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Coil Photography Help?

Hello Everyone,

I've been building for awhile now, and actually want to get some quality images of my coils put out into the wild.

What would be the most cost effective beginner friendly DSLR + lense setup to pick up for macro coil shots?
 

KingPin!

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Sorry I’m not sure on this one I dont use a DSLR

Although I’ll be interested to know too :)
 

KingPin!

In my defence, I was left unsupervised ^^
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Thanks Huck ......I just use my finger and press the button on my phone :D haha I don’t even use a micro lens with it although I could probably get even better detail if I did ^^ Inspects posted the link above if going down that road

I saw @MannyScoot posted some really great pics of his mods he might have some suggestions

@mjag has got quality pics as well think he uses a DSLR
 

MannyScoot

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Thanks Huck ......I just use my finger and press the button on my phone :D haha I don’t even use a micro lens with it although I could probably get even better detail if I did ^^ Inspects posted the link above if going down that road

I saw @MannyScoot posted some really great pics of his mods he might have some suggestions

@mjag has got quality pics as well think he uses a DSLR
I use mainly my Google Pixel Phone and when I feel like taking a good one I use my Nikon D850.......... They both make good images.....
 

KingPin!

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I use mainly my Google Pixel Phone and when I feel like taking a good one I use my Nikon D850.......... They both make good images.....

Do you use the stock lens with the D850 manny?
 

MannyScoot

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Do you use the stock lens with the D850 manny?
I use a 50mm 1.4G a 24-85mm G and a 105mm 2.8G Macro but mainly the 24-85mm covers a wide range and it allows you to get close... What helps with a high Megapixel camera is that you can take a nice picture of a set of coils and by the time you crop it to the size of the coil you still have a 5152x2218 and small a 2200x1280 or a 1920x1080
 
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mach1ne

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great photos @MannyScoot :cheers:

@Deadlysinss i think most of the guys in the builds thread here use phone cameras with clip on lenses. i just hold a magnifying glass against mine. the key is to have good lighting. look up lightboxes and try to make one and just mess around with your phone camera to get the hang of things. grab a clip on macro lens and you might find you are happy with the results you get for ~$20 worth of stuff. :cheers:
 

MannyScoot

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great photos @MannyScoot :cheers:

@Deadlysinss i think most of the guys in the builds thread here use phone cameras with clip on lenses. i just hold a magnifying glass against mine. the key is to have good lighting. look up lightboxes and try to make one and just mess around with your phone camera to get the hang of things. grab a clip on macro lens and you might find you are happy with the results you get for ~$20 worth of stuff. :cheers:
It's all in the effort you take..... Ideas also help.... Every photographer has his thing.... Even with a cell phone now days they have 12 to 15 megapixels..... It's all about cropping in close up photography... All you need is the center ! so shoot big and crop close.....
 

mjag

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Thanks Huck ......I just use my finger and press the button on my phone :D haha I don’t even use a micro lens with it although I could probably get even better detail if I did ^^ Inspects posted the link above if going down that road

I saw @MannyScoot posted some really great pics of his mods he might have some suggestions

@mjag has got quality pics as well think he uses a DSLR
I actually use a Note 8, 2x optical zoom. Using a macro lens is a good idea though, they sell some on Amazon for under $10

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Thanks for all of the suggestions everyone. I'll put together an online album somewhere and share a link here, so people can see my progression.
 

MoFasterMo

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You can pick up a used Nikon d3100 with a 18-55mm kit lens pretty cheap if you look around online.

For an example I wrapped a 24G, id 3mm coil and dug out my old d3100 beater camera.

I used auto-focus, no editing but cropped the picture about 1024 x 768

joZFyyl.jpg
 

mach1ne

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I agree, I think lighting is as or more important than the camera.

Here's a lightbox on the cheap.
1 cardboard box
1 $8.00 shower curtain from Dollar General
1 sheet of poster board
and a couple of lights

YkNT9Bw.jpg
:cheers:any photographer will tell you that the camera is the least important part of a good shot (unless you require a fancy macro lens or some specific hardware to even get the shot). my ex girlfriend took an award winning photo with a shoebox camera (in a category where other people used real cameras).
 
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AnthonyLouis

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I bought a macro lens clip for my phone a few years ago (still have it), but it actually makes the photo worse. IDK if I’m doing something wrong (can’t imagine what) or if it’s just a really shit product... I want to get another one but I’m hesitant because of the one I have


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AnthonyLouis

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If someone could recommended a decent one, please let me know!!


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DogMan

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I bought a macro lens clip for my phone a few years ago (still have it), but it actually makes the photo worse. IDK if I’m doing something wrong (can’t imagine what) or if it’s just a really shit product... I want to get another one but I’m hesitant because of the one I have


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The macro clips /filters tend to be clear in the centre and progressively blurrier out towards the edge

What phone do you use? The new s20 ultra and Huawei p30 pro have periscope lenses that give good zoom

If you want a cheap dslr, think about why you want one, and shop mirrorless or even compact for the feature set first. You might find something suitable. The modern ones are great.
 

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