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A new camera means better pictures!!!
keets
Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
I finally managed to get a better camera and I feel I must confess to being a serial photography stalker of....................Russ!!!!
It all started way back when, about 4-5 years ago as we both joined the forum around the same time. Shortly thereafter Russ started showing some fine pictures so I enquired about the camera he was using and eventually I bought a Ricoh RD-3 on eBay, a dinosaur by todays standards but still a handy camera. It used the now defunct SmartMedia Card and had a whopping 1.2 mp's that gave nice pictures, a simple camera to use that came cheap and was suitable for what I was doing. It became troiublesome, though, last year and I needed to replace the cards I was using which was a real hassle and getting expensive since nobody used them anymore.
Well, as Russ moved forward he bought that Nikon 950 last year and I figured I'd follow suit after seeing the picture quality, finally buying one on eBay a few weeks ago. It's a bit more difficult to use than the Ricoh but initially gives me a better quality picture and more flexibility due to better features and increased pixel count, almost double the 1.2 the Ricoh had. It's also easier on batteries and can be used in "the field" instead of just in a home set-up. The trick now is to get better with my lighting and accustomed to the features the Nikon offers.
These are my initial pictures, better by comparison and requiring less manipulation in my PictureIt program than was needed before to balance contrast and color. The blurred picture of the Gilt Liberty Bell does show the fact that in the copy stand the camera isn't very stable. I'll have to figure out how to use the timer!!!
Al H.
It all started way back when, about 4-5 years ago as we both joined the forum around the same time. Shortly thereafter Russ started showing some fine pictures so I enquired about the camera he was using and eventually I bought a Ricoh RD-3 on eBay, a dinosaur by todays standards but still a handy camera. It used the now defunct SmartMedia Card and had a whopping 1.2 mp's that gave nice pictures, a simple camera to use that came cheap and was suitable for what I was doing. It became troiublesome, though, last year and I needed to replace the cards I was using which was a real hassle and getting expensive since nobody used them anymore.
Well, as Russ moved forward he bought that Nikon 950 last year and I figured I'd follow suit after seeing the picture quality, finally buying one on eBay a few weeks ago. It's a bit more difficult to use than the Ricoh but initially gives me a better quality picture and more flexibility due to better features and increased pixel count, almost double the 1.2 the Ricoh had. It's also easier on batteries and can be used in "the field" instead of just in a home set-up. The trick now is to get better with my lighting and accustomed to the features the Nikon offers.
These are my initial pictures, better by comparison and requiring less manipulation in my PictureIt program than was needed before to balance contrast and color. The blurred picture of the Gilt Liberty Bell does show the fact that in the copy stand the camera isn't very stable. I'll have to figure out how to use the timer!!!
Al H.
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Comments
<< <i>Great photos, and I really like the two coins/medals with the Liberty Bell. What are they? >>
HK-24 bronze Liberty Bell- Independance Hall Dollar
The copper is unlistied.
NICE PICS !!
- Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 BC
<< <i>Good shots. I too, am trying to learn how to take pictures but I am a slow learner. I even purchased Photoshop. My daughter said that there are night classes for Photoshop. I never thought I would have to go to night school just to take photos of coins.
There's a good book available to teach PS7 - Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Classroom in a Book. Easy to follow step-by-step approach. They sell for less than $20 on eBay. It might also available at your local library.
I think for most people taking photos on this forum if they would invest $150 in a copy stand and a decent used camera that there would be some fantastic results to share with everyone, just like these.
And yes a timer is a good thing and hopefully is not too hard to figure out.
HK-24 bronze Liberty Bell- Independance Hall Dollar, The copper is unlistied.
actually, the top Liberty Bell is tagged as HK-25, Gilt-----that means NGC got it half correct. it should probably be listed as HK-25a or HK-24a since it is clearly a base planchet which has been gilded(i think that's stated right!!). can't help but think of "gilding the lily" for some reason.
the second one is an Independence Hall Dollar, HK-43, not picture in the book and from what i've gotten in the way of feedback, not seen by anyone although i'm sure there are others out there. it's everything a medal should be with the high relief and great color of brown copper. the surfaces are in great shape except for that fingerprint that the FBI could probably do a 6-point match on and weakness at the inner ring on the obverse, from about 8 o'clock till midnight, due to that bell and old George sucking up all the metal. it just came back as an MS64BN, also unholed.
give me you poor, tired, huddled masses of unholed Liberty Bell Dollars!!!!