Post a photo of your coin photography rig.

Alltheabove76

Camera: Canon 5D Mark II.
Lens: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Lights: Two Jansjo's
Copy Stand
Remote Shutter Release
Expodisc (for perfect white balance)

ambro51

I rest my iPhone on a box 5" above the coin. . ...and I think the images speak for themselves.

keyman64

Mine is pretty bad but I think my results are better than average. I'll get a copy stand and better lights etc one day.

Nikon D300 w/ Nikon 105mm Macro
CFL Bulbs
Gray Card for white balance
I use a 5 second delay shutter release in camera right now.

Weiss

4-year old Canon powershot SD1200, home-made Stone Roses DVD case for the stand, black vinyl portfolio for the backdrop, two off the shelf 21-watt CFLs in the dirty overhead ceiling light 8' above me.



And a typical shot taken with my "rig":

Alltheabove76

Nice coin! (1921 $1)

Weiss

<< <i>Nice coin! (1921 $1) >>



See how good my rig is? The coin is an absolute DOG in person

JerseyJoe

Still need to pick up a proper copy stand.

Alltheabove76

What lens is that?

mgoodm3

BryceM

This is all a work in progress. This little lens was upgraded to a 100mm Canon Macro. Hopefully soon I'll be able to upgrade the camera body. The stand & lights have been enormously helpful.

messydesk

Silver dollar setup shown. For half dollars and smaller coins, I'll use a 200mm AF-D Micro-Nikkor in manual focus mode.

Alltheabove76

Mark, what is the function of the white tray/box?

Broadstruck

vibr0nic

I'm not going to lie. I cleaned up my desk to take this photo.

Sony Alpha a65, Tamron 90mm F2.8 lens, light mounts and stand off eBay, and 2 GE reveal bulbs.



The results are good enough for me to enjoy when I do not have physical access to my collection.

Placid

mgoodm3

<< <i>Mark, what is the function of the white tray/box? >>



The white thing is a slab tilter. It allows me to tilt the slab (I image most coins tilted) consistently as much as I please. It also allows side-to-side tilting to correct for coin tilt inside of the slab if need be.

it also has a nice corner on it so I can consistently place slabs in the same place for slab pictures (easier for post-processing).

Alltheabove76

Very cool. where can one purchase a slab tilter?

mgoodm3

homemade.

illini420

Canon T4i Rebel
Canon Macro Lens EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM (probably didn't need the L-series, but I got a deal)
Mounted to a big heavy copy stand with a tripod mount ring clamped around the lens.
Usually use high color temp CFL bulbs as they stay cool and do not burn me when I move the lights

Love the setup and being able to tether it to my laptop computer and take the shots with the click of the mouse!

JerseyJoe

<< <i>What lens is that? >>




I also have the Canon T4i Rebel
Canon Macro Lens EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM

The copy stand is only 12" so I had to spin it around and build up the height.
The ammo can full of rolled cents is a counterweight to balence the camera.
Also I level the camera before each shoot.

Broadstruck

<< <i>Very cool. where can one purchase a slab tilter? >>



Alltheabove76 this works quite well and PM me for rapid order processing!

Broadstruck

<< <i> >>



mgoodm3, Have you noticed a difference by mass dampening the stand with weights and your heavy granite topped rack as far as vibration isolation is concerned

lkeigwin

I'm very happy with the mirrorless Sony a77. I updated my 180mm Sigma (lower right) to the Minolta 200mm Macro APO G lens. I looked a long time but finally found a slightly used one. Amazing lens!

The focus rail (from Really Right Stuff) is nice for slight focus tweaks, and very handy for stacking (I use the objective on the left and half a ping pong ball as a light defuser -- thanks to rpmsrpms for pointing the way!). The middle lens is a 50mm macro, good for slabs and other larger objects.

I rigged up an AC connector (swapping batteries is a pain), and a toggle switch, lower left, for USB connectivity (moving memory cards is a pain). Not shown is the monitor tethered to the camera for adjusting lighting, focus, etc. Remote shutter dangles on the right, diffusion material at the top (white rip-stop nylon sewn to coat hangers -- a tip from Mark G.).

I mostly use halogen (either PAR 50 floods or Philips Halogena, which I really prefer). I experiment a lot and my study is filled with bulbs. My wife thinks I have a light fetish.
Lance.

LanceNewmanOCC

.
this thread should be linked anytime someone has a question about numismotography!~
.

mgoodm3

<< <i>

<< <i> >>



mgoodm3, Have you noticed a difference by mass dampening the stand with weights and your heavy granite topped rack as far as vibration isolation is concerned >>



For normal coin pics, it won't make a lot of difference. When shooting at very high magnification, mass is useful to dampen any vibrations. There are also sorbothane bumpers between the granite and the table holding it. I would like to brace my copy stand arm to the wall, but haven't gotten around to that.

BryceM

The community here is unbelievably cool. There are several people who have posted who make a decent part of their income from coin photography. Despite that, they freely share their setups, tricks, and secrets. Without great photography, the Internet isn't nearly so useful to us. The free exchange of this information has elevated the game for everyone. Now, even a guy like me can take pretty decent pikshurs.

Everyone wins.

Broadstruck

<< <i>mgoodm3, Have you noticed a difference by mass dampening the stand with weights and your heavy granite topped rack as far as vibration isolation is concerned >>



For normal coin pics, it won't make a lot of difference. When shooting at very high magnification, mass is useful to dampen any vibrations. There are also sorbothane bumpers between the granite and the table holding it. I would like to brace my copy stand arm to the wall, but haven't gotten around to that. >>



Thanks as I also use cork sandwiched between waffled neoprene between the floor and table under the stand which made a major difference with lil feet traffic in the house. The wall mount idea sounds great as it's rigid, however offers no isolation unless your property rural and distanced from a street.

sparky64

Hey messydesk! Does this look familiar? You've come a long way.

messydesk

<< <i>Hey messydesk! Does this look familiar? You've come a long way. >>


Yes, it does! I saw the picture before reading your post and thought, "Hey, that looks familiar."

lusterlover

Very impressive! Any of you guys in the NJ area and want to make a few bucks??

sparky64

<< <i>

<< <i>Hey messydesk! Does this look familiar? You've come a long way. >>


Yes, it does! I saw the picture before reading your post and thought, "Hey, that looks familiar." >>


So glad I got to show you that it's still being put to good use.

Allow me to thank you again, five years after my original "thanks". (Has it really been that long? Yikes!)

rmpsrpms

Here are a couple setups I use.

howards

Here's a custom job made for me 15-20 years ago by collector Dave Noble. Still going strong. That's a Nikon 995 on the stand. Yes, this is in my bathroom. I bounce light off the big mirror - works very well. Looks like it could be a twin to the stand sparky64 posted.

messydesk

<< <i>Here's a custom job made for me 15-20 years ago by collector Dave Noble. Still going strong. That's a Nikon 995 on the stand. Yes, this is in my bathroom. I bounce light off the big mirror - works very well. Looks like it could be a twin to the stand sparky64 posted. >>


It is. I originally got it from Dave.

ambro51

Why do most (all?) of you feel a huge amount of Light is so important?

rmpsrpms

I use a pair of diffused Jansjos, 3W each, and that's more than plenty of light. Occasionally I add a reflector to bounce some light on dark areas of problem coins. Usually the theory is that more light equates to faster shutter speeds, and faster shutter speeds mean vibration has less effect on the image, and less vibration means a sharper image, therefore more light means a sharper image.

Alltheabove76

Lighting is probably the single most important facet of taking a good photo.

Bullsitter

Got my setup last year. Have gotten many tips here on the forum but have miles to go.
.

Here's my best shot so far, any comments, tips welcome....thanks in advance....
.

messydesk

<< <i>Why do most (all?) of you feel a huge amount of Light is so important? >>


It produces better pictures than using a huge amount of dark.

lkeigwin

Lots of light allows faster shutter speeds which yield sharper images. I've heard Phil say he uses very intense lighting. Mark G. will give you the same advice.
Lance.

CoinZip

I would love to share a photo of my setup with you but the last time I did, I got in trouble.

So if you really want to see it......PM me.

morgansforever

<<Lots of light allows faster shutter speeds which yield sharper images. >>

Fast SS such as 1/100? 1/160? Faster?

lkeigwin

<< <i><<Lots of light allows faster shutter speeds which yield sharper images. >>

Fast SS such as 1/100? 1/160? Faster? >>


In the aperture priority mode shutter speed will vary. The below 181.7 was shot at 1/2000 with aperture at f/5.6, ISO 100, using a 200mm lens. Most coins I shoot are probably around 1/160, though.
Lance.

morgansforever

<<The below 181.7 was shot at 1/2000 >>

That is fast. I seem to have pretty good luck shooting Morgans at 1/200 or 1/250, F9, ISO 100, exposure comp +0.7 using a 55mm Micro Nikor. I was told it's better to darken a bright image versus lightening a dark image that's why I bump up the exposure comp. Do you do the same?

Type2

Now i know why my pic look like S@$t But you guys are sick. In a good way.

lkeigwin

<< <i><<The below 181.7 was shot at 1/2000 >>

That is fast. I seem to have pretty good luck shooting Morgans at 1/200 or 1/250, F9, ISO 100, exposure comp +0.7 using a 55mm Micro Nikor. I was told it's better to darken a bright image versus lightening a dark image that's why I bump up the exposure comp. Do you do the same? >>


I'm usually around 1/250 to 1/500 for flashy Morgans. Where you are sounds about right. You can get away with a slightly lower aperture if you want to speed up the shutter. But stay mid-range, say F6 - F9.

If you're shooting raw (I think you are now) then whether you choose to have the camera brighten the image, or use your editor to do the same, is really a matter of preference. I rarely touch the exposure composition setting anymore. It's just an extra step. I will usually tweak exposure with the editor anyway. I'd say experiment a little but do what works best for you. There is no one way to any of this. The best photographers on this forum don't necessarily agree on lighting, cameras, lenses, technique, etc.
Lance.

messydesk

<< <i>The best photographers on this forum don't necessarily agree on lighting, cameras, lenses, technique, etc. >>


I agree. A shopping list of supplies will only get you so far. You have to discover what gives you the results you want, not just in the pictures, but also with respect to your personal workflow.

keyman64

I generally start my shutter at 1/160 and aperture at f/9. I use CFL bulbs so they are not hot and I can easily move my lights around without burning the crap out of myself. Since the quality of my camera is all "there", I can get away with less powerful lights and up my ISO to 400 or even 800...and when I have a dark toned coin with a variety that I am shooting with a 2x Teleconverter stacked on I can even shoot that shot at ISO 1250 and no one ever knows because the quality is there. If I didn't have such a gimmicky setup, I would probably go with hot/bright lights like PCGS uses. Even though I know of a couple of things I will try differently next time I shoot stuff, I am fairly pleased with my results so far.

rmpsrpms

I use a Canon camera in Live View mode, so don't worry so much about Vibration. I run my exposure between 1/4 and 1/30 sec.

lkrarecoins

Can anyone recommend a decent imaging software package for my Nikon D90 that works w/ Windows Vista? Thank you