Where to hold phone to observe coins? 1 1

[pogohatesme]

My apologies if this is a stupid question but honestly would like guidance to make sure how to do it. I currently am only using my phone with an app called Cozy Magnifier to view coins and try to determine any possible marks, ddo, ddr, and or rpm and the like. I have the app set at 5x magnification but my curiosity and question is, even at that magnification, how far above the coin should I be holding it? Obviously not so far away that it would be detrimental, but I am unsure if there is such a thing as "being to close" either. 

The reason I bring this up is while looking at some Jefferson nickles and attempting to determine if it might get the 5 or 6 full step, at a certain distance away it would appear that it would. But if I move closer to the coin, then maybe not so much. Hope this makes since. And thank you all for your guidance and help.

[KarenHolcomb]

Ok. What I do is bring the coin into focus at whatever distance necessary without enlarging. Once it is in focus is when I enlarge it. I mean it is only going to be in focus clearly at one distance. And the Cozy Mag App is about the best free app out right now. I also use a 10x clip on Macro Lens that brings it to 17X, because my Pixel goes to 8x.

Now, to what I think is really your question...yes, you can get too close. At least as far as I'm concerned. To me some people try so hard to get in there and show what they see that often times idek what part of the coin I'm even looking at. This is partly why we ask you for shots of both sides of a coin and shots of whatever area you are seeing what you are seeing. See? Lol! This way we can enlarge you photos to try and see what you can see and also so we can look for markers. But for example, if you think you see a double ear on a 94 Lincoln. So your close-up should show the ear. The whole ear. Not just the lobe. Does that help?

 

[pogohatesme]

49 minutes ago, KarenHolcomb said:

Ok. What I do is bring the coin into focus at whatever distance necessary without enlarging. Once it is in focus is when I enlarge it. 

 

Yes it does make sense and is about what I was figuring but wanted to double/triple check. But also, from your comment, what do you mean by this? Are you saying you start the Cozy app normal magnification, get the focus at whatever distance, then magnify? If so, what magnification do you use?

I have thought of getting a Macro lens but have yet to do so. I typically hold my.phone about 4 inches above the coin with Cozy set at 5x magnification. Would this be about right? I'm not looking for "perfect". Just want to make sure I am doing enough to tell whether a coin MIGHT be worth holding on to.

[KarenHolcomb]

Yes, if you are using the app I would start it at 1x to focus and then bring it in. On my phone it would give me 7x. I think it started at 5x though and. a few days later updated to 7x. Since my phone does 8x I don't use it anymore but still have it so I don't forget the name if my next phone isn't as good. Lol! About 4-5 inches sounds right to me. I heard someone say once that a pop can makes a perfect stand so I suppose that about 4-5". As far as what mag I am using, it is 17x with my phone and my lens. Can't miss much there, but remember that graders use either 5x or 7x, I forget which. 

[Crawtomatic]

8 hours ago, KarenHolcomb said:

... but remember that graders use either 5x or 7x, I forget which. 

I'm not sure if there's a requirement.  Based on this interview from 2014 most grading is done with the naked eye.  Though I think I recall reading somewhere that when a loupe is used it's no higher than 7x.

Lots of related articles on the main NGC site if you search for the term "magnification".

https://www.ngccoin.com/search-results/?q=magnification

 

[RWB]

Put your phonetoy on a table.

Get a $10,  magnifying glass and look at the coin....Then, look at it again, and again. Each time you will "see" more details. After you've learned a little about "seeing" you can try taking photos with a camera of what you have already learned to see.

[Coinbuf]

Anything over 5X is just a waste, the higher the magnification the more pareidolia.  Everything looks like something at high magnification, graders only use a loupe to verify what they see with the eye.

[pogohatesme]

Thanks for the help. I thought I had read somewhere that grading was done at 5x which is why I was trying to make sure I was at least on the right page. I had not seen the above article saying grading was done by eye. I do have a handheld magnifying glass as well. I dont know if it's.my eyes or the glass itself or what, but it seems I still have trouble seeing things which is why I brought up the app on the phone.

[KarenHolcomb]

@CRAWTOMATIC agreed.  @RWB @Coinbuf when I started out a regular 3x/7x glass is what I used. And I did have a great eye. Unfortunately my pup stuck his nose in my eye and my vision started going from there. Within a couple of weeks I could no longer see the details of any coin, with or without glasses. Gave me a whole new understanding of what it is like for people with bad vision. So I was kind of forced to turn to a loupe and when things are especially blurry my phone with Macro. So please don't be so quick to make statements like the above because there are a lot of peeps in the world that simply cannot see without help. Thanks- Karen

[kbbpll]

What is the exact name for this app? Is it iPhone? I searched for "Cozy Magnifier" last night and a few popped up but didn't have that specific name. I tried one and it was horrible - couldn't turn off the light, didn't seem to be any better than just taking a focused picture and zooming in on that. Are graders all really young or something? I can't see squat on a coin anymore without a magnifying glass. I don't see how anybody can ID some of the varieties without 5x.

[pogohatesme]

5 minutes ago, kbbpll said:

What is the exact name for this app? Is it iPhone? I searched for "Cozy Magnifier" last night and a few popped up but didn't have that specific name. I tried one and it was horrible - couldn't turn off the light, didn't seem to be any better than just taking a focused picture and zooming in on that. Are graders all really young or something? I can't see squat on a coin anymore without a magnifying glass. I don't see how anybody can ID some of the varieties without 5x.

Here is a screenshot of the app from the google store. I use a Note 10 android but would think it's the same on iPhone.

Edited to add, from all reviews I have read and seen, this one is great. The free version does have ads but they are very short and only happen when opening the app.

Edited June 25, 2020 by pogohatesme

[VKurtB]

In my opinion, no phone app I’ve ever seen is good enough.

[RWB]

Karen, My point was to learn to look and the "see" with minimal aid, before trying to weddle around with a phonetoy hoping it will somehow "save the day" like Mighty Mouse. Your personal situation is a very narrow and understandable exception. I hope your vision has improved.