How do you take pictures of slabbed cards?
 

So, scans of my slabbed cards come out blurry...
pictures of my slabbed cards have a glare or a reflection in it...

How do you guys take pictures of your slabbed cards?

The key to scanning of slabs is the scanning element.

You really need a scanner that uses CCD as the scanning element.

I use a good scanner. Money spent on it can easily translate into more money earned from it. A wise investment if you sell regularly.

I scanned these cards using a Canon MX492, it's also a printer. If you don't want to get a scanner try taking a pic of the card at an angle that bounces the reflection away.

[url=https://ibb.co/fJL25K][img]https://preview.ibb.co/mUhFQK/1.jpg[/img][/url]

Office Lens mobile app

Scanner with CCD is [I]the[/I] way to scan slabbed cards as well as refractors.

The Epson Perfection V600 is basically the gold standard for card scanning. It's even better if you also have a ton of physical family photos you want to digitize. Honestly, picking up one of these scanners was among the best purchases I've made this year.

Thanks everyone....

I only sell a little bit (whatever free listings that ebay gives me)...but would like to have nicer scans....

I guess I will keep playing around with what I have to try and make something look nicer....lol...had to google what the heck CCD was

[QUOTE=Hollywood42;13876506]Office Lens mobile app[/QUOTE]This.

And with a great camera phone (I have the iPhone 8+), it's just silly these days to spend money on a scanner.

[QUOTE=Bowman1951;13879759]This.

And with a great camera phone (I have the iPhone 8+), it's just silly these days to spend money on a scanner.[/QUOTE]

cheap Chinese guy is still using his Samsung s3 until it dies.... :)

I will check out the app, but my ios probably is too old to use it.

I guess these didn't turn out too bad....played around with different positions on the scanner as well as covering the scanner with a cloth to limit light going in from the raised scanner flap

[img]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1861/43566944645_e0e4c97bc6.jpg[/img]
[img]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1857/44476619641_eaef570c57.jpg[/img]
[img]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1878/44476620691_698f8059a4.jpg[/img]

2 major factors in taking good card pictures that I've found is Lighting and background. Most built in cameras on cell phones these days are sufficient as long as you have good lighting and background. For cards, I have a point and shoot facing down toward a stand that has a blank 8.5 x 11" piece of paper. I center the card on the paper, zoom to fit field of view, center the camera, and use a 2sec timer on camera (so camera doesn't move simply by pressing the button). I illuminate the area with a dimmable LED light (no flash!), try this:
[URL="https://www.amazon.com/Dimmable-Digital-Camcorder-Panasonic-Samsung/dp/B004TJ6JH6/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1536123964&sr=1-3&keywords=neewer+light"]https://www.amazon.com/Dimmable-Digital-Camcorder-Panasonic-Samsung/dp/B004TJ6JH6/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1536123964&sr=1-3&keywords=neewer+light[/URL]

V'oila. Quick example with no touchup is attached. Hope this helps.

[QUOTE][/QUOTE]Scanner. PERIOD. Lid up. Dark room. Epson 550 or 600 is the way to go. I will NEVER buy an ungraded card from a photo. Graded maybe. Scan and you get my money.

Kevin

PS. If you use a scanner you have no excuse for scans to that aren't square or centered. Use empty one touches and adjust your scan area. Should look like this EVERY TIME.


[url]https://flic.kr/p/29oHVCz[/url]



PSS I still can't figure out how to post photos to this forum.

[QUOTE=thedarkbrown;13881641]2 major factors in taking good card pictures that I've found is Lighting and background. Most built in cameras on cell phones these days are sufficient as long as you have good lighting and background. For cards, I have a point and shoot facing down toward a stand that has a blank 8.5 x 11" piece of paper. I center the card on the paper, zoom to fit field of view, center the camera, and use a 2sec timer on camera (so camera doesn't move simply by pressing the button). I illuminate the area with a dimmable LED light (no flash!), try this:
[URL="https://www.amazon.com/Dimmable-Digital-Camcorder-Panasonic-Samsung/dp/B004TJ6JH6/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1536123964&sr=1-3&keywords=neewer+light"]https://www.amazon.com/Dimmable-Digital-Camcorder-Panasonic-Samsung/dp/B004TJ6JH6/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1536123964&sr=1-3&keywords=neewer+light[/URL]

V'oila. Quick example with no touchup is attached. Hope this helps.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=LOTSOS;13881695]Scanner. PERIOD. Lid up. Dark room. Epson 550 or 600 is the way to go. I will NEVER buy an ungraded card from a photo. Graded maybe. Scan and you get my money.

Kevin

PS. If you use a scanner you have no excuse for scans to that aren't square or centered. Use empty one touches and adjust your scan area. Should look like this EVERY TIME.


[url]https://flic.kr/p/29oHVCz[/url]



PSS I still can't figure out how to post photos to this forum.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the suggestions...I'll try both methods....never thought of doing the scanner in a dark room with the lid up....this is great!!!

[QUOTE=LOTSOS;13881695]Scanner. PERIOD. Lid up. Dark room. Epson 550 or 600 is the way to go. I will NEVER buy an ungraded card from a photo. Graded maybe. Scan and you get my money.

Kevin

PS. If you use a scanner you have no excuse for scans to that aren't square or centered. Use empty one touches and adjust your scan area. Should look like this EVERY TIME.


[url]https://flic.kr/p/29oHVCz[/url]



PSS I still can't figure out how to post photos to this forum.[/QUOTE]

I can’t figure out how that card is a PSA 10!

I use a cell phone app called CamScanner. I crop the scan, save to photos, download to Flickr, and wah-la!

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Lir6Ln][img]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1839/29076975417_a194aae1bb.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/Lir6Ln]

[QUOTE=2ssYankees7cf;13881971]I can’t figure out how that card is a PSA 10![/QUOTE]

See what a nice scan can do.

[QUOTE=ksemmel;13882043]I use a cell phone app called CamScanner. I crop the scan, save to photos, download to Flickr, and wah-la!

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Lir6Ln][img]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1839/29076975417_a194aae1bb.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/Lir6Ln][/QUOTE]
Office Lens crops it for you.

Serious question, is this a scan or a photo? Do you really see a difference?

[IMG]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/26JThZi][img]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1738/41835777075_d652d31d6c_z.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/26JThZi]mantle graded[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/87208428@N03/]Bowman1951[/url], on Flickr
[/IMG][QUOTE=LOTSOS;13881695]Scanner. PERIOD. Lid up. Dark room. Epson 550 or 600 is the way to go. I will NEVER buy an ungraded card from a photo. Graded maybe. Scan and you get my money.

Kevin

PS. If you use a scanner you have no excuse for scans to that aren't square or centered. Use empty one touches and adjust your scan area. Should look like this EVERY TIME.


[url]https://flic.kr/p/29oHVCz[/url]



PSS I still can't figure out how to post photos to this forum.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Hollywood42;13876506]Office Lens mobile app[/QUOTE]

Agree with this. So much more simpler, easier, and better quality than anything else, IMO. Not only is it easier, I think it shows off refractors especially well.

[QUOTE=Bowman1951;13883222]Serious question, is this a scan or a photo? Do you really see a difference?

[IMG]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/26JThZi][img]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1738/41835777075_d652d31d6c_z.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/26JThZi]mantle graded[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/87208428@N03/]Bowman1951[/url], on Flickr
[/IMG][/QUOTE]
It's a photo...or silly custom settings on a scanner.

Color shows a yellow hue and the image is a bit washed out from the processing.

Photo or very low resolution scan.

If you compare your example to mine on Flickr you can clearly see individual fibers from the OPCs rough cut on mine. The case is crystal clear. Even small single little specs of overspray are visible. As pointed out it shows the cards flaws. (Albeit at about 5x zoom) In contrast your case appears as a haze, there appears to be paper loss or staining on the bottom edge and corner but I can't tell which. Is it staining or a reflection that I see going from his back shoulder area across to the knob on his bat? (Also my questions are not meant to knock your card but merely to show what a person looking at the photo may wonder)

Also as a seperate note to the OP you will need to experiment with position of the card on the scanning bed too. Sometimes being off center will show more perceived edge wear than may actually exist on thick cards. Shiny stuff can also look very different if scanned vertically vs horizontally.

Kevin

[QUOTE=LOTSOS;13883824]Photo or very low resolution scan.

If you compare your example to mine on Flickr you can clearly see individual fibers from the OPCs rough cut on mine. The case is crystal clear. Even small single little specs of overspray are visible. As pointed out it shows the cards flaws. (Albeit at about 5x zoom) In contrast your case appears as a haze, there appears to be paper loss or staining on the bottom edge and corner but I can't tell which. Is it staining or a reflection that I see going from his back shoulder area across to the knob on his bat? (Also my questions are not meant to knock your card but merely to show what a person looking at the photo may wonder)

Also as a seperate note to the OP you will need to experiment with position of the card on the scanning bed too. Sometimes being off center will show more perceived edge wear than may actually exist on thick cards. Shiny stuff can also look very different if scanned vertically vs horizontally.

Kevin[/QUOTE]

thanks for the tip

[QUOTE=Hollywood42;13876506]Office Lens mobile app[/QUOTE]

I second this!