Apparently, SHUTTER SPEED is pretty important to macro images!!!!!!

[James_OldeTowne]

I'll post images tomorrow (I'm on a slow connection right now), but I've been with playing shutter speed and aperture settings on my camera, and suddenly.... BAM! I got some knockout macro images of slabbed coins!

 

Just got so excited that I had to let everyone know - IT'S THE SHUTTER SPEED SILLY!

[RWB]

Yep. Everything gets magnified, including mirror bounce, finger wiggle and dropping catsup on the back of your camera - it all shows up in the image.

[Bruceswar]

Since you are playing around with it. I assume you have some sorta tripod / stand. First try 3.5 which is standard on most decent lens.Then try 13.5 and watch the difference. It makes the image POP if you know what I mean.

[braddick]

Equally as important? Removing the lense cap.

 

Someone really should provide a check-off list for coin photography!

[physics-fan3.14]

Equally as important? Removing the lense cap.

 

Someone really should provide a check-off list for coin photography!

 

Is that what I've been doing wrong all this time? It makes so much sense now

[RareSov]

Don't... have... lens.. cap...

 

That must be my problem !

[James_OldeTowne]

Equally as important? Removing the lense cap.

 

Someone really should provide a check-off list for coin photography!

What d'ya mean? I though that after I stick the coin in the camera, I was supposed to replace the lens cap to keep the coin from falling back out?!

[MikeInFL]

I'll post images tomorrow (I'm on a slow connection right now), but I've been with playing shutter speed and aperture settings on my camera, and suddenly.... BAM! I got some knockout macro images of slabbed coins!

 

Just got so excited that I had to let everyone know - IT'S THE SHUTTER SPEED SILLY!

 

Shutter speed is generally an issue to those who don't have a steady camera.

 

Said another way, if you're only getting sharp photos by increasing the shutter speed, chances are the problem is in your tripod/copy stand.

[Bruceswar]

I'll post images tomorrow (I'm on a slow connection right now), but I've been with playing shutter speed and aperture settings on my camera, and suddenly.... BAM! I got some knockout macro images of slabbed coins!

 

Just got so excited that I had to let everyone know - IT'S THE SHUTTER SPEED SILLY!

 

Shutter speed is generally an issue to those who don't have a steady camera.

 

Said another way, if you're only getting sharp photos by increasing the shutter speed, chances are the problem is in your tripod/copy stand.

 

Sorry mike I have to disagree here. Mark Goodman at one point shown across the street what shutter speed can do to a coin photo and or how it makes it look. 3.5 is a ton different than 13.5 or 21...

[James_OldeTowne]

I'll post images tomorrow (I'm on a slow connection right now), but I've been with playing shutter speed and aperture settings on my camera, and suddenly.... BAM! I got some knockout macro images of slabbed coins!

 

Just got so excited that I had to let everyone know - IT'S THE SHUTTER SPEED SILLY!

 

Shutter speed is generally an issue to those who don't have a steady camera.

 

Said another way, if you're only getting sharp photos by increasing the shutter speed, chances are the problem is in your tripod/copy stand.

Mike, this is not what I encountered. For me, when the shutter speed was too slow, the image was overexposed and poorly focused. At too high a shutter speed, the image was too dark and grainy. (Or maybe I have my terminology messed up?)

 

I may try to do a thread with examples at some future point.

[Bruceswar]

You got it right... F Stops... I will make a quick illustration...

 

 

[robec1347]

I always use the Aperture Priority setting on my Canon. This also controls shutter speed. I was always under the impression that a small aperture setting such as f22 would show more detail and would be better focused that a high aperture of f8, simply because of a smaller hole and longer exposure. As it turns out, that reasoning was just the opposite. Mark Goodman set me straight. Here is a coin with the same lighting and setup with the exception of one shot at f8 with the accompanying faster shutter speed and the other at f22 with slower shutter speed. f8 is clearly the better choice. I suppose this setting varies with different coin types such as silver, gold or copper.

 

f22

 

 

 

f8

 

[Bruceswar]

Now shoot that same coin in F 13

[robec1347]

Now shoot that same coin in F 13

 

Hi Bruce,

 

Unfortunately I don't have the coin any longer, but I did the same with my new 1916. I also did it with an aperture of f6.3. In every case, the larger the aperture, the sharper the image. In some cases the effect was minimal, but still apparent. With the images this size the differences may not be as evident, but with larger images it is quite noticeable.

 

f6.3

 

f8

 

 

f10

 

 

f13

 

 

f16

 

[robec1347]

Here are f6.3 and f13 comparisons.

 

 

f13

 

f6.3

[Coindude]

I think the 6.3 looks best.

[robec1347]

So basically, James had it right. Faster shutter speed seems to work best, at least for macro images.

[MikeInFL]

I'll post images tomorrow (I'm on a slow connection right now), but I've been with playing shutter speed and aperture settings on my camera, and suddenly.... BAM! I got some knockout macro images of slabbed coins!

 

Just got so excited that I had to let everyone know - IT'S THE SHUTTER SPEED SILLY!

 

Shutter speed is generally an issue to those who don't have a steady camera.

 

Said another way, if you're only getting sharp photos by increasing the shutter speed, chances are the problem is in your tripod/copy stand.

Mike, this is not what I encountered. For me, when the shutter speed was too slow, the image was overexposed and poorly focused. At too high a shutter speed, the image was too dark and grainy. (Or maybe I have my terminology messed up?)

 

I may try to do a thread with examples at some future point.

 

That's because you are keeping your light constant! So if you vary your shutter speed while keeping the light constant, you also need to vary your aperature -- which does make a huge difference in your ability to take sharp pictures.

 

Remember, exposure is a function of three things* -- shutter speed, aperature, and the amount of light entering the camera. Change any one variable, and you have to change one or two of the other variables to get a good exposure.

 

I maintain that shutter speed, in and of itself, doesn't make any significant difference in the sharpness of your photos unless you have issues with the steadiness of your camera -- and I will wager that Dr. Goodman will agree.

 

Said even more directly, I can get a sharp photo using shutter speeds anywhere between 1/50th of a second and 3 seconds (or more). But I also have an extremely steady tripod and a lot of experience with long shutter speeds. For those who don't keep their aperature constant, long shutter speeds do cause some challenges (as evidenced by the observations and photos in this thread, which I do not dispute), but again, nothing that can't be overcome with a rock-solid copy stand or tripod and moving the lights around (and keeping the aperature constant!).

 

Hope this helps...Mike

 

* = assuming you keep the sensitivity (ISO) of the sensor constant.

[MikeInFL]

p.s. Many/all of you are confusing (a) a change in aperature causing a loss of sharpness, with (b) a change in shutter speed causing a loss of sharpness. What you are seeing with a change in sharpness from aperature is an effect called diffraction -- a well known photograph effect. Again, if you keep the aperature constant, and only vary the shutter speed by changing the light level, you will notice -- provided you have a steady copy stand/tripod -- that the sharpness of your photos will not change significantly. So what you are seeing is not a change in sharpness due to shutter speed, but rather the natural loss of sharpness of a large aperature or the diffraction caused by a smaller aperature. Basically, you are confusing a loss of sharpness by aperature variance with a loss of sharpness from exposure because of the constant level of light. Try moving your lights closer/farther and keeping the aperature the same and only varying the shutter speed to show you that I'm right (or exposing limitations of your copy stand/tripod).

[MikeInFL]

p.p.s. for those not familiar with diffraction-induced loss of sharpness (caused by the aperature), please take a look here: http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/technical/diffraction.html or google "diffraction sharpness" and do a bit of reading.

 

edited to add: Here's another set of articles written in a bit more understandable way for those not comfortable with the technical nature of the preceding article:

 

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/diffraction.htm

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/50-comparison/f-stops.htm

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/focus.htm

[MikeInFL]

I'll post images tomorrow (I'm on a slow connection right now), but I've been with playing shutter speed and aperture settings on my camera, and suddenly.... BAM! I got some knockout macro images of slabbed coins!

 

Just got so excited that I had to let everyone know - IT'S THE SHUTTER SPEED SILLY!

 

Shutter speed is generally an issue to those who don't have a steady camera.

 

Said another way, if you're only getting sharp photos by increasing the shutter speed, chances are the problem is in your tripod/copy stand.

 

Sorry mike I have to disagree here. Mark Goodman at one point shown across the street what shutter speed can do to a coin photo and or how it makes it look. 3.5 is a ton different than 13.5 or 21...

 

That's a difference in aperature, not shutter speed. Please see my prior posts for an explanation of what's going on here. Keep the aperature the same (say f/8), and vary the shutter speed by varying the amount of light on the coin, and you will either see what I'm talking about, or you have exposed a limitation of your copy stand/tripod.

[Catbert]

Mike.....I'm glad more intelligent people than I can understand your greek!

 

I'm going to have to take a class someday on photography so someone can hold my hand along the way!

[MikeInFL]

I'm no smarter than anyone else around here -- just have a bit more experience than most when it comes to photography and have studied the topic extensively over the past seven years (along with a few college classes on optics back in the early 90's).

[RareSov]

Are your overexposed coins GLOWING ? you can make them do that with exposure.

 

Aperture is most important I believe. I am going to find some lamps tomorrow so can start posting my efforts am getting surprisingly good results with an overhead room light (tungsten with a shade on it ), and a 15 LED little lamp I got !

 

Can't wait to be shooting in the dark with two proper lamps plus/minus the LED. I will post lots of pics when I get set up thanks for the tip on the camera Schatzy

[RareSov]

Ahh yes, I see what you are on about now

 

Well, with 2 lights I will be using a tiny aperture myself.. still, I won't be stopping taking photos of my best coins. They will be shot thousands of times each before I am done

[James_OldeTowne]

This thread turned out great! You guys are a sharp bunch.