Just looking to see if it would be OK and how it works to scan images of coins to post here in order to get some grading possibilities of them. Will delete this thread if needed. Am working to do this for my own information about the coins as well as others who might want to know information on this site about coins that they own.

I would appreciate advice/feedback concerning posting better images of coins here. Thank you!

Image One.

Image Two.

Image Three.

Image Four.

Okay. So, even after I have altered the images by brightening them up some what, they still don't look as good as they do when I see the coins face-to-face. Sure, you can see the marks by which they might be graded such as the hairlines, dates and words on them. But, the imperfections are also highlighted in the images.

Is there a better way to take pictures of and post images of coins on this site? That is my question. Knowing how to do that would help people who ask questions about the grading and possible monetary value of coins here. Do I need to be doing this with a high quality digital camera of some kind, and setting things up a certain way? Or, do I need to be setting things up differently with the scanner that I am using? I have an Epson CX5000 Printer and Scanner, so that you know.

Well, I have taken pictures of things up close with a Panasonic DMC-FZ50 which has a zoom lens and manual as well as automatic focus.

The trick in that case seems to be multi-fold:

1) Lighting and the lighting type (Use whatever light the coins will be viewed in)
2) Manual focus
3) Use of a tripod, even though the camera has auto-stabilization.
4) With larger 3-D objects you can have shadows if the lighting doesn't come from multiple sides.
5) You can't use a flash up close

Although I never used (3), it is an important variable.

I tried taking a picture of a coin using my camera and failed. A tripod would be mandatory.
The coin is 3D and therefore if you pretend it's an optical microscope, you have to pick a plane to focus on. The image was blurry, but bright. I used fluorescent lighting.

I didn't try autofocus because I'm confident that it doesn't work 10" away.

Clough & keepitsimplestupid - IVE been on pins and needles all weekend , like a kid getting to go into a toy store except mine has been over the coins. Yes a tripod will work a lot better , years ago ,using a SRT 102 Manolita and a close up lense to get within 12' I found it better and gave better pictures use a tri pod, I also found to use a dark blue or black cloth to lay the coins on .that was the best back ground that I found . A 8 to a 12 megpixel and at least a 3 or 4 power will probley give you what you need and you may not need the power ,just the megpix. Clough I really liked the #3 picture, I think it had the best contrast of the 4 pictures. Instead of the megpixl. Camera ,it might work best with a cam corder type with at least a 10 power Clough , do you know any coin shops near you or in the big windy that you ncould talk to about this and see what they would susgest?? OR a camara shop like (wolf camara ) AND see what they would susgest. So far you have done a good job . GOOD DAY TO YOU BOTH < ILL BE BACK IN A LITTLE WHILE< THERE IS A WOLF CAMARA SHOP IN NASHVILLE < MEMPHIS< & JACKSON < IM GOING TO TRY TO FIND THEIR PHONE NUMBERS < IF I HAVE LUCK I WILL CALL TOMORROW AND SEE WHAT I CAN FIND AND LET YOUAL KNOW TOMORROW F.B.E.

I really, truly do appreciate the responses that have been given here! :)

Purchasing a nice camera of some kind really isn't an option right now due to money. Hopefully, at some point in the next several months, purchasing one might be an option depending on how well my businesses go.

I'm also going to see if there are any sort of setting changes that I can make on the scanner that might make things look a little better for lighter colored coins. Will also try posting some images of darker colored coins using the scanner to see how they come out.

Thanks!

Clough:

I have the camera, but no tripod. Taking a picture of a shiny coin is much more difficult and coins have features like dates. What I took pictures of before only had a few non-reflective colors, thus focus wasn't a real problem.

The pic I took was under fluorescent light, but you probably need something aproximating daylight. I also, would probably benefit with a fluorescent filter for the camera. I have the megapixels (10 - 12) and have the zoom (12x), but I took the coin at 5 MP.

Scanners may actually use cold cathode fluorescent lights similar to a laptop, but you may look into what might be required for color correction and calibration. This, again. May impact the color.

It looks as if you have the resolution.

A dark background, in the scanner case, probably won't enhance the quality, but it will enhance the perceived view. The dark background will, in effect, focus your eye on the coin, not the background. The eye has various sensitivites to various colors. Yellow being higher than green, for instance. Amber monochomatic CRT's are better viewed in fluorescent lighting and green screens in dark rooms.

FBE:
Typo: 12 feet isn't close. I also agree that Clough did a nice job.

Clough:
Look into color correction with your scanner.

Clough & Keepitsimplestupid - I do believe clough did a very good job ,most so because of being his first time, good going Clough. The reason I said that if you uyse a back of blue or black was the way I had tried before and also not to long ago a coin co. sent me pictures of a couple coins ( FRONT AND BACK ) viewsand they were very good pictures and I could see the dark blue cloth under the coins For my MINolta SRT 102 , I have 4 different leneses besides the reg 55 mm The highest is 200mm to 300 mm. I also have the auto focus MinoltaMAXXUM 5000iwith reg 49 mm lense . I have 2 different trio pods ,1 about 2ft. High and the other one rises up where I can stand behind it and I'm 5ft 9 1/2 in tall.IVE got something I want you and k it simple to try< I have done it several times. I used my srt minolta to do it with thoughon a dark night no moon ,just stars set your tri pod up attach the camara to tri pod use either 400 or 800 speed film , focus lense good set to lowest seting you can, mine has a #1 then a Btake some tape and put across the push button , hold it down with the tape, push only once to take picture . OK now leave it set there for 1 to 2 hrs. maybe re set a do again for maybe 3 hrs. ( THEN WHEN YOU GET THE FILM DEVELOPED< { YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE THE TREAT OF YOUR LIFE< SOMETHING YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN Before } ) I don't want to tell you what you will see and spoil your surprise I don't know if these new fangled camara can do this or not for sure probley can I HOPE SO:::: . Clough - have you heard from ( K_2 since last week, about the coins he found in a old metal box, and Mpeelle, If she has the right mint mark on the dime , in G-4 condition it's worth $ 900.00 .; VG-* $ 1400.00 and up . Dimes dated 1923 D and 1930 d are counterfeit;;;; At Wolf camara in jackson tn. The one the boy said I would have to talk to was off today because he works on sat, so I will be on phone in moring to talk to him Almost out of paper . Good Night youal God Bless :: F.B.E.

Hi, F.B.E!

Thanks for you information about the photography! Much appreciated! Concerning the other posters and their coins, no I haven't heard anything from them. If I had, I would have referred them to you because you have the most current information about such things.

Flying Blue Eagle and KeepItSimpleStupid, thank you so much for your input and advice here! You are teaching me a lot! Sometime soon, I will be posting some additional images of coins that I have. We will see how they turn out on here. I will look to see what options there are that I have by using my scanner. It seems that the images that I have already posted didn't come out all that bad. I was just disappointed that they didn't come out exactly how I see them face-to-face.

Below, are a couple of images of some of the options that I have with my scanner. It would appear that I have quite a few options with the scanner that I can use.

I'll leave you with some reading to do on color correction:

Digital Camera Software - RAW Conversion & Color Correction

Windows Color Management: Background and Resources

Thanks, K.I.S.S! I will check out the site and subsequent links on that site!

CLOUGH - YOU are very welcome, glad to help all I can ,I wish I knew how to do all this on my computeer. It's a DELL 530 s the printer is 4 things ( COPY< SCAN FAX PICTURES ) ECT> OH clough try this next time doing the back side of the coin also, Because when grading coins you have to check both sides for duifferent things plus a lot of the coins have the mint mark on the back side . Herestion for you and KISS IS the new Predsients coins the first coins to have the side of rim with incurssed edges?? F.B.E. GOD BLEES YOU BOTH

Thanks, F.B.E! I will be posting images of the reverse of the coins in the future. The first images that I posted here were just a test to see how scanning and posting the images here worked.

I do have some coins that I am just dying for you to see!! I would appreciate your opinion on them when I do post them.

I don't know about the new president's coins... Maybe I will really start to get into this collecting coins again. My collection is large, but very old. I haven't attended to it really very much in decades. But, frankly, you being on this site, F.B.E. has helped to spark my interest in getting into the coin collecting passion again!

I also have an extensive baseball and football card collection... Collected them when I was in grade school. In the 1980's started assembling them and then got a book on the value of them. They were scattered in places all over my home, drawers, old toy box, wherever... "Holy cow!" I thought at the time when I was finding out the possible value for them. Now, the best of them are in plastic holders and the rest are protected in three-ring binder sleeves that I purchased.

I have posted some images on the following link in order to help someone else.

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/baseba...tml#post893566

Clough - I"M glad that I have sparked your interest back into coins ect.ect. my first pasion is flying, I always would be flying then eat. One day I made a big ( MISTAKE I SAID THE WRONG THING{ JUST FOR FUN<BECAUSE SHE KNOWS AFTER %) YEARS OF MARRIED LIFE< ANY I SAID ( I"D RATHER BE FLYING THEN MAKE LOVE TO A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN ::: WOW WOw. OH WELL I'm STILL ALIVE> :: MY SECOND HAS ALWAYS BEEN COINS AND PAPER MONEY COLLECTING< MINE IS NOT SCATTERED THOUGH <I KEEP MINE AT MY BANK VAULT< NONE OF THE BOXES ARE BIG ENOUGH SO THEY KEEP THEM INSIDE A VAULT ROOM INSIDE THE VAULT> I GET CERTAIN OUT ONCE IN A WHILE FOR SHOW OR SPECIAL OCATIONS. GO to page two of this site. On collectables to question from (JUSTCURIOUS) ( 1957B series silver certificate one dollar bill and 1905 us penny what's it worth? ONPAGE 2 ,ANSWER # 12 & 13, #13 of what I wrote about his Question ,Read then you will know just how I feel,About coin collecting ; ::! I can hardly wait to see what you have, that you are going to post, ( BY THE WAY DID YOU EVER FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT COIN WAS THAT I LOOKED UP FOR YOU? THAT YOU SHOWED TO SA COUPLE GUYS AND THEN SOLD IT TO ONE OF THEM I THINK IT WAS A DOLLAR> I THINK There WAS 6 or 7 coins possible coins it could have been. Question - have you ever seen a english ( ENGLAND ) Penny that is as big our half dollar, I think broonz, has the Queen sitting on the thron, she is holding like a pitch fork, That was the way they were susposed to have been made. If you ever see one that the designer had made, with the fork handle coming down between her legs, KEEP IT , ONES like are called ( THE passionate penny ) the Queen had him beheaded on the gilateen for it. He done it because he got mad at her . Running out of paper , talk latter GOD BLESS F.B.E.

My dad taught aviation for 45 years, so I grew up in that kind of atmosphere. Went flying many times but never got my license. Music was more of a passion for me. But, my dad had also been an orchestra director as well as being a musician.

I will get back to you about the coin things, F.B.E. Thanks and God Bless You!

Clough - in my post just above , ( I put 96 years ,it was susposed to be 50 years) 96years ? Wow WoW wowwwwww that would make me around 120 years old. Good evening and GOD BLESS ::: F.B.E.