Playing around w/ new lighting, camera set up

[hasfam]

Picked up some different lighting which I have diffused and am using for my scope. i wanted to see how the lighting does with pics too. I also had my camera lense going thru one of the eye pieces but this pic is from the triocular above. A little awkward since everything is upsidedown, but I don't have to move the camera ever. Which I like.
What do you think of this 1st attempt. It's a Trail die I found earlier today, a 1999P-1DEO-018T. I was trying to capture the trails and eliminate excess glare, while getting all the details clear. All in all, I'm trying to get a setup that produces nice clear crisp detailed photos without glare and without having to move and adjust the camera and tripod in and out everytime I want to snap a pic. I know I have more to work on but given what I have to work with, I'm happy with baby step advances.

[Rollem]

Looking good Rock.

What kind of camera and lights?

[jfines69]

Did good on the lighting... Pic is a little blurry... Nice find!!!

[Amadauss]

Nice pic, where do you have the light coming into the coin and how are you diffusing it. And would be curious to hear what settings on the camera. Thanks.

[1sgret]

Your getting there and I have been working on mine for years and it is still not correct.

My hands are too shakey and my lighting always changes even with the set up I have.

[hasfam]

The lights are 2 of the flex lamps that Ray Parkhurst showed us he used on a thread showing his setup. I was impressed and the price was right. $9.99 each at Ikea. I don't have an IKEA in nashville but my son-n-law has one in Atlanta and he picked them up for me. I diffused them with label backing paper, but you have to move them around until you get the right angle and distance.
My camera is an old beater, a NIKON 7600, similiar to the one Bob uses. I have it on a tripod and tilted behind the scope aimed into the triocular which is monkey rigged with a PVC pipe.

[Rollem]

Thanks Man!

"My camera is an old beater, a NIKON 7600, similiar to the one Bob uses. I have it on a tripod and tilted behind the scope aimed into the triocular which is monkey rigged with a PVC pipe"

Gotta love all the rigs LOL

[RWBILLER]

looks great!!!!
congrats
roger

[Scott99]

The lighting looks great imo. I was actually doing tests to see how hot spots on the coins could give the illusion of something that's not there... I was quite surprised at the result. Diffusing the light seems to be the best option. :)

[copperlover]

Great Angle and lighting near perfect. Just need to be a bit sharper but overall a nice job, given your setup.

Lucien

[hasfam]

Here are a couple of pics of the setup...at least for now. It may and probably will change again

[kloccwork419]

Cool Rock..THem are neat little light. Im gonna have to jump on that wagon with you and find me one

[RWBILLER]

Wow - looks like a laboratory !
Cool!
Rog

[papascoins]

Hey guys. I've been messin with that diffused light idea lately myself! One of the last things I tried was put a small white plastic bathroom dixie cup right over the light! It really gives a true light that is diffused, and you can move it around to control the angle.
I've heard of other people that bounce their light beam to gently reflect off of other white surfaces. (paper, plastic, whatever).
I plan to keep improving too!
Mark

[lara4228]

Rock I agree with Lucien, pic does look great but it could be sharper. Then again, it could just be the focus on your cam or scope.

As for diffusing the light, yeah I recently just discovered what has worked me too. I only use the light from my new scope, which is a little halogen light I think, anyway, I take a piece of white wrapping tissue paper, fold it three times, then tape across the light. The camera I'm using is about 6 years old, its an Olympus Stylus Model # 410. I'm content with it. The only imperfection I have to say about my pics is that I can't grab a decent medium sized close up of the entire coin. I have to take it in small portions. Oh well, can't have your cake and eat it too!

[hasfam]

Hey guys. I've been messin with that diffused light idea lately myself! One of the last things I tried was put a small white plastic bathroom dixie cup right over the light! It really gives a true light that is diffused, and you can move it around to control the angle.
Mark
I like the dixie cup idea. I think I give that a try too. thanks for the idea.

[Amadauss]

Here are a couple of pics of the setup...at least for now. It may and probably will change again

I like the pvc pipe. In a weird way it is almost like a cheap flexible bellows you can buy for this type of thing. The plastic cup thing works and if you want, try cutting it to fit over the coin and scope and then you can can even cut say a 1/16 of the side of the cup to have wide open to let just regular light in while using the other light directly aimed at the cup to diffuse it. When using a cup if you have an external flash setup with a chord could even try that shooting the flash right at the cup as is or diffusing it. Have tried that also.

I have also seen people wrapping their light and flashes with plastic bags and things. You can go to this site below and have a ball taking a look at all the different setups people use to shoot small things. If you click this link, you might get logged in as me automatically but that's ok. Just don't post any naked shots of anything, I'll get banned :)

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=142566

Yesterday I just went outside and set my tripod up with a macro lens and used the outside light only, no diffusing, and the pics turned out ok. Will post some tomorrow.