Here We Go :-)

[foundinrolls]

Hi All,
I got my hands on an older Nikon E 950 and was fooling around with it yesterday.
It has Macro ability and an automatic focus feature. At this point it is hand held but I can dig up a tripod somewhere that will allow me to get shots with no blurriness.
I played with it a little bit to get used to the features on it and got some pictures that I won'tbother posting. I am on the right track though.
I can rig up (haven't yet) a way to attach my 18X lens to it and it will focus through that. I tried and it will work.
I can take a kid's microscope apart and use the adjustable table portion to raise and lower a coin to focus it under the 18X lens.
This is going to be fun to try.
After I have something worth posting, I can show a few intersting Doubled dies that are new.
If anyone has ever used one of these Nikons, or if anyone has any general advice, I'd love to hear it!
Have Fun,
Bill
PS: This camera seems easy to use but I hope I anm sure I can get some A1 advice here as I get deeper into this project -)

[Bob P]

Bill,
Are you still using a microscope? If so, is it a stereo zoom type, or a toy type? What lighting are you planning on using once you get this set up.
I am interested so that I can try and imagine what it is you will be trying to use to take your pics before offering any suggestions. Thanks!

[foundinrolls]

Hi,
Here's the general idea. I have an 18X lens that I am going to fenagle a way to attatch to the camera. The concept of shooting through the lens will work as I tried to take a few pics through the 18X lens yesterday. I was not using a tripod and also was trying to hold the lens in the right position manually.
I could tell by the result although shaky that it will ultimately work (I think)

The camera does great macro shots and does auto focus, etc. but holdiing the camera and shooting by hand ain't gonna cut it for the close stuff.

For full coin shots, I hope to set the camera on a tripod or stand, set the coin up at an appropriate distance so that the camera can do it's work and shoot.

For close up stuff with the 18X lens, I am thinking about taking a small, cheap kids microscope apart and using the portion that raises and lowers to bring the coin up to the right spot for the lens of the camera which is on a stand or tripod to focus on the smaller detail of a coin.

In a sense, I want to try to use the camera as the scope part of the microscope. I wont be shooting through a microscope.

The camera is on the stand (tripod), the coin is on the adjustable portion of a microscope that has been taken apart so that the eyepiece section is gone and the "table" portion remains. I can lower or raise the coin under the camera until I have it in the right spot and then shoot. (I hope)

I haven't given much thought to lighting yet as I am still thinking through the "Rube Goldberg" part of the idea

What do you think so far ?

Bill

[Bob P]

Well Bill, I would be very interestd in seeing what types of pictures you come out with. I beleive the concept is sound, and we shouldn't discount anything until it tested frequently. I like the idea of the adjustable portion of the kid's scope. I hope you can find a stand of some sort that will enable you to minimize any shaking. Seems like you thought out most things at this point.
I bring up lighting for a very specific reason. I have found (and Chuck has preached to me about) the lighting is one of the most important elements of taking pictures of coins. You can read back on some of the threads in this section and see that the way you light the coin really enables you to take good pics that will show exactly what you are trying to show....especially in macro mode. Good luck, and when you get going, post some of the pics. I hope you don't mind some constructive critisism if necessary. Most of us have learned by taking the advice of others here.

[coop]

Sometimes I've received advice on how to adjust this or that and found something that worked for me. So alway expolore all possibliltes till you get what you want.

[foundinrolls]

Hi All,
Constructive criticism is exactly what I want. I have a lot to learn especially on the lighting. I posted a few shots in a photobucket folder. There is a full coin, a letter on a coin, a D/D (1961 D over Horizontal D) and the FIVE CENTS of a 1935 DDO Indian Head Nickel.

The ones I am having the hardest time with is the uncirculated stuff. Any ideas? I am getting a lot of glare on the silver stuff and shadows on the copper stuff.

Here's the links:

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f141/foundinrolls/doverd5.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f141/foundinrolls/35ddr.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f141/foundinrolls/merc2.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f141/foundinrolls/merc1.jpg

Thanks for any ideas!

Have Fun,
Bill

[foundinrolls]

By The way, i havent tried the microscope thing yet
Have Fun,
Bill

[foundinrolls]

Hi,
I added one more. It's a 1954 One Shilling Doubled Die.


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f141/foundinrolls/shill1.jpg


Have Fun,
Bill

[Bob P]

Bill,
You are off to a great start. Most of your pics are excellent. I think most of us have problems with the glare on newer coins. For those of us who use fiber optics, the light is so bright that it needs to be diffused. I have a dual neck fiber optic cable. A few of us have the same thing. What we ended up doing was using an old white coin tube to place over the end of the light. This, along with the intensity control of the light box helps immensely.
On your set-up, it might take something as simple as a piece of white paper or a plactic lid to diffuse the light if needed. In addition, you want to light the fields of the coin rather than the devices..................
Other than that, I think you have a great start going on there. Keep practicing!

[pennyhound]

Yours' lookings alot better than mine did, when I first started out, I'm sure you can (with tickering around) have great pictures for us all very soon.

Helps to re-locate the light source (& different diffusers) in some shots.

Just keep trying different things till it pops.

Great first steps tho, remember what-ever works best for you is what counts.

[foundinrolls]

Hi All,
I'm working on getting some of the smaller details.
These are with the macro on the camera.
I am fooling around with attatching loupes and lenses to the camera with some success. These are not those yet. W

What these show is the doubling with the notches on the IN GOD WE TRUST motto of a 1972 S Eisenhower dollar DDO. There are notches visible in many places. While I know it's not copper, I am learning how to light a coin that is UNC.

Here are the links.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f141/foundinrolls/ikedd72s.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f141/foundinrolls/ddoike72.jpg

Any ideas on getting the light to be more even over the surface?

Thanks,
Bill

[coop]

Bill that depends on two things. (1) what type of light you are using and if your able to use a diffuser. (2) Location of the light. On a microscope the light should be looking down on the microscope at 12:00 just above the coin. Mine is about 1-1 1/2 inches above the coin. This places the light in the center of the image rather than at the side. I use as a diffusser a hard white quarter coin tube with my light put inside of it. I have a shield on the upper part of the coin tube or black paper would work to keep the light from getting where I don't want it. Do you use a ramp? I use one with the tallest side a 6:00 so the light reflects off the coin and into the lens of the scope. It I use the ramp in the wrong position it makes the coin dark. You can see the details, but images are dark. They don't warm up like they do with the tallest side at 6:00. Si if I need to rotate the image, I turn the coin and not the ramp. That way you get the warm image you want. On silver coins I edit them in Photoshop to remove pink/purple color and make them gray or you can change them to grayscale to remove unwanted color. I then change the image back to RBC color and can adjust the color if I need to on silver coins. But position of light and diffusing the correct way will give you better images.

[foundinrolls]

Thanks, That's some great advice. I'm gonna play some more and see what I can come up with. I like the idea of changing to grayscale , that might be something to try.
Thanks again, More to come soon.
Bill