Guide / Tutorial Everything you need to take great coin photos

[Charliemouse]

The tl;dr shopping list, with minimum (new) prices:

• Interchangeable lens camera body (£400)
• Macro lens (£250)
• Memory card (£20)
• Tripod (£100)
• Lighting (£80)

Below I go through the list one at a time.

Who is this for?

This guide is for people who want to go beyond taking basic shots with their mobile phones.

I assume that you are just interested in buying something that will take great coin photographs.  If you want gear that will be useful for general photography, add one or two lenses and spend a bit more on a lighter tripod.

If £850 is too much then I recommend sticking with your mobile phone and just getting some lights and maybe a small phone tripod.  You could do this for easily below £150.

Alternatively, there is an established second hand market for camera equipment, and reliable specialist dealers who will service the gear and guarantee it.

I do not recommend going below the minimums I have listed here for new gear.  If you go too cheap with camera equipment, you won’t see the rewards and the process will be very frustrating.

Camera body

Full guide to choosing a camera for coin photography

I recommend a ‘crop sensor’ camera body, rather than a ‘full frame sensor’.  This means the camera will be smaller, lighter and cheaper, as will the lenses that go with it.

Starting now, I would choose mirrorless over digital SLR (DSLR) mainly because that’s where all the development and market is moving now.  However, a mirrorless camera could cost as much as £200 more than the equivalent DSLR.  So to stay within the budget, you can get a new DSLR or a second hand mirrorless.  For coin photos, either will be equally good.

Stick with Sony, Canon or Nikon models from the last 8 years, for consistent quality and a good choice of lenses.

Macro lens

Full guide to choosing a camera lens for coin photography

There are so many lenses on the market, your first job is to eliminate all the irrelevant ones quickly.  Follow these steps:

1. Search for lenses that fit your camera body.  There are so many combinations, I’m not going to list them here.  Just ask the dealer, or me, or read the manual.  The lens must match the exact type of camera you have, i.e. Brand+Sensor+Mirror.
2. Search for macro lenses.  Anything from a major manufacturer that has ‘macro’ in the name will be fine.  That should reduce the list to somewhere between 2 and 10 possible choices.
3. Look at focal length, the number in millimetres in the lens’s name.  For example “Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D” - the focal length is 50mm.  For a cropped sensor camera, the ideal focal length for coin photography is between 35 and 75 (50 to 100 for full sensors).  This is not an absolute rule and a little outside will be fine, but you'll find lenses in that range the easiest to work with.

You should only have about 2 or 3 lenses to choose from now.  Read some reviews, watch some YouTube, check price and availability.  Pick one.

Memory card

Simple.  Buy one that fits your camera, at least 32gb but preferably around 128gb.  Most cameras work with SD cards, but there are others.

Get a major known brand, from a known supplier.  Avoid a random alphabet-soup brand from Amazon or eBay.  It doesn’t need to be ultra high-end, unless you plan to shoot 4k video or somesuch.  The reason I recommend a known brand is that there are a lot of fake memory cards out there that have less capacity and slower speed than they claim.

To get the photos off your camera, you will either connect it to a PC via USB cable, or take out the memory card and insert it into the PC.

Tripod

Do not skimp on the tripod - buy cheap, buy twice.

You need a good quality tripod.  It is going to hold your camera perfectly still, so you can take super sharp photographs of tiny things.

Cheap tripods have plastic parts that will not lock firmly, and will wear out.  Tripods need to be metal and/or carbon fibre.  Anything else is a waste of money and will just get in the way of taking great photos.  If you find yourself not using a tripod because “it’s a pain” or “I can’t be bothered” you need a better tripod.

You should have an idea of where you will be photographing the coins.  Assuming a table or counter, will you have the tripod above looking down, or on the floor looking forward?  To shoot downwards, the tripod needs to be capable of holding a camera firmly in a vertical orientation - not all of them are.  It also needs to be small and adjustable, to fit on the table.

The most expensive tripods are carbon fibre, but you won’t need that for coin photography because you’re not worried about weight.  In fact, it being heavier could be a good thing, to help keep things still.

Realistically, you will need to spend between £100 and £300 on a tripod.  Neewer and Godox are the owners of the camera equipment space at the lower end, and make good value gear.  Their tripods can be obtained for around £100.

Stepping up a notch, look at Manfrotto and Slik.  Also, a really great British brand is Three Legged Things.  You should find suitable tripods from £200 to £300 from these brands.

Lighting

In order to have consistent, even lighting, that shows the correct colour of your precious metals, you need to use dedicated lights.  However, it need not be expensive or complicated.

Get yourself one or two flat panel LED lights, often called video lights.  These should cost around £40 each, up to about £80 for larger ones.  Again, Godox and Neewer make excellent lights.

You want to look for the following features:

• ‘Hot shoe’ mount and ¼ inch thread.  Allows you to attach it to the top of the camera, or a small tripod.
• A nice diffuse light.  Don’t go for anything like a spot or flash, as this will be too harsh for metallic coins.  You want a wide, flat, soft light.
• A variable white balance / colour temperature.  This is very important, and allows you to set the ‘whiteness’ of the light to a fixed value.

Two of these lights will give you a load of options for lighting.  One goes on the camera and the other goes on a small tripod to the side, to give even lighting.  Use one of any number of little mobile phone tripods, available for about £10.  I am not going into how to arrange the lights in detail; just experiment.  A lot of the time, just one light on top of the camera will be fine.

Try to then control the room's lighting, i.e. close curtains and turn off / down room lights.  That way, the light on the coin is consistent and predictable.

Conclusion

This budget is easily achievable, and doesn't rely on any special sales, vouchers or selling your soul to the Devil.

Please share any tips, suggestions, or anything I have forgotten.

And feel free to ask questions; happy to help.

Edited January 2 by Charliemouse

[Charliemouse]

A quick note for members not resident in the UK, where I am.

Obviously, the pricings I give are based on the UK tech market, including VAT at 20%, as of the end of 2023.

My experience of the US market is that the prices will be roughly the same in USD as I give in GBP, but of course you may need to contend with sales taxes where you are.

Other countries' markets will vary, but the general advice for what you will need to buy doesn't change.

[Silverlocks]

Something I've found with taking pictures of coins that have a satin finish (e.g. sovereigns or ASE's) is that a small spot in place of the second panel will do a better job of highlighting the coin's finish.  If you're trying to capture the lustre of the coin, the anisotropic (directional) reflection from the finish will show up better with a point like source.  Maybe I should do a write up about this at some point.

 

 

[Charliemouse]

23 hours ago, Silverlocks said:

Something I've found with taking pictures of coins that have a satin finish (e.g. sovereigns or ASE's) is that a small spot in place of the second panel will do a better job of highlighting the coin's finish.  If you're trying to capture the lustre of the coin, the anisotropic (directional) reflection from the finish will show up better with a point like source.  Maybe I should do a write up about this at some point.

It's a good idea as an alternative to a second panel light.  Tricky bit is matching the colours of the two lights.

Do you recommend any with a variable colour temperature, or a reliable known temperature?  You want to be able to match the lights to each other, at a specific value.  Mixing colours is always going to be bad, even with a grey card.  I looked around but couldn't find any spot lights that weren't £200+ with variable temperature.

I found this, which is fixed to 5600K, but you need to have a panel light that is also 5600K or can be adjusted to 5600K.

 

Edited December 27, 2023 by Charliemouse

[Silverlocks]

6 hours ago, Charliemouse said:

It's a good idea as an alternative to a second panel light.  Tricky bit is matching the colours of the two lights.

Do you recommend any with a variable colour temperature, or a reliable known temperature?  You want to be able to match the lights to each other, at a specific value.  Mixing colours is always going to be bad, even with a grey card.  I looked around but couldn't find any spot lights that weren't £200+ with variable temperature.

I found this, which is fixed to 5600K, but you need to have a panel light that is also 5600K or can be adjusted to 5600K.

The ones I've been using are these smallrig ones.  They are 5600k only.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SMALLRIG-Rainproof-Filters-Photography-Action/dp/B09N8LXD67

Pretty much everything I'm using is 5600k.  These panel lights, originally bought as they have a smart phone clip, which has two sets of LEDs, one at 5600k. 

https://www.amazon.com/Newmowa-Rechargeable-Adjusted-Android-Conference/dp/B08BCH841V/

And this ring light, which has a range that covers 5600k.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09GK4S2T1?th=1

I have no idea how accurate the listed colour temperatures really are (these are relatively cheap lights), but I can calibrate with a grey card and get something that comes out looking like gold, which is a lot better than I was getting before.  Ergo, I presume they're all producing something close enough to 5600k that it doesn't matter.

I did try getting a small light box before, but it was too small.  I might try getting one about 40cm across and see if I can make that work.  My major problem is constrained space.

Maybe I'll have to give up and splash out on some prosumer level gear at some point.

Edited December 27, 2023 by Silverlocks

[Charliemouse]

32 minutes ago, Silverlocks said:

The ones I've been using are these smallrig ones.  They are 5600k only.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SMALLRIG-Rainproof-Filters-Photography-Action/dp/B09N8LXD67

Pretty much everything I'm using is 5600k.  These panel lights, originally bought as they have a smart phone clip, which has two sets of LEDs, one at 5600k. 

Darn it!  The Smallrig one is what I meant to link to, but got my Copy/Paste wrong.  I've fixed the link in my comment.

32 minutes ago, Silverlocks said:

I have no idea how accurate the listed colour temperatures really are (these are relatively cheap lights), but I can calibrate with a grey card and get something that comes out looking like gold, which is a lot better than I was getting before.  Ergo, I presume they're all producing something close enough to 5600k that it doesn't matter.

5600K is a good middle ground, being very similar to 'normal' daylight.  As long as you are within about 300 above or below, I doubt anyone is going to see a difference.

32 minutes ago, Silverlocks said:

I did try getting a small light box before, but it was too small.  I might try getting one about 40cm across and see if I can make that work.  My major problem is constrained space.

You only need a light box if you really can't control the light in the room.  If you don't need one, don't use one, because they add a big hassle factor.  Just moving things around inside a small box is a pain.

32 minutes ago, Silverlocks said:

Maybe I'll have to give up and splash out on some prosumer level gear at some point.

I would always advise people to master the gear they have now.  Use it in new, creative ways, and experiment.  That's what's great about digital cameras - no consumable costs.

I think what you've been doing with the light cone, is a perfect example.

Plus, pro equipment will be bigger not smaller.  You get to the point where the equipment assumes you are in a dedicated studio space, whether that's a garage or a warehouse.  I have lighting rigs I can only use on location, because they are literally too big for my house.

Edited December 27, 2023 by Charliemouse

[Silverlocks]

46 minutes ago, Charliemouse said:

[ . . . ]

You only need a light box if you really can't control the light in the room.  If you don't need one, don't use one, because they add a big hassle factor.  Just moving things around inside a small box is a pain.

One thing I can't easily do at the moment is get even ambient lighting onto the subject.  I can do some things with the cones or shining through tracing paper diffusers with a hole cut for the lens.  However, I'm wondering if I need to find a way to set up something like a light box that provides some even background lighting.

[Charliemouse]

21 hours ago, Silverlocks said:

One thing I can't easily do at the moment is get even ambient lighting onto the subject.  I can do some things with the cones or shining through tracing paper diffusers with a hole cut for the lens.  However, I'm wondering if I need to find a way to set up something like a light box that provides some even background lighting.

Probably not for this thread.  Lighting is a massive topic, and I am very much still learning.

What I can say is that lightboxes are subtractive, not additive.  If you have light you cannot control, like big windows or room lights, then they can be useful.  But don't use them to try to add light, particularly not coins.  I can understand for larger product photography where creating an entire scene, with background and foreground elements, can be important.  But for coins, you probably just want to light the coin.

That's why I advise against them, unless you actually have a problem of too much (of the wrong) light.  They do tend to make practical things more complicated, not less.  Of course, if you are seeking perfection, where you want control of every aspect of the photograph, that's when they are really necessary.

If I wanted soft ambient light, I would look at a wide light panel, anything from 176 LED Panel to 660 LED Panel right up to 60x60cm flexible LED panel (actually very tempted to get one).

Edited December 28, 2023 by Charliemouse

[Charliemouse]

.

 

Edited December 28, 2023 by Charliemouse

[Silverlocks]

9 hours ago, Charliemouse said:

Probably not for this thread.  Lighting is a massive topic, and I am very much still learning.

What I can say is that lightboxes are subtractive, not additive.  If you have light you cannot control, like big windows or room lights, then they can be useful.  But don't use them to try to add light, particularly not coins.  I can understand for larger product photography where creating an entire scene, with background and foreground elements, can be important.  But for coins, you probably just want to light the coin.

That's why I advise against them, unless you actually have a problem of too much (of the wrong) light.  They do tend to make practical things more complicated, not less.  Of course, if you are seeking perfection, where you want control of every aspect of the photograph, that's when they are really necessary.

If I wanted soft ambient light, I would look at a wide light panel, anything from 176 LED Panel to 660 LED Panel right up to 60x60cm flexible LED panel (actually very tempted to get one).

I've also seen smaller soft boxes down to about 40cm across.  Maybe one of those on an angle-poise type arm might be useful?

[Charliemouse]

6 minutes ago, Silverlocks said:

I've also seen smaller soft boxes down to about 40cm across.  Maybe one of those on an angle-poise type arm might be useful?

For coins, I'd go with the 176.  It's a nice size (15x20cm) to fit on top of the camera, or a small pod.  I have something similar I use for backlighting.

The 660 would be a step up to light an entire scene.  That is frankly overkill for a coin, at 30x30cm excluding the barn doors, unless you want photograph large groups of coins.  But that is going to be tricky for lots of reasons.

But it is crazy good value, and gives you a very cheap and easy introduction into portrait photography for a heck of a lot less money than a full flash setup.

Finally, the 60x60 flexible panel looks interesting from a creative standpoint.  The fact you could curve it around something.  But I really don't see it anything other than a waste of money for coins.

[Silverlocks]

8 minutes ago, Charliemouse said:

[ . . . ]

But it is crazy good value, and gives you a very cheap and easy introduction into portrait photography for a heck of a lot less money than a full flash setup.

I can't see myself getting into portrait photography - without even doing it I'm getting horror flashbacks of snot-nosed little darlings who won't sit still.

Edited December 28, 2023 by Silverlocks

[Charliemouse]

21 minutes ago, Silverlocks said:

I can't see myself getting into portrait photography - without even doing it I'm getting horror flashbacks of snot-nosed little darlings who won't sit still.

Quite.  A little out of scope.

[Charliemouse]

42 minutes ago, Silverlocks said:

I can't see myself getting into portrait photography - without even doing it I'm getting horror flashbacks of snot-nosed little darlings who won't sit still.

So I'm not sure what you need.  A 30x30 panel light is too much.  But you are suggesting a 40x40 soft box, which in reality is much, much larger and more cumbersome.

I found the panel I use for background lighting: https://amzn.eu/d/jiRwVh4  It looks like an alphabet-soup brand, but actually they've been around a while and have online reviews.  I have found it excellent for the price, and has really good colour range and CRI.

The big advantage is that it is twice the area (14x7) than the little mini video lights (6x7), so you can create a much softer ambient light covering a wider area.

[Silverlocks]

18 minutes ago, Charliemouse said:

So I'm not sure what you need.  A 30x30 panel light is too much.  But you are suggesting a 40x40 soft box, which in reality is much, much larger and more cumbersome.

I found the panel I use for background lighting: https://amzn.eu/d/jiRwVh4  It looks like an alphabet-soup brand, but actually they've been around a while and have online reviews.  I have found it excellent for the price, and has really good colour range and CRI.

The big advantage is that it is twice the area (14x7) than the little mini video lights (6x7), so you can create a much softer ambient light covering a wider area.

I think the little neumowa panels are a bit small.  Maybe a bigger panel will be enough.  I suspect this will be a case of trying various things and 'I'll know it when I see it.'

[Silverlocks]

4 hours ago, Charliemouse said:

So I'm not sure what you need.  A 30x30 panel light is too much.  But you are suggesting a 40x40 soft box, which in reality is much, much larger and more cumbersome.

I found the panel I use for background lighting: https://amzn.eu/d/jiRwVh4  It looks like an alphabet-soup brand, but actually they've been around a while and have online reviews.  I have found it excellent for the price, and has really good colour range and CRI.

The big advantage is that it is twice the area (14x7) than the little mini video lights (6x7), so you can create a much softer ambient light covering a wider area.

When you did pics like the Bond 1960s coin, was the lighting just the panel light and the coin pointed so nothing reflected in the fields?

[Charliemouse]

7 hours ago, Silverlocks said:

I think the little neumowa panels are a bit small.  Maybe a bigger panel will be enough.  I suspect this will be a case of trying various things and 'I'll know it when I see it.'

I'd recommend the one I have. It's over twice the area.  Or the step up is the Neewer 176 which is double again, but I don't have experience with it.