Scans or photos?

[Coinery 1,148]

I've just left Tony Clayton's site (link left by 1949threepence in 'major copper rarities'), and noticed that a lot of the images are scans, courtesy of MP.

Does anyone find scanned images beneficial in any way when viewing a coin? I've never used a scanner for coins before, but have a top of the range, monstrosity of a thing, in the mother-in-law's attic, and was trying to make a decision about whether it's worth digging out?

[Mongo 1]

I am going by my mums interest in photography, she spends alot of time taking close up photos of insects, birds, plants etc.

If you have the funds, you can not beat a top quality camera for capturing what an object "really" looks like, so I would say a photo is better than a scan.

When shooting, you can get a beautiful close up picture by using some sort of stabilizer for the camera, and as it is of coins, you can use a cheap lamp or similar to get a nice light source if you need it, this should show the natural lustre etc.

While saying that, if it is not too much hassle, you could get your scanner out and spend a little time taking scans and photos of your coins, this would be the best way to be sure which is better, as a quality scanner will probably be better than a pants camera!

[pies 33]

Well im using my scanner as i find using the camera a right pain as its either out of focus too much light etc etc

[azda 979]

I've never used a scanner to image coins, always a camera. You'll find my plate sized results dotted about the coin aquisition of the week thread. The Martin Platt images on Tony Claytons site are i'm sure camera work

[Peckris 579]

I've just left Tony Clayton's site (link left by 1949threepence in 'major copper rarities'), and noticed that a lot of the images are scans, courtesy of MP.

Does anyone find scanned images beneficial in any way when viewing a coin? I've never used a scanner for coins before, but have a top of the range, monstrosity of a thing, in the mother-in-law's attic, and was trying to make a decision about whether it's worth digging out?

Definitely. There are pros and cons attached to each.

Scans : a perfect round depiction with every part in focus and in the same plane; wonderful for seeing the best close-up detail of a coin; the results appear instantaneously on your computer. Sadly, any lustre or loveliness of tone is killed dead, and the result can be tonally flat and uninspiring.

Photos : quite difficult to get in true focus and in a parallel plane, unless you have special equipment or some kind of "set up", also it's much more time-consuming as you have to upload the results. However, you get a much more realistic impression of tone, lustre, and general attractiveness.

To see typical results of scans, see the pictures on this site's "Coins for Sale" section.

[pies 33]

Pekris have you tried using a different coloured background.My first coin was done on a scanner and i think the toning shows up well.All i used was a yellow background

[davidrj 194]

Pekris have you tried using a different coloured background.My first coin was done on a scanner and i think the toning shows up well.All i used was a yellow background

background colour definitely affects scan quality,

the inside of my scanner lid is white, scanning toned copper/bronze results in very dark low contrast images - the scanner averages the dark coin/light backgound.

Much better results if i put a dark blue behind the coin. For bronze with lustre, i use a yellowish brown background.

Also important to crop the actual scan window as close as possible (in the preview mode) , to eliminate as much background as possible before the final scan

worth experimenting, but always scan at a high res, you can always reduce the picture size later

[Peckris 579]

Pekris have you tried using a different coloured background.My first coin was done on a scanner and i think the toning shows up well.All i used was a yellow background

Pekris have you tried using a different coloured background.My first coin was done on a scanner and i think the toning shows up well.All i used was a yellow background

background colour definitely affects scan quality,

the inside of my scanner lid is white, scanning toned copper/bronze results in very dark low contrast images - the scanner averages the dark coin/light backgound.

Much better results if i put a dark blue behind the coin. For bronze with lustre, i use a yellowish brown background.

Also important to crop the actual scan window as close as possible (in the preview mode) , to eliminate as much background as possible before the final scan

worth experimenting, but always scan at a high res, you can always reduce the picture size later

Those are very good tips - I will bear them in mind. And I always scan at a high res (though maybe not maximum).

[Coinery 1,148]

Pekris have you tried using a different coloured background.My first coin was done on a scanner and i think the toning shows up well.All i used was a yellow background

background colour definitely affects scan quality,

the inside of my scanner lid is white, scanning toned copper/bronze results in very dark low contrast images - the scanner averages the dark coin/light backgound.

Much better results if i put a dark blue behind the coin. For bronze with lustre, i use a yellowish brown background.

Also important to crop the actual scan window as close as possible (in the preview mode) , to eliminate as much background as possible before the final scan

worth experimenting, but always scan at a high res, you can always reduce the picture size later

Any chance you could link to, or put up, a couple of examples with your different scanned backgrounds?

[Peckris 579]

Pekris have you tried using a different coloured background.My first coin was done on a scanner and i think the toning shows up well.All i used was a yellow background

background colour definitely affects scan quality,

the inside of my scanner lid is white, scanning toned copper/bronze results in very dark low contrast images - the scanner averages the dark coin/light backgound.

Much better results if i put a dark blue behind the coin. For bronze with lustre, i use a yellowish brown background.

Also important to crop the actual scan window as close as possible (in the preview mode) , to eliminate as much background as possible before the final scan

worth experimenting, but always scan at a high res, you can always reduce the picture size later

Yes, I had the same experience. However, like with photographs, detail is preserved in deep shadow, and can be brought out with a decent image editor; contrast and levels can be improved too.

[Coinery 1,148]

I guess the biggest drawback to a scanner is that you would have no control on where the light hits the surface of the coin. Also, it must be harder to get the colour right as, I presume, our brains would ordinarily translate a coin's colour inclusive of the light it is reflecting, sky, etc, a scanner obviously doesn't permit this? Are there ways around it?

[davidrj 194]

I guess the biggest drawback to a scanner is that you would have no control on where the light hits the surface of the coin. Also, it must be harder to get the colour right as, I presume, our brains would ordinarily translate a coin's colour inclusive of the light it is reflecting, sky, etc, a scanner obviously doesn't permit this? Are there ways around it?

my scanner head pushes the light out behind it, so if the coin is orientated in the direction of the scan, the image of the coin will appear to have been illuminated from 12 o'clock

[Peckris 579]

I guess the biggest drawback to a scanner is that you would have no control on where the light hits the surface of the coin. Also, it must be harder to get the colour right as, I presume, our brains would ordinarily translate a coin's colour inclusive of the light it is reflecting, sky, etc, a scanner obviously doesn't permit this? Are there ways around it?

Maybe no control over DIRECTION, but unlike with a photo, the light in a scanner is always evenly consistent and not dependent on quality of daylight or indoor bulbs for which white balance has to be set carefully.

[TomGoodheart 400]

I thonk there are advantages to both. My old scanner was pretty decent, but they didn't update the driver and it won't work with our current computers. The image is a bit flat but good detail. Photos I struggle with to get a representative image. I guess I could overcome that by having something more permanent but until I want to sell something on ebay all I really want is an image for my records that you could recognise the coin by were it lost or stolen.

Scan on the left, photo right. Neither perfect but ..

[TomGoodheart 400]

I thonk there are advantages to both. My old scanner was pretty decent, but they didn't update the driver and it won't work with our current computers. The image is a bit flat but good detail. Photos I struggle with to get a representative image. I guess I could overcome that by having something more permanent but until I want to sell something on ebay all I really want is an image for my records that you could recognise the coin by were it lost or stolen.

Scan on the left, photo right. Neither perfect but ..

And the photo from which I cropped the second image (reduced of course)

Edited June 6, 2012 by TomGoodheart

[SEnumis 0]

The scanned image was excellent for detail.