Coin Photo Lighting

[Walkerfan]

Can someone tell me the best type of light source/setup to use to take images. I'm messing around with a newer camera and may attempt to take some pics but am having trouble getting the right light.

[jom]

I use the swirl type OTT lights. OTT lights have a "natural" color temp that is close to the sun. As opposed to regular incandescent bulbs which seem to be on the "red" side of the spectrum.

 

Take a look at Goodman's book as he suggests other kinds.

 

jom

[Brol]

I use two 13W OTT lights. I found them new on flee marker for $10 each, so I think I paid good price, because they go for like $40 on eBay.

 

 

[Walkerfan]

Thanks, guys.

 

Here are some images that I just took of my 20-S. I never had ANY image of it before today. I used different lighting with flash on and off.

 

 

 

 

[copper toning]

Definately do not use a flash.

 

It appears you are only using 1 light which is concentrated on a single area. Try 2 or 3 lights. I like to use cfl bulbs the light seems to be less intense in one area. However I have neve used ott lights and I have heard good things about them.

[Walkerfan]

Definately do not use a flash.

 

It appears you are only using 1 light which is concentrated on a single area. Try 2 or 3 lights. I like to use cfl bulbs the light seems to be less intense in one area. However I have neve used ott lights and I have heard good things about them.

 

Thanks!

[TomB]

The flash should definitely be off and it looks as though at least some of the imags were taken with the coin too close to the lens such that the lens could not focus properly. Mark Goodman's book is what you should buy and the $20 or so it costs will give you great insight into how you may want to set up your shots.

[Hard Times]

Buy Mark Goodman's book, he goes through lighting in detail.

 

Best, HT

[RWB]

The best results can be attained by adjusting conventional lights until you like the results, then switching the bulbs for electronic flash. You will never have a problem with sharpness or depth of field, if done right. (The flash on your camera is useless for this.)

[rmpsrpms]

I prefer using two (or sometimes 3) gooseneck LED lights with a small amount of diffusion. You can buy "Jansjo" gooseneck LEDs at IKEA for $10 each. Their color temp is a bit "warm" at 3000K, but Tungsten lamps run at 3200K so you can use Tungsten white balance settings and it comes out very close. Diffusion can be a piece of tissue, or you can get a sheet of vellum or other translucent papers. I use Canson Opalux, which can be purchased on Amazon for about $4 per 14"x24" sheet...Ray

[rmpsrpms]

Here's a toned Lincoln Cent taken with two of the Jansjo lights...

 

[brg5658]

The best results can be attained by adjusting conventional lights until you like the results, then switching the bulbs for electronic flash. You will never have a problem with sharpness or depth of field, if done right. (The flash on your camera is useless for this.)

 

Seriously? Roger, I don't know anyone who takes professional quality numismatic photos using off camera flash (at least, not in the digital age).

 

There are oodles of good continuous lighting options that will give you quality images, true to the coins color -- as long as you set your white balance properly.

[RWB]

Electronic flash eliminates almost all problems, but it is difficult to adjust because you cannot easily see the effects of small position changes of the lights. There are also no difficulties with color balance, heat, vibration, power availability, etc.

 

It was never "popular" because of the difficulties mentioned, but photo professionals knew how to use electronic flash.

 

[brg5658]

Electronic flash eliminates almost all problems, but it is difficult to adjust because you cannot easily see the effects of small position changes of the lights. There are also no difficulties with color balance, heat, vibration, power availability, etc.

 

It was never "popular" because of the difficulties mentioned, but photo professionals knew how to use electronic flash.

 

It eliminates all of the problems, except for all of those that it creates by over-complicating the process.

[rmpsrpms]

Electronic flash is most useful for eliminating the fuzziness caused by vibrations in the camera or setup. For higher magnification work, such as varieties at 3-5x magnification, electronic flash can eliminate shutter shake and mirror bounce effects and result in a much cleaner image. A lot of Photomacrographers and Photomicrographers still use flash for these reasons. At 0.8x for Cents, the effect is smaller though if you look at the 100% pixel level you will still see improvements if your setup is not rigid, but at 0.4x for Dollars, you will be hard pressed to see a difference. Note that Canon EFSC eliminates most of the need for flash and opens the field to continuous lighting even at higher magnifications...Ray

[RWB]

It eliminates all of the problems, except for all of those that it creates by over-complicating the process.

 

Hmmm....well it adds one complicating factor - but lighting is always difficult for collectors who want to photograph their coins. It removes nearly all other problems - but ....one has to understand the details to get it right, something mpsrpms implies in his comments.