Sample from Latest Photog Setup - Please critque and suggest any improvements
Connecticoin
Posts: 13,109 ✭✭✭✭✭
OK, attached is a sample photo from my latest photog setup (MS66 CAC Gold in case you wondered) - I think it is pretty good, but MAY benefit from more exposure compensation (this is +1/3, perhaps go to +2/3?)
Here is a summary:
Canon EOS Rebel 2i
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens
Camera mounted on copystand with 3 Reveal Incadescent Lights, positioned at high angle adjacent to bottom of lens
Custom White Balance
+1/3 Exposure Compensation
Manual Focus
Av setting
F6.3
Auto ISO
Remote Shutter via Canon software (can focus on computer screen and eliminates camera shake)
Bottom of lens about 12" from coin
Original picture as about 3000x3000, I resized to 1000x1000 pixels
I would like to get the pictures as good as they can be for my Walker registry set (and just better quality overall going forward). Thanks for your feedback, and let me know if you have any questions.
Comments
Looks pretty close to perfect to me. The only thing I could say is maybe some of the luster is missing in the shot? I assume it has a ton if it's a 66 gold CAC
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Excellent photo. My only comment would be to try to improve lighting a bit. A few too many underlit areas - to the left of the E in liberty, through the I in liberty, the top of the date... The trick is to do this while still avoiding overexposure in the brightest areas and still show the luster.
First, it's a very nice photo and demonstrates good technique. This is better than the majority of what shows up on the Internet. The difference from good to WOW is often very, very small. So, if you want me to be critical, while it isn't bad, I think the sharpness could be improved a little. The left rim seems to be in perfect focus while the left fields aren't as sharp. Make sure the lens and coin are perfectly parallel. I use a frog-eye bubble level on the camera and also on the copy stand. I had to shim my camera a bit to get square. A bit of sharpening with post-image processing can also help, but be careful to not overdo it. More light also allows for a narrower aperture size (higher f-stop) which naturally gives a deeper field of view. I use enormous, huge, hot halogen lights that can actually melt the coin gasket inside the holder if you forget and leave the thing in there for half an hour. My typical shutter speeds are 1/1000 or even quicker which also helps with sharpness.
From there, I'd experiment with the position of your lighting a little. For a nice lustrous BU silver coin the lights should be up close and personal with the lens to create high-angle lighting. Your photo shows more-or-less uniform lighting over the surface of the coin which doesn't make the luster pop as good as it could.
This is one of my photos that maybe shows a little better contrast between light and dark areas. I usually shoot for about 5% white glare and 5% black on a coin like this. OK, the sharpness isn't great and there's other stuff I don't like about it, so realize I'm just trying to demonstrate a single thing about lighting.
Really insanely lustrous surfaces are fun to shoot. You can really make it pop by careful positioning of the lights:
Really great picture of a nice coin.... Your photography skills far outweigh anything I could do....so no critique from me. Cheers, RickO
I think the pic is fine but I would add another stop or two of exposure.
Thanks for the feedback, PM sent! The coin is "booming" with luster, so as another poster said, anything to improve the showing of the luster would be great!
super images.
I use nearly the same setup, same camera but a 90mm tamron macro... a lot cheaper.
I also use ACDsee photo software. works well and is reasonably priced.
BUT, what are** 3 Reveal Incadescent Lights**????
thanks
GE Reveal lights. They supposedly produce natural light and are good for coin photography. Not as critical nowadays given that many inexpensive cameras now have custom white balance capability.
thank you for that info. My WB is always on auto as otherwise I am tatooed.
but often it is way off...
How about this one?
(same grade, different coin)
Here is another shot of the OP coin with what appears to be better lighting.