For several years we've been using PPH's personal Nikon DSLR to take our coin images. We decided that the Purple Penny should really have it's own camera. So PPH has reclaimed her camera and the Purple Penny has just purchased a Nikon D7100 DSLR. You might ask why we didn't purchase a full-frame DSLR but it turns out there's very good reasons NOT to do so if you're taking macro images of coins. Anyway, here's a picture of a maundy penny taken with the old 10MP camera. This is as big an image as we could get with it. About 600px wide for a coin that is 9mm wide.
(http://www.australian-threepence.com/images/great-britain-1951-1d-maundy-before.jpg)
And here's the same coin taken with the new 24MP camera body and the same lens as we always use. This image is a bit over 1600px wide. I could make it bigger but we start to have lighting problems.
(http://www.australian-threepence.com/images/great-britain-1951-1d-maundy-after.jpg)
I am looking forward to playing with this camera to see if it can produce better quality images than the old one. It's auto-focus system is immediately better than the old one which used to always struggle with QE2 3d's.
Just for sake of reference here's a photo of this thread on one of my 22" monitors. That teeny-tiny coin circled in red on the right frame of the monitor is the maundy penny in the image.
(http://www.australian-threepence.com/images/size-comparison.jpg)
Very nice camera, the 51 point AF system is really obvious with crisp focus at all parts of the coin.!! I guess your macro lens is auto focus as well.!! :wavemulticolor:
Very nice Mark, sort of defeats the thought
that the Lense was the limiting factor.
Would Nikkor Micro glass offer any improvement?
Delivered by Mr Aust Post 30mins ago :-
The fun begins, perhaps.:dodgy:
(http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv160/ford_prefect/Australian%20Coin%20Forum/Canon%2040D%20Camera/CanonLenseCover_zpsb55ccad4.jpg)
Canon 40D DSLR
(http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv160/ford_prefect/Australian%20Coin%20Forum/Canon%2040D%20Camera/Canon40DCamera_zps15c861ac.jpg)
Canon 100mm 2.8f Macro
(http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv160/ford_prefect/Australian%20Coin%20Forum/Canon%2040D%20Camera/Canon100mmMacro_zpsb01daa98.jpg)
First Shot Using standard 55mm lense
(http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv160/ford_prefect/Australian%20Coin%20Forum/Canon%2040D%20Camera/First40Dshot55mm_zps725014c2.jpg)
Wow, great pic, is this hooked up through a laptop for focusing.?
Quote from: 'Robster' pid='44366' dateline='1395374758'Wow, great pic, is this hooked up through a laptop for focusing.?
Yes, sort of.
Hooked up to my server which has a 24" monitor.
Tethered to PC with Canon's Live View software.
Manual focus used.
Can't find how (Or if) the 40D
does Auto focus in Live view mode. :angel:
I am impressed by the Live view software, must make things easier with a large monitor.! I chose my Nikon after reading about "Control my Nikon" software only to find it will not support my model.! (D3200). :dash1:
Looking forward to some 'test shots' to convince Mrs Robster I need to spend some of her 'emergency funds'.! :mafia:
Lovely equipment all!
Sure beats my 7.1mp Kodak .... :laugh2:
A photography link a friend of mine posted .... (well I thought it cool) ...
http://www.viralnova.com/takes-pictures-of-model-town/ (http://www.viralnova.com/takes-pictures-of-model-town/)
Quote from: 'Robster' pid='44370' dateline='1395376124'I am impressed by the Live view software, must make things easier with a large monitor.! I chose my Nikon after reading about "Control my Nikon" software only to find it will not support my model.! (D3200). :dash1:
Looking forward to some 'test shots' to convince Mrs Robster I need to spend some of her 'emergency funds'.! :mafia:
Rob have you tried "digiCamControl"? I've been using it with this new camera as our old "Nikon Camera Control Pro 2" will not control the new camera. Here's a link to "digiCamControl":
http://digicamcontrol.com/
Quote from: 'Robster' pid='44344' dateline='1395363236'Very nice camera, the 51 point AF system is really obvious with crisp focus at all parts of the coin.!! I guess your macro lens is auto focus as well.!! :wavemulticolor:
Yes, it's auto-focus.
Quote from: 'Fordprefect' pid='44364' dateline='1395372739'Very nice Mark, sort of defeats the thought
that the Lense was the limiting factor.
Would Nikkor Micro glass offer any improvement?
I really don't know. I'd need to look into it.
Make sure you play with the "limit" and "full" settings on that macro lens.
Thanks Mark, will check it out now.!!
:good:
I should add to this that this new camera has confirmed that lighting really is the most important factor in taking coin images. This new camera will allow us to take much more detailed images of small coins but larger coins won't be noticeably different unless we look at HUGE images. If I tinker with it for hours I may get some incremental improvements in quality but I'm not expecting anything spectacular. However, when I see people posting on this forum and others with similar equipment to what we have (DSLR / fixed length macro lens) where the images are typically lacking compared with ours are in the lighting. Get BRIGHT LIGHTS. The brightest you can find.
a light box will make a world of difference too, even lighting no need for flash can be bought for under $50 like this
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/40CM-Photography-Photo-Studio-Cube-Tent-Light-Box-50W-Lighting-Stand-Kit-/251455452443?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item3a8be9b51b
Quote from: 'error hunter' pid='44378' dateline='1395380931'a light box will make a world of difference too, even lighting no need for flash can be bought for under $50 like this
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/40CM-Photography-Photo-Studio-Cube-Tent-Light-Box-50W-Lighting-Stand-Kit-/251455452443?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item3a8be9b51b
Diffuse light doesn't work very well with coins. Makes them look flat and watery.
Quote from: 'markn' pid='44374' dateline='1395376992'Quote from: 'Fordprefect' pid='44364' dateline='1395372739'Make sure you play with the "limit" and "full" settings on that macro lens.
That's a little trap for new users.
Strapped into Copy Stand :-
Limit will not focus.:dodgy:
Full No problem.:yahoo:
The "Limit" setting I would presume to be for outdoor use.
The Live View Look First Image Canon 100mm Macro
On screen (24" Samsung)
What the camera sensor is seeing.
(http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv160/ford_prefect/Australian%20Coin%20Forum/Canon%2040D%20Camera/LiveviewonPC_zpscaf5bcaf.jpg)
What the Camera catches
Image resized for posting no cropping.
Some light loss.
(http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv160/ford_prefect/Australian%20Coin%20Forum/Canon%2040D%20Camera/First100mmMacro1954RV_zps6b8ef48f.jpg)
Crop and post
(http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv160/ford_prefect/Australian%20Coin%20Forum/Canon%2040D%20Camera/1954RVFlorin1st100mmMacro_800_zpsd7c0d16b.jpg)
Wonderful image.!! :good:
Quote from: 'Robster' pid='44432' dateline='1395406429'Wonderful image.!! :good:
I'll second that.
Quote from: 'Triggersmob' pid='44436' dateline='1395408856'Quote from: 'Robster' pid='44432' dateline='1395406429'Wonderful image.!! :good:
I'll second that.
Me three. :)
wish I could get mine to turn out like that :( very nice pic's FP :good: