Playing with a borrowed macro lens; still have a lot to learn

ponderit

Be gentle, I know focus is off on some among other things










Thanks, Bill

Raybo

It's not the focus, you need to "true" the coin to the platform.

Purchase a small level from Home Depot (or any other hardware store) and try again..............I use to have the same problem!

PinkFloyd

Agreed with the level.

I suppose you could also try shooting at a higher F-stop--thus gaining a larger depth of field (smaller aperture). Might improve the focus.

But you're definitely on the right track.

ponderit

Thanks for the advise. I'll keep working on it. I'm off to our monthly coin show today and hope to add a few to my "coins that need shot" list!
Have a great day everybody...

ricko

Much better than my pictures.... Cheers, RickO

Casman

<< <i>It's not the focus, you need to "true" the coin to the platform.

Purchase a small level from Home Depot (or any other hardware store) and try again..............I use to have the same problem! >>




Ok guys, Can someone explain. I've read through Mark G's Book and don't recall anything about a level. In fact, for coins in slabs, I thought we were supposed to tilt the slab. I'd need a sketch or something. What is supposed to be level?

coinkid855

<< <i>

<< <i>It's not the focus, you need to "true" the coin to the platform.

Purchase a small level from Home Depot (or any other hardware store) and try again..............I use to have the same problem! >>




Ok guys, Can someone explain. I've read through Mark G's Book and don't recall anything about a level. In fact, for coins in slabs, I thought we were supposed to tilt the slab. I'd need a sketch or something. What is supposed to be level? >>




With a macro lens, there's a very narrow depth of field. Essentially, only a small plane parallel with the lens will be in focus. You need the lens and the coin to be exactly level with regards to eachother. The tilting the slab mentioned in the book was to tilt a coin which was already tilted in the slab back into the level plane with the lens.



Good luck!


-Paul

mgoodm3

The images look to be more than tilting. I feel like the aperture is close to wide open (low number). Needs to be stopped down somewhere in the F8 range. If you shoot in A mode, you can set a fixed aperture such as that.

mgoodm3

<< <i>

<< <i>It's not the focus, you need to "true" the coin to the platform.

Purchase a small level from Home Depot (or any other hardware store) and try again..............I use to have the same problem! >>




Ok guys, Can someone explain. I've read through Mark G's Book and don't recall anything about a level. In fact, for coins in slabs, I thought we were supposed to tilt the slab. I'd need a sketch or something. What is supposed to be level? >>



I don't use a level. I just eyeball the level of the camera from several feet away. I eyeball the coin in the viewfinder to get everything level in the picture.

ponderit

Thanks Mark, I bought your book from you about a year ago... I always appreciate great customer service

lcoopie

you are at F4.8
that gives a very small area of focus

as mentioned
go to F11 in Aperature priority

this will give you a slower shutter

are you using a copy stand?
you will need it.

focus manually

baddogss

I like the color of the lights you are using, bright, yet natural. Bob

messydesk

I've mentioned the bulls-eye bubble level before. I find it useful (except when coins are tilted in old NGC or ANACS holders).

Which lens and camera are you using?

- Your lights are too low on the Morgan dollar, which is causing you to light up the edges of the devices more than the fields of the coin.
- The tilt on the 31-S Buffalo is causing you to lose focus. I can't see the camera settings that you used, but as Mark said, use aperture priority and set the lens for f8. You can get away with a little tilt, but prefer to adjust the lights with the coin parallel to the imaging plane of the camera first. The tilt on this coin is enough to make it no longer round, as well. I will rarely tilt anything other than a proof, and even then it will be a very small amount, on the order of a credit card under one side of the slab with the camera over a foot away.
- It seems as though there are two differently colored light sources entering your pictures, especially when I look at the 1919(?) Buffalo reverse (the second picture).