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Trying new lighting/photography methods. Comments? (Dialuppers beware!)

Still not at the level of those with professional equipment, but I think it's an improvement over my earlier morgan toner images. Overall I'm happy with the results. I still need to be careful with glare, both off the slab, and the brighter portions of the coin.

For those curious what I changed, I've added a second Ott light, am taking the shots straight on rather than an angle, and have switched to using the "Super Macro Mode with Manual Focus". I think the manual focus gives better results than the autofocus, but I could be mistaken...

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Comments

  • tightbudgettightbudget Posts: 7,299 ✭✭✭
    Excellent!
  • nice luster on the first two...65 and 63+ and au 53...maybe give '86 a 64

    Great pictures!
  • direwolf1972direwolf1972 Posts: 2,076 ✭✭✭
    Great pics.

    Other than the two OTT lights what are your other lighting conditions in the room?

    Just curious I am practicing myself but dont have anything I feel like posting this late. image
    I'll see your bunny with a pancake on his head and raise you a Siamese cat with a miniature pumpkin on his head.

    You wouldn't believe how long it took to get him to sit still for this.


  • TexastTexast Posts: 1,899 ✭✭✭✭
    Exceptional pictures! What type of lights are you using, also what material are you using for the solid black background?
    On BS&T Now: Nothing.
    Fighting the Fight for 11 Years with the big "C" - Never Ever Give Up!
    Member PCGS Open Forum board 2002 - 2006 (closed end of 2006) Current board since 2006 Successful trades with many members, over the past two decades, never a bad deal.
  • coinkid855coinkid855 Posts: 5,012 ✭✭✭
    A heck of a lot better than mine!! Very nice!
  • UtahCoinUtahCoin Posts: 5,366 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Very very nice. Remind us, what camera and lens are you using?
    I used to be somebody, now I'm just a coin collector.
    Recipient of the coveted "You Suck" award, April 2009 for cherrypicking a 1833 CBHD LM-5, and April 2022 for a 1835 LM-12, and again in Aug 2012 for picking off a 1952 FS-902.
  • MesquiteMesquite Posts: 4,075 ✭✭✭
    Those are excellent shots of some great Morgans!
    There are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation. One is by the sword. The other is by debt.
    –John Adams, 1826
  • Nice pics. I agree with you that auto focus just isn't sharp enough for macro shots of coins.


    image
  • IrishMikeIrishMike Posts: 7,737 ✭✭✭
    Very nice photos, about a year ago I bought a third Ott light, this time a bulb to put in a goose neck which I set at 12:00 high. On some cameras the autofocus is much better than the manual for macro and extremely sharp as is the case on my Olympus. Whether or not to use manual or auto depends on the cameras capabilities.
  • dorkkarldorkkarl Posts: 12,691 ✭✭✭
    outstanding digi-pics, & very nice coins also

    K S
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Very nice photographs... your skills are certainly improved. Cheers, RickO
  • mgoodm3mgoodm3 Posts: 17,497 ✭✭✭
    Nice pics. No significant problems with those.
    coinimaging.com/my photography articles Check out the new macro lens testing section
  • lkrarecoinslkrarecoins Posts: 2,137 ✭✭✭
    Damn! You can see Ms. Liberty's blackheads! Awesome pix

    In Loving Memory of my Dad......My best friend, My inspiration, and My Coin Collecting Partner

    "La Vostra Nonna Ha Faccia Del Fungo"
  • coinpicturescoinpictures Posts: 5,345 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Great pics.

    Other than the two OTT lights what are your other lighting conditions in the room? >>



    I try to take pictures at night, so that the ONLY light in the room are the 2 Ott lights. My cats look at me strangely, but oh well. image

    I can see where having an SLR and macro lens would help. As it is, I have to have the camera 5 inches from the coin, which presents a problem with even lighting, as the camera body casts a shadow over the coin. As someone else recommended, I may get a 3rd Ott bulb and a gooseneck lamp to try and minimize that effect.

    Slab sits on a 4x6 white sheet of paper; the base of the copy stand itself is black. The 2 Ott lights are seated on wooden blocks to raise them up slightly so they are above the level of the camera. The two Otts form roughly a 90-degree angle.



    << <i>Very very nice. Remind us, what camera and lens are you using? >>



    It's just a consumer-grade digital camera: Olympus C-7070 Wide Zoom bought from Dell back in early 2005 (I think). They were running one of their special coupons and I picked it up for $250 or so. No add-on lens. image

    Since some were guessing grades:

    1881: NGC MS64
    1886: NGC MS63 (old fattie slab)
    1878-S: NGC MS64 (lustre isn't really apparent in pictures)

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