Any interest in dedicated coin macro photo stand?

rmpsrpms · April 25, 2011 10:17AM

I'm looking at a stack of stuff I have from various projects and am thinking of putting it all together into some hopefully useful items. I have microscope stands, camera bellows units, LED lamps, and macro lenses and think they might go together to form some nice dedicated coin macro photo setups. I already use something similar myself so know they work very well. Nice thing about a dedicated setup is the camera comes off easily so you can use it for other purposes. Now the question is, how much would this be worth to folks? Lens quality would set the price, but even the cheapest I would offer would be a match for most dedicated macro lenses (no kidding). So, please take the poll so I can see if it's worth trying this idea out.

cheezhed · April 25, 2011 1:28PM

Interested.

mrearlygold · April 25, 2011 2:19PM

What would it cost and can you show an example of what it can do?

rmpsrpms · April 25, 2011 2:29PM

OK, finished putting one together. I had to build a mounting adapter to mount the bellows to the stand. This setup has:

- Bausch & Lomb Microscope "A" stand, older gray-painted model with brass bushings
- New reversible black/white stage plate
- Vivitar Bellows, T-Mount both ends
- Spiratone (HAMA Japan) 75mm Flat Field Macro lens, T-Mount
- Nikon T-Mount adapter (you could mount any camera with appropriate adapter)
- My personal LED's are shown but I have more available

I verified that this setup can image up to bigger than a dollar size (position shown fills screen with dollar and it can go farther), or down to smaller than a cent, all without extra extensions. Note that the 75mm lens still leaves plenty of room for flexible lighting.

Here is the pic:

rmpsrpms · April 25, 2011 2:41PM

<< What would it cost and can you show an example of what it can do? >>

Here's a pic of the '21 Morgan (soon to melt), with everything set up exactly as shown in the first photo. Taken with a Nikon D7000, lens set to f/8:

robkool · April 25, 2011 2:49PM

Very kool set-up... I like it !!!

canadanz · April 25, 2011 3:29PM

I'm quite interested. Not sure how much I'd pay. What all would be included?

Edit: I see what would would be included in the poll description. Very interested to see what the price is going to be like. Very.

Moldnut · April 25, 2011 3:33PM

M...I...C...K....E.....Y..........M...O...U...S....E!

Just kidding!

coin22lover · April 25, 2011 3:59PM

Could you hook up a Canon Powershot point and shoot camera to that gizmo? If so, how?

TwoSides2aCoin · April 25, 2011 9:57PM

I'm just boosting your thread because you've done an outstanding presentation, as it were. I didn't vote in the poll because it didn't have the selection : "Where could I order one for under a hundred ? "

rmpsrpms · April 25, 2011 11:02PM

<< Could you hook up a Canon Powershot point and shoot camera to that gizmo? If so, how? >>

Nope, wouldn't work. This is set up for a camera body that doesn't have a lens, ie a DSLR. Any DSLR should work with the right adapter, but point and shoot cameras have lenses already. You can put a point and shoot up to a microscope eyepiece and snap a pic but this is not a microscope, just uses a microscope stand as a "copy stand".

canadanz · April 25, 2011 11:15PM

So how much is this likely to cost as pictured above with that lens and Nikon adapter?

rmpsrpms · April 25, 2011 11:21PM

<< I'm just boosting your thread because you've done an outstanding presentation, as it were. I didn't vote in the poll because it didn't have the selection : "Where could I order one for under a hundred ? " >>

I figured the $100 choice was low enough to see where people's heads were. This thing is meant to take the place of a dedicated macro lens and copy stand, so is going to be a lot more than $100. I figure $300 for the one shown, including lighting.

duxbutt · April 25, 2011 11:35PM

Photographicly challenged here. Thanks. I have a Canon s5is that is about 3-4 years old. just a regular digital with a fixed lens. Not a SLR type thingy. Sorry for the Verbage. Would a set up like yours work on my camera? Love the Photo. Please add more photos. Let me know when you have a chance. Thanks Dan

rmpsrpms · April 25, 2011 11:43PM

<< Photographicly challenged here. Thanks. I have a Canon s5is that is about 3-4 years old. just a regular digital with a fixed lens. Not a SLR type thingy. Sorry for the Verbage. Would a set up like yours work on my camera? Love the Photo. Please add more photos. Let me know when you have a chance. Thanks Dan >>

As-is this setup won't help you. You need to be able to remove the lens from the camera and mount the body on the bellows. You could just use the stand as a copy stand, but your camera would need to be able to focus fairly close. What is the minimum working distance from the tripod mount to the subject for your camera?

canadanz · April 25, 2011 11:53PM

<< 

<< I'm just boosting your thread because you've done an outstanding presentation, as it were. I didn't vote in the poll because it didn't have the selection : "Where could I order one for under a hundred ? " >>

I figured the $100 choice was low enough to see where people's heads were. This thing is meant to take the place of a dedicated macro lens and copy stand, so is going to be a lot more than $100. I figure $300 for the one shown, including lighting. >>

$300 including lighting, lens, mount adapter, everything? Shipped?

Excuse my ignorance, but I've got a D5000 and am unsure how the T-Mount works exactly. Would this spiratone lens work on any Nikon DSLR with the proper T-Mount adapter?

What is the footprint of this thing, and how tall is it? It really looks pretty compact which would be amazing for me.

TPRC · April 26, 2011 12:26AM

I'll take one

So..all I would need would be a camera body and a hook up to my computer? As you can tell, I am very, very computer savvy!

rmpsrpms · April 26, 2011 12:47AM

<< $300 including lighting, lens, mount adapter, everything? Shipped?

Excuse my ignorance, but I've got a D5000 and am unsure how the T-Mount works exactly. Would this spiratone lens
work on any Nikon DSLR with the proper T-Mount adapter?

What is the footprint of this thing, and how tall is it? It really looks pretty compact which would be amazing for me. >>

Shipping would be extra

Set up to image a dollar it is 14-1/2 inches tall at the camera mount, and approx 6 inches wide by 8 inches deep.
That size does not include the lights, of course.

I'd include a Nikon adapter that would work for your D5000. You will have to put the camera into manual mode.
The D5000 has live view that will hook up to a PC for viewing live on the monitor. Great for focusing and framing the shot.
It won't meter well, so you'll have to adjust exposure by trial and error, but hooked up to the PC you can get immediate
view of what you just took and make corrections. As a colleague of mine says, "pixels are free!"

I'd recommend using "ControlMyNikon" software with your D5000. It's very cheap ($9.95 I believe). Here's the link:

ControlMyNikon

-----------------------------------------

The bellows allows much higher mag photos as well. Here is the highest mag this setup goes:

And here is a 1:1 crop from the original showing the kind of detail you can get:

blu62vette · April 26, 2011 12:55AM

Nice pics but can we get back to one bump a day?

rmpsrpms · April 26, 2011 12:59AM

<< I'll take one

So..all I would need would be a camera body and a hook up to my computer? As you can tell, I am very, very computer savvy! >>

Each setup is going to be unique, since I'll be essentially putting them together from "spare parts". Do you want this particular setup? I'm new to the BST so am not sure of the protocol, and I did not see an FAQ.

And yes, just mount your camera to the setup and the PC, turn on the lights, adjust the focus and exposure, and away you go! Sounds simple, but you will need software if you want to view the image live on the screen, and you also need a camera that can do that. If you have an older camera, all is not lost since you can hook it all up, use the viewfinder for focus and framing, snap the pic, download to the PC, check your work, then reset exposure and repeat til you're happy with the shot. It's not realtime, but close enough.

SportsModerator · April 26, 2011 1:01AM

OK, let's keep as much of this to PMs as possible. Way too many bumps by the OP and under normal circumstances, this thread would have vanished into the Twilight Zone. However, depite being a sales pitch, there is some good info and ideas here, so let's keep the chatter and Q&A to PMs. The complaints are rolling in, and making me work is never a good thing for anybody. OK?

canadanz · April 27, 2011 8:34AM

PM sent.

rmpsrpms · April 27, 2011 2:28PM

First stand is SOLD!

I put together another stand today. Each one I build will be unique! This one has a similar base, but instead of a Vivitar bellows with Spiratone lens I've installed a Novoflex M42 bellows and a 75mm Nikon EL-Nikkor lens. The stand has a short (~7mm) M42 extension, and an M42-Nikon adapter. The lens native mount is M39 and I've installed it with an M39-M42 adapter. Again I verified this setup can go a little bigger than dollar size, and of course much smaller than cent.

I'm showing two photos...first of the setup...second of the 1921 Morgan dollar taken with the setup configured as shown in first photo (D7000, aperture approx f/7.1). Configured for dollar photo the camera mount is 13-3/4" tall, base is approx 6" x 8".

I'm asking $400 for this setup. Payment by PayPal +3%. Shipping is $16 by USPS Large Flat Rate Box in the US. Note that I will be traveling all next week. I can ship up to Saturday Apr30 but won't be able to ship again until Tuesday May10.

Here are the pics:

rmpsrpms · April 29, 2011 12:37AM

Second Stand is SOLD!

I'm traveling all next week and will build more stands after I return. Thanks to everyone who took the survey and showed interest in these.

Ray

Any interest in dedicated coin macro photo stand?

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