Show the Toning Project!!
in2Coins
Posts: 365 ✭✭✭✭✭
Posted about a month ago about finally being able to photograph proof well with some proper tooling. When I say proper tooling, I meant "precision tooling" that were held with tight tolerance!! Since I finished my work project, I had some time to tinker around this super fun personal project that included coins and photography...of coins! Cost me some money but not a lot....I think!
First, I want to describe my coin photography gears. I use a Nikon D800 Full Frame Body; Remote Control (wired), Nikon Nikkor 85mm PC Micro Tilt-Shift Lens; 20mm-30mm Extension; Nikon Nikkor 105mm 4.0 Manual Lens, Copy Stand and various lighting (OTT lighting preference). I have others but I won't list them since they are not for macro photography. Hint, do NOT buy full frame body for coin photography....It is way overkill! You also miss extra magnification with FF body. If you buy a camera body, get one that has a mirror lock-up capability. It will help with sharpness. Or, buy one of the latest body design that are mirror less.
With my Tilt-Shift Macro lens, I never had any problem showing my coins toning. This lens is almost perfectly built for coin photography in IMHO. It is pricey but worth every penny! I did however found proof coins to be challenging. With proof, I found the main issues were lighting and coin's angle/position to the lighting used. I've also read so many posts about other members asking set-up used that showed beautiful coin toning. So, the project began to get the tooling needed for coin photography and also help (I hope I am) other members in mind....
Initial prototype phase, (told you I had fun!), I modeled a block using Inventor software with specific angle in mind and had it precision milled with 6061 AL material (all I had at the time). After work, I would take photos of 1 proof, 2 toned coin and 1 graded coin (PCGS of course) every night for almost 1 month! The objectives were, use one light source to start and keep the lighting location almost at same area related to the angle block's location that best shows toning, minimized glare etc. They were lots of incremental adjustments until the correct angle was met. I'm talking about degrees in seconds adjustments and flatness w/in .002 inches. Please see flatness result with mapping....LOL!!
Final block's material will be hard plastic to prevent damage to any coins in case if accidental drop....
Photos below shows Lens used. Nikon Nikkor 85mm F2.8 PC Tilt-Shift ($1300 plus new) vs Nikon 105mm F4.0 Manual Lens ($150-$200 used ebay). Make no mistake, the Tilt lens is super sharp!
I will only show toned coins for now......
As you can see on the below photos, with the penny and peace dollar placed on the angled block, both coin's toning shows well on both lenses. With the 105mm manual macro lens F-stop was set to F14, the coin's photo is sharp.
The photos below with 105mm Macro lens used shows the difference, I mean huge difference with coins shot using angled block vs w/out angled block (or straight perpendicular shot). Problem for most member. It maybe the lighting I was using? Maybe
Block and Inspection data (scanned/mapped) of surface Flatness.
I have friends and some co-workers that also collect coins. I showed them the project's results and they all want one!!!
Please critique, dissect and/or provide your opinion....everything needs improvement!
Comments
Very impressive work there @in2Coins .... I'd say you have it down
Do you have any trouble capturing color with colorfully toned proofs in slabs?
- Bob -
MPL's - Lincolns of Color
Central Valley Roosevelts
I have a couple of Proof Blue Toned Franklin in PCGS slab. Need to find them first...
. I will try that next. I did take a photo of a Deep Cameo (not toned) in a slab. Came out nice.
Found the toned proof Franklin. Haven't seen this coin for a while. Not heavily toned, but it does have the blue hue around the coin and the photos represents the coin perfectly. Scratches are on the slab.
Sounds like a great setup. You barely touched on the lighting. What is your setup for light?
Thanks for sharing.
My lighting setup consists of 2 ott lights. Warmed up about 5-10mins prior to taking photos.
Raw coins are pretty easy to take photos of. Coins in slabs is a different story. Had to move the lighting position around. Just like anything else, practice and patience....
Wow.... You have turned coin photography into a scientific endeavor.....Great pictures. Cheers, RickO
One would think depth of field would be an issue photographing an uneven surface.
Not digging all the AT but you certainly have one hell of a camera setup there. Best pictures I've seen on this site. Congrats!
The whole worlds off its rocker, buy Gold™.
BOOMIN!™
Wooooha! Did someone just say it's officially "TACO™" Tuesday????
Neat project and beautiful images! I admire your hard work and dedication.
If I recall, three points -- or a line and a point -- define a plane. It thus wouldn't be necessary to have an exquisitely flat wedge on which to position the coin at a given angle -- their orientation is determined by whichever three points contact the surface.
There are a number of mechanisms that could be used to provide those contact points -- some cheap and crude, some expensive and elegant. Would a goniometer stage be of some benefit to others who want to experiment to find optimal angles at which to image their coins?
I suspect that the placement of coins within slabs, and the dimension of the slabs, is not very reproducible from coin to coin. A goniometer stage or other adjustable mechanism could help compensate for these variations.
Thanks! I did thought about the goniometer stage which would definitely help due to coins placements in slabs not being reproducible. But the one I had in mind was going to put this project way out of budget. I wanted the 3D stage. Setting the F stop at around f11 to f14 really helps get the plane in focused due to compounded angle issue.
I wanted something more affordable for the members to use. I guess one of my point with this exercise was you don’t need a lens like the Tilt-Shift. You can use normal macro lens priced considerably less and still get the result you want. The only missing part is that one right tool to make all work in this case the angled block.
The goniometer is pretty cool devices for angling coins, though the coin would then be out of round. Most of the coin would be out of focus, unless the coin was angled only a few degrees.
Another inexpensive device levels the camera/lens with both side to side and front to back adjustment screws.
- Bob -
MPL's - Lincolns of Color
Central Valley Roosevelts
Awesome! Geeky in a very good way!
Smitten with DBLCs.
@robec
I guess I’m not alone! That’s a lot of pieces. Do they come as a set? I like those blue anodized adjustment knurled knobs!
It's called a Desmond DLEV-1 Leveling Base. @Swampboy showed this to me last July. You can find it at B&H Photo.
https://bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1153084-REG/desmond_dlev_1_leveler.html
- Bob -
MPL's - Lincolns of Color
Central Valley Roosevelts
@ robec
Thanks!