Lighting

[Guest]

Originally Posted by hasfam
I use 2 long gooseneck lamps and would pull them back and around until the clare was gone. At the same time turn the ends of the lamps up apposed to them pointing downward directly onto the coin. This gives you fuller light over the coin without a particular hot spot. It may look a little dark in the camera, but give it a little contrast on the computer and the light and color will come out on the coin.

Thanks I am redoing my setup and am tring new things for my lighting. My set up I am using is from 15 years ago when I fist got microscope. I tried so many different lights and coop told me about this $6.00 one which I completely modified. Looks like crap but it worked for along time. I wrote article in ERROR WORLD on microphotography that was in volume one/issue one. Alot has changed since then.
Any other photos or ideas on lighting would help.

[ray_parkhurst]

Most of the best performing lighting setups end up looking a lot like what you show in the pictures. I've found that the Jansjo LED gooseneck lamps available from IKEA give a good "platform" for lighting experiments because of their small size and good flexibility. There are other options, such as cut ping pong balls or other fixed diffusers, rather than attaching the diffuser to the light itself, but they all require some sort of customization that will utilize your crafting skills...

[jhcons]

Thanks Ray, I was almost embarrassed showing those pics. But it has worked for longest time.

[papascoins]

I use the LED Jansco gooseneck lamps (which I bought with my entire set-up from from Ray), and I use 'two' to get the affect I want on a whole coin. (Like the 2013 here.) I use just one lamp for catching a certain die variety, rpm, or error, as needed. (like in the 1954S).
Also, my filters are a white opaque dixie bathroom cup on each lamp. (Plus I can set my aperture setting to get more or less light.)

[jhcons]

Lighting

It looks like you have alot more room from th plate where you set you coin to wgere the bottom of your scope eyepeice. Do you have to get the lights between the eyepeice and the coin that you are photographing. Or do those lights give off enough light keeping them besides the microscope? Ok I guess what I am asking would be better shown.
Take a picture of your lights and set up right before you would take the shot through the scope. If you could? If i remember correctly I spent probably way over a hundred dollars buying all sorts of lights before the one I have now. I dont think I learned about difusing the light with paper until after. It was strictly a trial by error then. This place is great for information.

[jhcons]

Most of the best performing lighting setups end up looking a lot like what you show in the pictures. I've found that the Jansjo LED gooseneck lamps available from IKEA give a good "platform" for lighting experiments because of their small size and good flexibility. There are other options, such as cut ping pong balls or other fixed diffusers, rather than attaching the diffuser to the light itself, but they all require some sort of customization that will utilize your crafting skills...

Bought some good flexable led lights. man they ar great for me being able to see all of the relief of the coin. Better than ever but for taking pis the color is way off. I tried diffusing with a few thing to no avail. Thinking about cutting led light of and just using the neck and soder a new socket and bulb on to it.

[ray_parkhurst]

Bought some good flexable led lights. man they ar great for me being able to see all of the relief of the coin. Better than ever but for taking pis the color is way off. I tried diffusing with a few thing to no avail. Thinking about cutting led light of and just using the neck and soder a new socket and bulb on to it.

Are you doing custom white balance? That should solve the problem...

[jhcons]

Ray I read some post in photography that gave me idea. Bob metioned white plastic for the led lights. so I just attached the white plastic roll holder that the mint send to you with the p and d rolls. It fits perfect over light that is about the same width of a roll but plastic is just a hair to thick.
I went to Lowes and looked at the gooseneck leds but couldnt do it after I just spent 60 bucks at hobby lobby for these ones. I think I am going back old school. I picked up a couple small keyless sockets that will take some 2 " incadesent tubular bulbs and I am going to use the gooseneck leds I bought. Cut the heads of those and start sodering. It just looks so f*^&*& up but it works. I make a hood wrap some papers around it and boom.

whats custom white balance?

[ray_parkhurst]

What camera are you using? Most digital cameras have a "white balance" function that allows you to correct for the type of light you are using. With custom white balance for your light, the coin ends up looking the same whether you have incandescent, halogen, LED, fluorescent, daylight, whatever. If you are not aware of this, then likely your camera is set for "auto white balance" and the camera looks at the image and tries its best to figure out what light is being used by taking an average for the whole frame and then trying to make that average a shade of grey. That doesn't work very well for coins and usually results in their having an odd color no matter what light you use...

[jhcons]

What camera are you using? Most digital cameras have a "white balance" function that allows you to correct for the type of light you are using. With custom white balance for your light, the coin ends up looking the same whether you have incandescent, halogen, LED, fluorescent, daylight, whatever. If you are not aware of this, then likely your camera is set for "auto white balance" and the camera looks at the image and tries its best to figure out what light is being used by taking an average for the whole frame and then trying to make that average a shade of grey. That doesn't work very well for coins and usually results in their having an odd color no matter what light you use...

I am using the canon snap shot. I guess I have had since 2009. I just found box with directions. I do have it set for auto. I tried once to understand what all the crap is on the dials but gave up. Uhm may sit out at picnic table and read them. I WILL have this up and running tonite. I also figured out why my picture are out of focus. Its my eyes. NO seriously! When I am taking pics I have glasses on my gead and focus without them on. Last few times I would take shot without them first then put them on and refocus lens a touch. 90 percent of time second shot was better. I swear I used to be good at this crap. Its like starting over.

[jhcons]

ALRIGHT I think I am finally done screwing aroun with the lights. I have not been able to look at pennies properly since I decided to work on something that already worked. I tried a few different thing.
The led lights with a real small bulbs and the gooseneck that you can manuevor around under neath scope is what I was going for. I just could not get the lighting to work no mater what I tried. I tried all of the suggestions I was given. Thank you!! So the first 2 pics are of the led lights with different diffusers. Paper then a white plastic that the mint sends you p and d rolls in. Thought that was gonna work.

The othere 2 pics are of what I finally came up with. I did not do any adjusting to any pics. I just resized them to 640 pixels I think.

[ray_parkhurst]

After many, many years of tinkering, I'm STILL messing around with lights!

Your white balance started out way too blue, and now it's a bit too red. If your camera has a white balance adjustment, you need to figure out how to work with it to get the colors right. You'll know it's right when the white backgrounds look white, or some shade of grey. It also looks like you at tilting the coin to get direct reflection (pseudo-axial), correct? That gives a very different "look" to the coin. Some folks like it, some don't. A byproduct is coin is not level and it's hard to get it all in focus.

[jhcons]

After many, many years of tinkering, I'm STILL messing around with lights!

Your white balance started out way too blue, and now it's a bit too red. If your camera has a white balance adjustment, you need to figure out how to work with it to get the colors right. You'll know it's right when the white backgrounds look white, or some shade of grey. It also looks like you at tilting the coin to get direct reflection (pseudo-axial), correct? That gives a very different "look" to the coin. Some folks like it, some don't. A byproduct is coin is not level and it's hard to get it all in focus.

yeah I read the direction to my camera and apparently I have a cd that will tell me more about it.
Ye I am tilting my coins for my pics under the scope but for a picture of entire coin I have it flat on my desk with another lamp for that. I found it worked better that way. (tilting) When I did that it was in the early 90's and have never even tried it flat since then. I may try it. Im so done screwing around with the lights for now. I got **** everywhere. lol I fell asleep in front of my microscope around 1 or 2 this morning. Then overslept for work. My guys called me at 6;30 and I was supposed to be in hot springs then. Now I am taking day of to look at coins and pick up all those rolls. That will be cool. no sleep tonite
Thanks ray for your help on all these things I am doing. jim