAW.


    image


  • << <i>Nice pic. Your new camera really improved the white balance. I do see some softness at the outer edges though, but that is jpeg which does most of it's compression at the outer edges of the pic. I've gotten best result with my highest resolution jpeg setting since my camera doesn't have RAW. >>



    The white balance is the same. The difference is the picture taking. I have gotten alot better at coin pics since the first picture was taken... Here is one with the new camera cropped out some...

    image

    Also the first Morgan is not white either. It is the color shown. Offwhite, kinda brownish.
  • mrearlygoldmrearlygold Posts: 17,858 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Depth of field. Use a higher number on the aperture. I shoot most of my stuff over 7.

    Sometimes 2 will nail it and sometimes 22 will. Coins are tricky little devils.

    John >>



    Dang, every camera doesn't have this.
  • sbeverlysbeverly Posts: 962 ✭✭✭
    I have noticed in some of my pics that when the aperture is wide open on a high
    relief coin, that there is some softness in either the background or high points.

    When I close down the Iris, the depth of field is such that background and
    high points are sharp.
    Positive transactions with Cladiator, Meltdown, ajbauman, LeeG, route66,DennisH,Hmann,FilamCoins,mgoodm3,terburn88,MrOrganic, weg,dcarr,guitarwes,Zubie,Barndog,wondercoin,braddick,etc...
  • messydeskmessydesk Posts: 19,642 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Which lens do you have? >>



    This was taken with the stock lens and set of close up rings. The Stock lens in 18-55MM. >>


    Nice pictures, but you can see a shortcoming of using the stock lens for macro if you look at the letters PLU and the upper parts of the rim where there is a lot of contrast. You are losing a little edge sharpness in the form of color fringing. The outer parts of these highlights are outlined in blue and the inner parts in orange. Mind you, I'm really picking nits here, but I wanted to point out that's one of the things you'll not see with a dedicated macro lens. You can minimize this by keeping the subject away from the edge of the picture. When starting with 10 MP and posting to the web, you have a few edge pixels to spare.


  • << <i>

    << <i>

    << <i>Which lens do you have? >>



    This was taken with the stock lens and set of close up rings. The Stock lens in 18-55MM. >>


    Nice pictures, but you can see a shortcoming of using the stock lens for macro if you look at the letters PLU and the upper parts of the rim where there is a lot of contrast. You are losing a little edge sharpness in the form of color fringing. The outer parts of these highlights are outlined in blue and the inner parts in orange. Mind you, I'm really picking nits here, but I wanted to point out that's one of the things you'll not see with a dedicated macro lens. You can minimize this by keeping the subject away from the edge of the picture. When starting with 10 MP and posting to the web, you have a few edge pixels to spare. >>



    I have a macro lens. I wil; pull it out later and give it a try.
  • LucyBopLucyBop Posts: 14,004 ✭✭✭
    groooovy!
    imageBe Bop A Lula!!
    "Senorita HepKitty"
    "I want a real cool Kitty from Hepcat City, to stay in step with me" - Bill Carter
  • LanLordLanLord Posts: 11,672 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Depth of field. Use a higher number on the aperture. I shoot most of my stuff over 7. Sometimes 2 will nail it and sometimes 22 will. Coins are tricky little devils. John >>

    Dang, every camera doesn't have this. >>

    Even if your camara doesn't have an apature setting, you can manipulate it by increasing the exposure and allowing the camara to increase the F-stop. If your camara doesn't have an exposure setting that you can set, get another camara.


  • << <i>I have noticed in some of my pics that when the aperture is wide open on a high
    relief coin, that there is some softness in either the background or high points.

    When I close down the Iris, the depth of field is such that background and
    high points are sharp. >>



    It's the same principle as using the wide open lens to take an outdoor portrait and focus on the person and the leaves or whatever in the background will be slightly out of focus and soften them. Close down the lens and you can take someone's portrait in front of a mountain miles away and have them both in focus. Knowing the focus range of the f-stop setting is the purpose of the white lines on the ring of the lens with the aperature numbers.


    image
  • LongacreLongacre Posts: 16,717 ✭✭✭
    The first is a little blurry, but the second is really nice!
    Always took candy from strangers
    Didn't wanna get me no trade
    Never want to be like papa
    Working for the boss every night and day
    --"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)


  • << <i>The first is a little blurry, but the second is really nice! >>



    The first one is not even close the 2nd one. I was just mainly showing the size.
  • jdsinvajdsinva Posts: 1,508
    Since you didn't image the same coin, I don't think it can be considered a fair comparison. The 30D is an excellent picture. Were they both photographed with the same setup (i.e. lighting) or were they different too?
    Jeff

    image

    Semper ubi sub ubi
  • Same lighting, Diff Cameras. My photo skills have gotten a bit better as well. I will image the 1884 CC with the rebel so we can get a fair shake.
  • jdsinvajdsinva Posts: 1,508
    I was just curious. I just got a Rebel XT and I'm loving mine right now, even though there are *supposedly* better Canon models available. Maybe if I feel my skills can justify a pricier camera camera, I'll make the jump later, but I'm having fun with my new camera right now. It acts and feels like my film Rebel. . .
    Jeff

    image

    Semper ubi sub ubi
  • They are very nice. I love them. My rebel served me about 16000 shots. I still have it. I shoot all sorts of things.

Leave a Comment

BoldItalicStrikethroughOrdered listUnordered list
Emoji
Image
Align leftAlign centerAlign rightToggle HTML viewToggle full pageToggle lights
Drop image/file