Want awesome photos

[Rawzone]

i need help with photos.

i got tired of my phone and old digi canon so i purhased a canon 7d

first problem was that the lens i got was not good and i had to photo from some distance.. now im looking to buy a canon macro lens.

i really want some awesome pictures. what do you think about this one

Canon EF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM

 

my second problem is the light what do you use?? need something good..

 

and what settings do you use on camera to get good pictures? iso shutter and so on? what´s importent to do?

please dont tell me about a book that i can order from us...

 

hope to share some awesome pictures in the future

 

[TomB]

I guess I will give essentially the same reply as I did in another thread just moments ago; buy Mark Goodman's book and read it. The book contains plenty of information and practical advice.

 

Additionally, I often use a 105mm lens when shooting and it can get great results. The shot below was with such a lens-

 

[e1cnr]

what is your definition of a awesome photo?

what are you taking pics of?

size, composition, toning?

 

different set-ups/lighting work better for what you want to pic

 

how about link some of those 'awesome pics' that you like and want to be able to produce

[JVC]

Tom,

That is an awesome photo of a great looking reverse.

[Raisethis2]

 

Rawzone,

 

I know that it's not always necessary to spend a great deal to take great coin photos. There are some doing good things with basic cameras and proper balanced lighting.

 

To begin set up at least 2 lights using a copy stand if possible and experiment with settings that work for your setup. There are some who photograph through a magnifying glass as an option to a high dollar lens.

 

 

Setting white balance is critically important. Google is your friend.

There's a long thread here on coin photos. If I can locate it I'll get back to you.

[morganguru]

@Tom, sweet image, that's where I want to be. You nailed it!

[Coindude]

I use a Canon T2i. I think it's a 15mp. I pair it with a Canon 100mm macro 2.8. It takes wonderful pictures.

 

Here is a recent example. Photos are not juiced in the least, this is what the coin looks like, exactly when tilted to view.

 

[Keigwin]

Pretty much any DSLR and macro lens will get you good results, if you read up on coin photography (another plug for Mark's book).

 

It all comes down to lots of practice and experimenting. Different lighting, different camera settings, lots of experience with your editor.

 

I shot these yesterday, just playing around. In time you will get a good feel.

 

Photography is a great way to enhance the collecting experience and improve your eye and grading skills.

Lance.

 

[Catbert]

Perhaps Mark Goodman's website would be a good alternative for info vs his book for our Danish friend:

 

coinimaging.com

[messydesk]

You need 5 things:

 

1) Capable camera - you have that

2) Capable lens - you've identified one

3) Good support - sturdy copy stand, often available used

4) Sufficient lights - I use two gooseneck desk lamps with CFL daylight bulbs. Maybe $25-35 US for the pair.

5) Practice.

 

Given the camera you have, you should also be able to tether it to your PC, which will make life easier for transferring and viewing the images. On the macro lens, since you're going to be on a copy stand turn the image stabilzation (IS) feature off. Set the aperture on the lens at f8, the ISO at the lowest setting, the white balance calibrated to a grey card or white sheet of paper, and shoot in "A" mode (not P, S, or M).

[Rawzone]

Thanks for some feedback it is really helpful.

 

@ messydesk. shoot in A? is it on camera? dont got it. do you mean Auto?

 

To you who use macro lens is it with IS? can you shoot in hand with it?

 

i wanna shoot coin from a-z.

 

got 3 gooseneck led from ikea.. how do you defuse best? Quick and easy.

 

really nice photos all

 

[Keigwin]

messydesk means select the A setting on the camera, if you can. This is aperture priority, not auto.

 

If you also have a macro setting (usually represented as a flower) choose that.

 

Not sure what you mean by IS.

Lance.

[brg5658]

Thanks for some feedback it is really helpful.

 

@ messydesk. shoot in A? is it on camera? dont got it. do you mean Auto?

 

To you who use macro lens is it with IS? can you shoot in hand with it?

 

i wanna shoot coin from a-z.

 

got 3 gooseneck led from ikea.. how do you defuse best? Quick and easy.

 

really nice photos all

 

The IS stands for "image stabilization" on Canon lenses. I would recommend shooting from a tripod or copy-stand mounted camera. Even with IS turned on, you will not get very good images from a hand-held camera. When properly (and solidly) mounted on a stand, IS is not necessary.

 

-Brandon

[messydesk]

messydesk means select the A setting on the camera, if you can. This is aperture priority, not auto.

Correct. On Nikon cameras, this is A on the dial. On Canon, this is the "Av" setting.

 

For diffusion of the LED lights, use white tissue paper or Kleenex. This is what I use

 

Even with IS turned on, you will not get very good images from a hand-held camera. When properly (and solidly) mounted on a stand, IS is not necessary.

 

Not is it not necessary when using a stable support, but it can actually be detrimental.

 

[bsshog40]

Thanks for some feedback it is really helpful.

 

@ messydesk. shoot in A? is it on camera? dont got it. do you mean Auto?

 

To you who use macro lens is it with IS? can you shoot in hand with it?

 

i wanna shoot coin from a-z.

 

got 3 gooseneck led from ikea.. how do you defuse best? Quick and easy.

 

really nice photos all

 

The IS stands for "image stabilization" on Canon lenses. I would recommend shooting from a tripod or copy-stand mounted camera. Even with IS turned on, you will not get very good images from a hand-held camera. When properly (and solidly) mounted on a stand, IS is not necessary.

 

-Brandon

With my canon, I also always use the 10sec delay so after I have pushed the button, it has time to stabilze on my stand before it takes the picture.

[Rawzone]

So it would be best to save some money and buy the non IS canon 100mm?

 

Do you turn off all other lights in the room when you photo?

 

Please show me some of your setups

im not sure what im gonna use repro/tripod and how to setup.

i got a small repro and i think its to low with macro lens on and my tripod cant photo down on a coin.

[Rawzone]

-Brandon

With my canon, I also always use the 10sec delay so after I have pushed the button, it has time to stabilze on my stand before it takes the picture.

 

I got a remote trigger..

cant wait to get it up and running

[messydesk]

So it would be best to save some money and buy the non IS canon 100mm?

If such a lens is available, yes.

 

Do you turn off all other lights in the room when you photo?

Turn off lights that are colored differently than your lights, which includes covering windows.

 

Please show me some of your setups

This is from a little over a year ago. The only difference today is that I sometimes use a 200mm AF Micro-Nikko, which I still focus manually. (The room is still a mess, but a different mess. I need to clean up in there.)

 

[Rawzone]

nice setup.. where i live these kaiser repro i way expensive. what did you pay?

 

im trying to tell my wife that the room needs to look like that

organized caos

[Rawzone]

@ Brandon

 

What software do you use to make the pictures you post on forum.

 

really like them with the black behind and some text

[messydesk]

The Kaiser copy stand I got used for probably about $150. They can probably be found for less. You'll have to keep your eyes out for something that works well for you and perhaps be a little patient.

[brg5658]

@ Brandon

 

What software do you use to make the pictures you post on forum.

 

really like them with the black behind and some text

 

I use Adobe Photoshop (not free) and GIMP (free). I have given some instructions for how to create composite images in GIMP in another thread here.

[CoinZip]

@ Brandon

 

What software do you use to make the pictures you post on forum.

 

really like them with the black behind and some text

 

 

I use photoscape, its a free program that has circle crop.

 

 

edited to add: here is the latest coin I have shot,I use a Sony a230, I don't have a macro lens, just the one that came with the camera. I think its a 18 x 55 mm. No special lighting just what ever is in the room. I have a 10 or 15 dollar tripod and use the 10 second delay setting.

 

[bsshog40]

This is my little setup. I also use photoshop elements 10.

 

 

Example:

 

[Coindude]

Mr. Messy.... what's the deal with the "velbon macro focusing rail"? Never even heard of that but again, I'm pretty much a camera novice who copies others! I saw a video on it and it looks very interesting. Please do tell!

[messydesk]

Mr. Messy.... what's the deal with the "velbon macro focusing rail"? Never even heard of that but again, I'm pretty much a camera novice who copies others! I saw a video on it and it looks very interesting. Please do tell!

The focusing rail helps for really fine focus. Recall that I focus manually. Well, rotating the lens barrel will get you close, but perhaps not perfect. The focusing rail gives you fine control over how far the entire camera is away from the subject. The way I'm using it, a full rotation on one of the focusing knobs moves the camera about 2-3 mm. I typically turn this knob about 1/8 of a turn one way or the other to improve the focus, which means I'm adjusting the distance by 0.25 mm. This can make a perceptible difference on a full-screen image, especially with high magnification required for dimes and smaller coinage. I don't want to stop the lens down past f8 for increased depth of field, because I'd start losing sharpness to diffraction. For a workflow standpoint, I can sit at my desk and inspect the image on my monitor, reach for the knob and give a little turn, and shoot another picture without having to move around and knock things over. This is really overkill for someone just getting into coin photography, but I like the results I'm able to get with it. If I were doing a lot with really high magnification and focus stacking, then there's be no way I would want to work without this kind of fine control.

[Keigwin]

Is 4-way important, John? Seems like all you need is in-and-out, with precise control.

 

I've been on the fence about it. Trying to decide about a sturdy, smooth, good quality focus rail. Lots to choose from.

Lance.

[rmpsrpms]

Another option is what I use, a microscope stand instead of a copy stand. But getting a large microscope stand is difficult. The B&L that I use is pretty much limited to using a 105mm lens max, and even at that the stand is pretty extended. I usually use a 75mm lens, which makes the setup quite compact and easy to move around on the desktop.

[Coindude]

I manually focus as well, and at times get very frustrated from not being able to perfectly focus. I think the rail would greatly assist. Just didn't know they existed. I too wonder if a two way would be enough. I center coins by hand so I think the in and out, or up and down as it were would be all that's needed. What's your view on this Sir Messy?

[messydesk]

What you really want is extremely fine control. The 4-way usually has one short axis that has this, and this is what I mount in the up/down position. The 2-way needs to have a longer adjustment range, so isn't as fine. The coarse adjustment on my rail is mounted in the horizontal position and rarely used.