In response to a request...

I received a PM from a reader asking for details of my coin photography setup. I figured I might as well answer for everyone to see. (See photo below)

Please keep in mind that I am not a photography expert, and welcome suggestions!

Camera: Nikon D5500

Lens: AF-S Nikkor 18-55 mm, set at 55 mm

Aperture: f/11

Shutter Speed: 1/10 sec

Light: OttLite w/ OttLite 508 HD bulb

Structure: Home-made!

The camera is held firm to the 1x3 board with a bolt into its tripod mount hole. The thin narrow piece of wood is glued to the 1x3, and serves as a rail for the block with black-painted front. There is another small piece of wood screwed to the underside at the camera end to provide some tilt, so slabs can rest against the black block without tipping.

I use the camera's live mode and touch screen to take the shots. That reduces the risk of moving the camera or setup when the pictures are being taken. Even small motions can ruin the photos with the 1/10 sec exposures.

Auto-focus seems to work just fine for this purpose at the settings above. But I had trouble getting good focus with larger apertures.

Alan