Photography advice please

[Paddy]

This is indirectly related to coins, but any advice welcome.

I have been using a Pentax DSLR with a standard 50mm lens and Macro rings mounted on a small tripod for my coin photography, and have achieved acceptable results. Now the Pentax body has given up the ghost. It was a bit erratic for a while, but now comes up completely dead. (I have tried checking and recharging the batteries to no avail.)

As I see it, I have two options:

1. Replace the Pentax body. A new one would cost around £900. A second hand one on Ebay may be cheaper, but then reliability might be dodgy?

2. I can switch over to using my mobile phone. I can buy a mount to fix the phone to the tripod cheaply, and I can sort out the lighting, but would the results be good enough? Has anyone there had experience of doing it this way and can comment? (My phone is a Motorola Android.)

Cheers

[Nonmortuus]

Maybe try one of the companies online that offer refurbished with a 12 month warranty?

Like:

https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/category/used-cameras/dslr-cameras/pentax-dslr-cameras

[Sword]

On 7/7/2026 at 3:12 PM, Paddy said:

2. I can switch over to using my mobile phone. I can buy a mount to fix the phone to the tripod cheaply, and I can sort out the lighting, but would the results be good enough? Has anyone there had experience of doing it this way and can comment? (My phone is a Motorola Android.)

Why don't you do that and find out as it is a cheap option? The cameras of the new phones are constantly getting better and you could very well be happy with the results.

[Paddy]

Thanks both, that is helpful. I will report back...

P

 

[Peckris 2]

4 hours ago, Sword said:

Why don't you do that and find out as it is a cheap option? The cameras of the new phones are constantly getting better and you could very well be happy with the results.

I have an iPhone 15 Pro Max and it's now my main camera.

[Paddy]

OK - I have taken both routes! The phone holder is on it's way with Amazon, so I will report on that later. In the meantime I have picked up a refurbished Pentax K20, which is similar to my old Kr. I am still learning to drive it - I need to work on the focus and I haven't figured out how to control the exposure time yet.

I am about to post some pics in the Free for All section, so you can see there...

 

[Sword]

19 hours ago, Peckris 2 said:

I have an iPhone 15 Pro Max and it's now my main camera.

Ooh, flagship phone 😀

I have only upgraded mine from budget to mid tier and the causal photos are already much better

[wlewisiii]

I have a motorola Razr and my coin photos with it are garbage. 

I need to buy a macro lens for my Pentax K3 DSLR instead. The SMC Pentax-D FA 50mm F2.8 Macro looks promising (75mm angle of view on the crop sensor). 

But I always end up buying more coins instead... funny that! 🤣