Best way to take coin pictures on iPhone? 0

[EmiCoins]

I am wondering what the best way to take coin pictures on an iPhone camera is.

[coinsandmedals]

Hello and welcome to the boards! 

This is an excellent question. I currently am restricted to my iPhone for coin photographs as well. My pictures are from perfect but they have come a long way from what they used to be. I have found several key factors to be helpful. 

1. Stability is key. If possible, place your phone on a flat stable surface about 4-5 inches from the coin( books work well for this). Make sure the pictures you take are straight on and the coin is not angled (unless it is required because of an odd strike or uneven planchet). 

2. Reflectivity can also be an issue. If you are like most people and have your $1000 phone in a case you may need to remove it to avoid an unwanted reflection in your picture. This is especially true for slab shots. 

3. Lighting is pivotal to a well balanced and accurate image. I have a flexible desk lamp that I use to adjust the height, orientation, and direction of the light. You will have to play around with this to get it just where you want it, but the light(s) should be about the same height as your camera and should always be straight on. I’ve found that tilting the light source often results in an unwanted shadow. A single light source is often sufficient. I take all of my pictures at night in my office at home with all the other lights off in the room. 

4. There are phone apps that can help with focus, white balance, and many other key factors. I personally have used an app called “VSCO” which has proven to be very helpful. It allows for all settings to be set automatically but also gives the ability to manually set it for difficult shots. This app also allows you to set the focus point as well as the light exposure point. One major downside is that you can not zoom.

5. Take plenty of pictures with different lighting to make sure you get the best shot you can. Do not expect to knock it out of the park with your first shot. 

These are some of the things that come immediately to mind. If I can think of anything else I will be sure to post. I hope this helps! 

[EmiCoins]

Thank you! Helps a lot!