Shutter Speed

D42 · Advanced Member

I’ve been re-photographing my coins so that I can save them onto a DVD.

(My computer bit the dust and I lost my photographs along with everything else.
That will teach me to back-up my stuff)

The camera that I have is a HP Mz 67
It will take a picture 1 inch away from the subject
Everything is automatic – you press the button half-way down to
focus then all the way down to take the picture.

For the last week I’ve been trying to capture good clear pictures
And having a hard time with it as usual. A few days ago I just happened to look at the properties of the Photos that I had taken when I noticed that the shutter speeds are different
and so are the quality of my pictures.

What would be the cause of this--
Lighting?
Malfunction in the camera?
Slow trigger finger?
Is there someway to improve the shutter speed
I think that if I can obtain a faster speed along with a good focus
I would have much better photographs.

Here are five photographs along with the shutter speeds
(the coin is a 1983)

Below- (SHUTTER SPEED 1/22 )

Below--(SHUTTER SPEED 1/98 )

Below--(SHUTTER SPEED 1/145 )

Below--( SHUTTER SPEED 1/115 )

Below-- ( SHUTTER SPEED 1/150 )

Dick · Expert Member

D42, i can't help with the photography,end, but, maybe with the computer end.
Did the HD go out, or is it another part of the computer, ie Power supply, etc? If it was anything but the hard drive, you can put it into another computer, and after it "moves in", and getts to know everybody, it will work just fine. Assuming the Operating system is the same.
I refer thios info to the "IBM C'ones/Generic type, rather than a "Brand name, or a Mac.
Hope this helps.
Dick

D42 · Advanced Member

The computers hard drive went out.
It was an old computer anyway, and I’ve been having
problems with it for quite some time.

Dick · Expert Member

D42, That just about says it all!
I have never had a HD go bad, so I haven't had any experience, getting them to work, for a short while, so as to image, or copy everything to another. It would be fun to try.
Dick

coop · Expert Member

I see no difference in shutter speed with quality.

Are you taking images through a scope?

Lighting plays a large difference in images.

I use a ramp to get the lighting into the scope to give me a nice color. With the ramp in the wrong direction the light looks darker and not what I want. Many things affect images. But get down the procedure first and then take multiple image later. Save what works in you images and try something else till you get the desired images. Then tackle images of your collection.

I save my images first on the computer and then transfer to flash drives to save them. Later transfer over all images to disk when they get full. I hate loosing images, but this works best for me.

D42 · Advanced Member

I am just using a camera, tripod and a desk lamp.

I played around with the camera yesterday and it looks like
it’s my trigger finger that’s slow. I’ve been pressing the button
like you would use a firearm - slow and steady until the shutter trips.
But it looks like the opposite is the way to go (for me anyway).
I did manage to get a picture at 1/180 of a second, and it was much better.
When i take a picture of a coin, the whole coin is shot, then I down load it to the computer and enlarge the image, then crop the image.
Shooting it at higher speed I was able to enlarge the image with Good results – sharper and clearer close-ups.
When I can get the speed up a little better I will post the difference
that I am getting from the slow to higher speed.

coop · Expert Member

Increase the size of your images to the highest setting. Then you don't have to enlarge the image, which looses clarity. Try this and let us know how it works for you.

D42 · Advanced Member

I am still working on the shutter speed.
So I have been giving myself a mini-crash course on photography
Here are a couple of links that have some useful information

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shutter_speed

http://www.photonhead.com/simcam/

D42 · Advanced Member

Well, it looks like trying to get a faster shutter speed depends on
if you are having a good day or bad day (I have a lot of bad ones).
Here’s the picture that I was able to get at 1/181 shutter speed the other day.

Also when I was digging around online I came across this.

http://www.macrophotography.org/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=1173

Below- SHUTTER SPEED 1/181