Tiffibunny Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Ok folks, tired of twiddling with that white balance, tired of taking 20 pics to get that silver coloring right? We bought these new lightbulbs this weekend... Commercial Electric Daylight Lamp Bulbs from Home Depot (I think you can only get them there) Reveal Bulb: (Before) New Commercial Electric Daylight Lamp (After) Reveal Bulb: (Before) New Commercial Electric Daylight Lamp (After) They are both the exact same coin. My setup is exactly the same and I changed no settings on the camera. Stu, do you know what this means? I think Canadian coins will be good. I don't have one around to experiment with at the moment, but I'll try and get a comparison tomorrow. And the bulbs are also extremely energy efficient. I used a 70 watt that only actually uses 19 watts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotten Rodney Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Are you sure you didn't dip them and now your messing with our heads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiffibunny Posted February 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Are you sure you didn't dip them and now your messing with our heads. I'm sure. Here they are... Sorry, they were 60 watt. $9.97 for this package this week on sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotten Rodney Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Hey they got those at Walmart. . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abish Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Wow, very big difference. That's an awesome tip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stujoe Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Congrats Tiff! Great color balance now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottishmoney Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 I have had some frustrating times taking pics of coins, for one thing I would like to build a stand so I have the camera at the same height all the time, but lighting is always a pain in the bum. So recently I expropriated my sons desk lamp for taking coin pictures, finally it works. Now my son cannot have the lamp back. Want coins, then no lamp for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ageka Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 I'm sure. Here they are... Sorry, they were 60 watt. $9.97 for this package this week on sale. I bought those as full spectrum lights they were 10 euro apiece and half were dead the first week ( made in china ) I use them to help my plants through the dark winter days Before that I used General Electric full spectrum light spots 60 watts A pitty we have 220 volts or I could order them cheaply in the US Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syzygy Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 yup, bulbs can make a big difference - I use 5000K "daylight" bulbs that look similar to the ones that you showed. The place where I got them has this chart... Link Don't know how accurate or meaningful it is...but I like the bulbs I am using. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ætheling Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 I bought those as full spectrum lights they were 10 euro apiece and half were dead the first week ( made in china )I use them to help my plants through the dark winter days Before that I used General Electric full spectrum light spots 60 watts A pitty we have 220 volts or I could order them cheaply in the US The voltage'll get you every time, we're on 240v so they'd go with even more of a bang if you put them in over here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlueke Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 I just went from regular energy savers to Halogen. Although that is mostly to get better copper/bronze light intensity and color. Maybe the best set-up is one set of bulbs for each coin metal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ageka Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 The voltage'll get you every time, we're on 240v so they'd go with even more of a bang if you put them in over here! Yes and if you are of the do itself kind since two years they brought 380 volt and a neuter into all the houses in my street better to balance the phases so if you make a new electric outlet better be sure not to put the 380 volt on your washing machine it will smoke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuldFartte Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 That's a heckuva difference, Bunnyperson Thanks for the tip. I think that'll save me some time in Photoshop!!! Show some copper when you get a chance ... Puhleeeeze ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpnyc Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 I tried those "daylight" type flourescent bulbs and I found I was getting a blue-ish tint to the images yet you don't seem to be having that problem. Are you editing the images at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burks Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 That is a great improvemet over the old lighting setup. Gives the coin more of that "real" look. That's a fine looking Peace as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Great project. Thanks for the informative post. They're on my WalMart shopping list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiffibunny Posted February 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 I tried those "daylight" type flourescent bulbs and I found I was getting a blue-ish tint to the images yet you don't seem to be having that problem. Are you editing the images at all? No, I never mess with the images other than cropping. That's why they always had a gold tint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiffibunny Posted February 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Show some copper when you get a chance ... Puhleeeeze ??? I'll give some copper a go later along with those pesky Canadians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleBobo Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Hmmm, off to the hardware store! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbycoin Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 I have the gold tint problem also. I was actualy going to post asking what light to use! I will go pick up some of these to use. Too perfect Tiff. I want to get a light with a flexable base so I can possition it where I want. Any advice on possitioning of the light. Thanks for the great info Tiff! -Bobby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiffibunny Posted February 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Before: After: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiffibunny Posted February 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 I have the gold tint problem also. I was actualy going to post asking what light to use! I will go pick up some of these to use. Too perfect Tiff. I want to get a light with a flexable base so I can possition it where I want. Any advice on possitioning of the light. Thanks for the great info Tiff! -Bobby I'll get a pic of my setup for you later I ran out of batteries in the camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiffibunny Posted February 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 I'll also try an experiment later to see how it does with toning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 yup, bulbs can make a big difference - I use 5000K "daylight" bulbs that look similar to the ones that you showed. The place where I got them has this chart...Link Don't know how accurate or meaningful it is...but I like the bulbs I am using. The key to many of the comments about color cast is the color temperature (the K value) of the bulbs. Different films were (still are) balanced to different color temperatures with daylight being most common (5000K) for over the counter sales. Studio photographers use different films and correction filters depending on their studio lights, how long they have burned (they change with use), etc. Overcast photos were (still are) bluer (i.e. a cooler temperature or greater than 5000K). The gold and red hues come from the warmer bulbs (3200K, 2700K, etc.). Setting the white balnce in digital photography is akin to selecting the proper film for the light source. You tell the camera what the light source is and it adjusts so white is white. If you let it think you are using daylight, then warm light sources will have the yellow or red cast. Changing the bulb to daylight means you are using the light source the camera assumes you are using in the absence of other information. If you look at Tiff's photos carefully, you will see that the shadows changed somewhat as well with the change in bulbs as the light pattern changed from the different bulbs, intensity, etc. Inserting a sheet of glass at 45° between the coin and the camera and bouncing the light off the glass has the effect of aligning the light rays that produces the axial effect. In theory, it doesn't matter what color light you use if you correct for it. In practice, I believe different metals will react somewhat differently to the varying light sources and image quality degrades with every correction you have to apply after the image is captured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiffibunny Posted February 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 I'm more of a no fuss no muss photographer. No toying with settings every time, no futzing with equiptment, no playing with photoshop. This is the best I've come to just point and shoot and upload. I like to get quick good pics without wasting my time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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