How do you take pictures of BU steel cents? 1 1

[Origami Master]

I have tried with all types of lighting and camera settings but can't seem to get rid of the glare and white light while taking pictures of my BU steel cent. How do you do It, it's driving me crazy to see the perfect pics on PCGS of steel cents and I have to know how they do it.

[VKurtB]

Many steps. 
 

1) Turn off Automatic White Balance

2) Take an exposure reading with an 18% Gray Card

3) Understand the MANUAL EXPOSURE settings on the camera  

Come back for more

Bottom line: this is not a simple problem

Edited November 9, 2022 by VKurtB

[Origami Master]

oh...Okay

[Sandon]

   I don't have any settings on my digital microscope other than for focusing and to turn its lights up and down.  I've found both brilliant uncirculated and proof coins difficult to photograph because of the glare but have gotten the best results by turning off the lights on the scope and instead using a gooseneck lamp whose light hits the coin at an angle.  I have to experiment with the position and angle of the lamp, and some parts of the coin are still too bright or dark, but the result is good enough for my purposes (registry set or posting here). I crop and occasionally make adjustments using the photo editing software in my personal computer. This is a 1943 steel cent in a PCGS "rattler" holder graded MS 66:

 

 

 

[Origami Master]

Okay, thanks for the info

 

[VKurtB]

On 11/9/2022 at 1:29 PM, Sandon said:

turning off the lights on the scope and instead using a gooseneck lamp whose light hits the coin at an angle.

I 100% endorse this approach. Doing the gooseneck lamp thing sounds like a lot of work, but it’s a one-time investment. 

Edited November 10, 2022 by VKurtB