Do you tilt your coins when you image them?

coinsarefun · December 14, 2019 9:07AM

I have heard it’s a no no but I feel it represents the coin/token better sometimes as it captures
Detail and even color sometimes. Not a big tilt, I use a piece of paper folded once.
Usually I take a pic tilted and flat and see which represents the coin better.
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Soooooo, are you a coin tilter show us some raw images
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These are raw images
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Broadstruck · December 14, 2019 9:22AM

When shooting raw PL or toned yes but only slightly with an index card or two underneath.

Too great of a tilt and the image sharpness will be soft on one side as it's becoming out of focus.

ctf_error_coins · December 14, 2019 9:29AM

Almost always

How is it a no-no?

ctf_error_coins · December 14, 2019 9:32AM

@Broadstruck said:

Too great of a tilt and the image sharpness will be soft on one side as it's becoming out of focus.

There's a thing called depth of field and hyperfocal distance

Namvet69 · December 14, 2019 9:32AM

Tilting coins allows light to create slight shadows behind subtle raised details especially in weak or worn features. So there! Peace Roy

Broadstruck · December 14, 2019 9:36AM

@ErrorsOnCoins said:

@Broadstruck said:

Too great of a tilt and the image sharpness will be soft on one side as it's becoming out of focus.

There's a thing called depth of field and hyperfocal distance

Yeah depth of field... Never herd of the word hyperfocal before.

Broadstruck · December 14, 2019 9:37AM

@ErrorsOnCoins said:
Almost always

How is it a no-no?

Do you tilt slabs too or just raw?

ctf_error_coins · December 14, 2019 9:40AM

@Broadstruck said:

@ErrorsOnCoins said:

@Broadstruck said:

Too great of a tilt and the image sharpness will be soft on one side as it's becoming out of focus.

There's a thing called depth of field and hyperfocal distance

Yeah depth of field... Never herd of the word hyperfocal before.

Focus between the two points you want in focus

@Broadstruck said:

@ErrorsOnCoins said:
Almost always

How is it a no-no?

Do you tilt slabs too or just raw?

Absolutely, but dealing with glare can become problematic whicht can be taken care of by adjusting the height and angle of the lights.

Broadstruck · December 14, 2019 9:50AM

@ErrorsOnCoins said:

@Broadstruck said:

@ErrorsOnCoins said:

@Broadstruck said:

Too great of a tilt and the image sharpness will be soft on one side as it's becoming out of focus.

There's a thing called depth of field and hyperfocal distance

Yeah depth of field... Never herd of the word hyperfocal before.

Focus between the two points you want in focus

@Broadstruck said:

@ErrorsOnCoins said:
Almost always

How is it a no-no?

Do you tilt slabs too or just raw?

Absolutely, but dealing with glare can become problematic whicht can be taken care of by adjusting the height and angle of the lights.

Also by tilting the camera mounting head on the stand to the same degree as the slab angle.

bolivarshagnasty · December 14, 2019 10:01AM

Yes, I do this often.

crazyhounddog · December 14, 2019 10:06AM

Sometimes, very rarely.

robec · December 14, 2019 10:09AM

99% of the time I leave flat.

FullHorn · December 14, 2019 10:30AM

Coin on the same plane as camera and move the lights around

LanceNewmanOCC · December 14, 2019 10:37AM

@ErrorsOnCoins said:
Almost always

How is it a no-no?

over-exposing a coin can lead to a fantasy look to some and i'm in that camp on a case-by-case. tons of trueviews are done this way. in numismotographer's defense, it is tough to get a middle-ground on a lot of coins. either don't over-expose and it may not show desirable details as stef pointed out and too much and we're chasing the rabbit. basically over-exposing can simply wash-out a coin's look, even when done professionally.

so i stay on-point, great images caf and coin.
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ctf_error_coins · December 14, 2019 10:39AM

@LanceNewmanOCC said:

@ErrorsOnCoins said:
Almost always

How is it a no-no?

over-exposing a coin can lead to a fantasy look to some and i'm in that camp on a case-by-case. tons of trueviews are done this way. in numismotographer's defense, it is tough to get a middle-ground on a lot of coins. either don't over-expose and it may not show desirable details as stef pointed out and too much and we're chasing the rabbit. basically over-exposing can simply wash-out a coin's look, even when done professionally.

so i stay on-point, great images caf and coin.
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WTF are you talking about, Overexposure has nothing to do with tilting???

blu62vette · December 14, 2019 10:44AM

I dont.

Whit · December 14, 2019 10:52AM

Hello all; I have found that tilting the coin is unnecessary under an axial lighting setup. Below is an example , entirely unedited. BTW, the camera is just an ipad.

Whit

Jimnight · December 14, 2019 10:58AM

I haven't been .... but I think I'm going to give it a try.

Smudge · December 14, 2019 11:07AM

Stop down.

Dave99B · December 14, 2019 11:15AM

Yes, but very slightly. All my coins are toned, and I think it renders a truer image of the coin.

Dave

OKCC · December 14, 2019 11:27AM

@Whit said:
Hello all; I have found that tilting the coin is unnecessary under an axial lighting setup. Below is an example , entirely unedited. BTW, the camera is just an ipad.

Whit

I don't understand this axial setup using a cardboard tube.
I thought axial lighting was sideways light directed through a tilted pane of glass, and then shooting the picture through the tilted glass, or something like that.

bsshog40 · December 14, 2019 11:47AM

I haven't taken many pics for quite a while now. I use to tilt a lot but I then I started using a diffuser to get rid of glare. Helped a lot.

Twobitcollector · December 14, 2019 11:49AM

I lean mine against my coffee cup coaster, sometimes the coffee cup is in it. I just took this a moment ago

Gluggo · December 14, 2019 12:09PM

I have a special platform I made that swivels different angles. These were shot on my swivel platform. It is actually a woman’s mirror from Walmart $10.00 special, for make up I unbolted and converted to a swivel base.
I added these two side by side same coins!

lkeigwin · December 14, 2019 12:17PM

@OKCC said:
I don't understand this axial setup using a cardboard tube.
I thought axial lighting was sideways light directed through a tilted pane of glass, and then shooting the picture through the tilted glass, or something like that.

You are correct. This is axial lighting.
Lance.

lkeigwin · December 14, 2019 12:22PM

No, I don't tilt coins. No need.

When a coin is tilted in a slab and cannot be rapped back into place I will use a shim to get it square to the camera. Annoying but sometimes necessary.
Lance.

Gluggo · December 14, 2019 12:48PM

Ikeigwin what is the exact type of sheet clear glass to use? Would a picture frame glass work? I tried that once had a hard time getting results. I was thinking a special type of glass maybe. TYIA

Azurescens · December 14, 2019 1:03PM

Absolutely! If I'm selling a coin to someone, they're gonna see pictures that are overexposed (shows flaws, does nothing for luster and color etc), tilted in natural light and one of my bulbs. I try to mix it up a little so they have a better idea what it's gonna look like when they get it. I'd feel pretty bad giving one set of photos and it looks nothing like it in hand.

There are just some shots that look like they're revealing the coin but they're actually just glamour shots and it's bad busines imo. I want someone to know the surfaces are clean and detailed even if the shot generally sucks. They're not gonna find an old staple gouge under a particularly dark area, for example, in certain types of pictures.

I'm not saying it's bad business if you don't do exactly what I do (far from it), but glamour shots are just not for me. More returns and wasted time and the coin they bought only looks good to friends online for Internet points, but sucks to observe now and again.

Fairlaneman · December 14, 2019 1:19PM

Picture just taken.
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And my very Technical set up.
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Ken

Gluggo · December 14, 2019 2:00PM

A better side by side showing the different angles

Whit · December 14, 2019 2:04PM

@OKCC said:

I don't understand this axial setup using a cardboard tube.
I thought axial lighting was sideways light directed through a tilted pane of glass, and then shooting the picture through the tilted glass, or something like that.

That is correct (as shown by Ikeigwin above). The tube ensures that the coin is being lit exclusively from above. Here is a site that discusses this:

https://www.diyphotography.net/use-mirrors-get-perfect-axial-lighting-macro-subjects/

bsshog40 · December 14, 2019 2:12PM

I forgot to add that if I need to tilt, I made this some years back.
https://youtu.be/BVfHfmdJVsg

messydesk · December 14, 2019 2:35PM

I'll do what it takes. Sometimes that means a slight tilt.

OKCC · December 14, 2019 8:49PM

@Whit said:

@OKCC said:

I don't understand this axial setup using a cardboard tube.
I thought axial lighting was sideways light directed through a tilted pane of glass, and then shooting the picture through the tilted glass, or something like that.

That is correct (as shown by Ikeigwin above). The tube ensures that the coin is being lit exclusively from above. Here is a site that discusses this:

https://www.diyphotography.net/use-mirrors-get-perfect-axial-lighting-macro-subjects/

OK, I got it. The tube goes under the glass to block the sideways light. Thanks much for the link info.

lkeigwin · December 14, 2019 9:31PM

@Gluggo said:
Ikeigwin what is the exact type of sheet clear glass to use? Would a picture frame glass work? I tried that once had a hard time getting results. I was thinking a special type of glass maybe. TYIA

I don't know. I've used the same in my experiments. Picture frame glass. I've never gotten great results.

FWIW, Phil has told me he has never used axial lighting.
Lance.

Gluggo · December 14, 2019 9:38PM

Thank you Ike!

emeraldATV · December 14, 2019 9:55PM

"...TILT..."

messydesk · December 14, 2019 10:20PM

@lkeigwin said:

@Gluggo said:
Ikeigwin what is the exact type of sheet clear glass to use? Would a picture frame glass work? I tried that once had a hard time getting results. I was thinking a special type of glass maybe. TYIA

I don't know. I've used the same in my experiments. Picture frame glass. I've never gotten great results.

FWIW, Phil has told me he has never used axial lighting.
Lance.

I never found it to be very useful, so it's not a technique I consider using.

Insider2 · December 15, 2019 6:01AM

Yes, most of the time. Now if I can only figure out the "white" balance...LOL.

LanceNewmanOCC · December 17, 2019 7:33AM

@coinsarefun said:
I have heard it’s a no no but I feel it represents the coin/token better sometimes as it captures
Detail and even color sometimes.

was the no-no reason because of possible lack of focus at sides of the coin like someone mentioned in one of the first few posts or because of brightness issues?

i was aiming at over-exposure/brightness/glare etc issues but that may not have been what you were thinking.
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coinsarefun · December 17, 2019 12:30PM

I thank everyone for your comments. As I said at the beginning of this thread, I do tilt once in a while when needed but
very slightly.

DoubleEagle59 · December 17, 2019 3:02PM

Quite often called the 'Ebay tilt', as the picture results in a more lusterous and colorful coin while hiding the surface imperfections.

Great for selling.

Not so good for buying.

Do you tilt your coins when you image them?

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