What camera do I buy ? Please help.

[Best2u]

I jusy put up my collection of Conder tokens in The Registry and added scans to show my tokens off. The scans look like , I'd like to find a low cost camera that would take great picture of my coins. If you Chatters could offer a few suggestions as to what cameras work well for that task and maybe even post a few pictures along with your suggestions I'd be forever greatfull. I've looked at a few models at a local shop but there are so many diff. kinds I was toally confussed. Thanks. Best2u

[Architecht]

 

I think some indication of the dollar amount you want to spend would help in the recommendations.

[Mark T]

You can have the best camera in the world but if you don’t have proper lighting and know how to properly take pictures of a coin they will still look like

As for your scanner – I get great pictures from my new scanner; I scan them at 1200 DPI and reduce the photos in Photoshop. The only thing a scanner will usually lack is the ability to pick up the true luster of a coin. A good scanner is great for picking up details on a coins. The key with coin photography other then lighting is having a camera that can get close enough to the coin and still be able to focus properly. Even today’s cheap digital cameras can take fantastic pictures when the subject matter is not a close up. Using the cameras Zoom is fine but ideally you want one that will get a good focus within a foot of the coin. Cannon makes a nice mid range camera in the $ 200 - $ 300 range. I know a few guys on this board who spend a lot of time photographing coins and will be able to give you better advice then I can.

 

[MunkyMan95]

Mark is right - the camera is not the important part. Lighting and photo techniques are immensely more important. I know some people who get amazing pictures out of 10-year-old, $50 cameras.

[dooly]

Dont purchase a Kodak easyshare Z8612 IS as it is total pants

[jackson64]

I use a sony mavica 10X zoom that I bought on ebay for $40...it still uses floppy disks so if your computer doesn't have a floppy slot you'll have to buy a floppy attatchment port ( cost about $15 and plugs into the thumb drive slot)....cheap set-up...I have a round halogen desk lamp that clips on my desk and has the magnifier in the middle ( which I never use the magnifier)...$50-60 bucks total and click on my Mercury Set or High Seas sets to see the pics...here are a few..