My light is a fluorescent, not LED. The ring is a continuous round
tube rather than a series of small spots of light. I also own a Sigma EM-140 DG 'ringflash' but it is nowhere as
good for coins because it actually is two small (independently controllable) flashes behind a way too weak diffuser. The effect is a light from the right and left rather than from all around. This works
fine for bugs and lizards but is not the same for coins.
The light I suggested is 1/10th the
price of the 'competition'. It is sold locally and on-line by Staples Office
Supplies stores (a chain). Before use for coins it is necessary to remove (small screws) the diffuser ring and the small clips that hold the magnifying
glass in place. As it
comes from the store, it might be
good to use to examine coins but don't shoot pictures through the large and low
quality magnifying
glass. I never meant to suggest that this light is the best answer for coin photography but simply that, at $24, it is a
very good option. Its color balance may require you to use either RAW or Manual White Balance capabilities of your camera since it will not be a perfect match for any of the preset white balance settings of most cameras. This means nothing if you are shooting black and white.
Ringlights are not the best for all coin photo situations. They
work well for coins with high relief,
sharp contrasts or legends. Some coins may benefit from the addition of another light for highlights or a reflector but none is shown in my photo. The easiest way is to position pieces of aluminum foil as desired. The thing Bill saw in the photo is a large plastic knob that once served to allow easy assembly of the enlarger which provided the parts for my copystand.
The example below uses foil to put a but more light on the
face. This high relief coin has not been easy to photograph for me. The smaller photo is the same coin from one of my web pages and earlier techniques. Different, yes; better?
