We now have a nice feature highlighting pages with small pictures (see this discussion). There it's stated that less than 360×360 pixels is too small for a coin. Can I ask what the size limit is for banknotes? A lot of notes I'm referee for are showing up but I don't know whether the images I have access to will be large enough. Perhaps these sizes could also be displayed on the "contribute" page?
Former Numista referee for banknotes from Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Saint Helena.
Picture is in focus and taken under good lighting (no overly yellow light etc.)
Be big enough to see smaller details without problem
For coins I aim above 1000² px but also not excessively huge especially when not done professionally For banknotes maybe 700-900 px on the small length
I currently determine "small pictures" as pictures having either the height or the width smaller than 360px. The same applies to coins, banknotes and exonumia.
In my opinion, pictures below 200-300 px are really too small to reveal the details of a coin (and even more for banknotes). The reason I chose this exact number is because pictures on coin and banknote pages are displayed with a size of 180px, which makes 360px when viewed with a device with a pixel ratio 2x (e.g. iPhone 6, 7, 8; many modern phones have a even higher device pixel ratio).
I agree that the size of the picture doesn't make everything.
Compare these 2 pictures for example:
The second picture has 120 times more pixels! but it doesn't reveal much more details.
A coin in good condition with good focus and good lighting is probably the most important part.
As a complement, here is how our guidelines tell how to select the best image. The size of the image is not a criteria per se: what's most important is the level of detail.
Quote: "Catalogue guidelines"Only when two images display the same level of detail and eye-appeal:
photographs with no obstructions of the rim from plastic holders are preferred
photographs with no watermarks are preferred
photographs from users should be preferred over third-party image sources
Quote: "ceh2019"Thanks Xavier. I just wanted to be sure I was replacing the small images with ones that wouldn't be immediately flagged up themselves.
I always go for 1500x1500 if i can get them as that is what most Mint produce on their websites. This seems a good size
I have currently 30 requests, from the same member, asking to change the picture.
I reckon the already existin pictures are good enough, and have asked the member to please focus on entries with no pictures at all. I have yet to accept/reject, but I really don't know what to do with them.
Quote: "ngdawa"I have currently 30 requests, from the same member, asking to change the picture.
I reckon the already existin pictures are good enough, and have asked the member to please focus on entries with no pictures at all. I have yet to accept/reject, but I really don't know what to do with them.
Even if the current pictures are already good, we should accept if the new pictures are better.
By "better" I mean pictures showing more details (higher grade, clear picture, high resolution, good lighting, true colours).
Quote: "Xavier"Even if the current pictures are already good, we should accept if the new pictures are better.
By "better" I mean pictures showing more details (higher grade, clear picture, high resolution, good lighting, true colours).
True. But when the same person is making hundreds of requests it starts to feel like this person is trying to make Numista their own private collection. I could add new pictures too, 1700 of them, but the catalogues shouldn't be filled with just my pictures, right?
I did reject another member's picture and I got a very angry message about it. I got the feeling that that member thought he was a very important person and had never ever got a "no" as an answer. I wrote politely back explaining my reasons, but the had already blocked me.
In the meantime I'm gonna leave them hanging since I reckon they are unnecessary changes. I don't want to be rude, but one person shouldn't have monopoly on the pictures. After all, this is a community, not a one man's showroom.
I looked at the six you cited as examples. I don't think you could find better (higher grade, clear picture, high resolution, good lighting, true colours) pictures than what's already there.
The current top copyright source is an auction house, with more than 16,000 pairs of pictures. We should not be afraid by a member submitting a few hundreds of high quality pictures.
Quote: "Sjoelund"A small image of a UNC coin is always better than a high resolution of a F coin?
The main criteria is only to choose the picture showing the most details.
Showing more details is influenced (in no specific order) by high grade, clear picture, high resolution, good lighting, etc. It is not determined only by the grade. A good photo of a F coin may be better than a poor photo of a UNC coin.
Of course I meant perfect images in the two cases to make it possible to compare apples to apples and not cider to calvados. The first 3 I looked at were certainly better in small, than mine in large.... so size is not always the criterium!
Have you planned a place in numista with all those recommendations? To have individual “sites” like this will never stay for long in my 76 year old head!
XavierI currently determine "small pictures" as pictures having either the height or the width smaller than 360px. The same applies to coins, banknotes and exonumia.
In my opinion, pictures below 200-300 px are really too small to reveal the details of a coin (and even more for banknotes). The reason I chose this exact number is because pictures on coin and banknote pages are displayed with a size of 180px, which makes 360px when viewed with a device with a pixel ratio 2x (e.g. iPhone 6, 7, 8; many modern phones have a even higher device pixel ratio).
I agree that the size of the picture doesn't make everything. Compare these 2 pictures for example:
The second picture has 120 times more pixels! but it doesn't reveal much more details. A coin in good condition with good focus and good lighting is probably the most important part.
Ok that's funny, but to deal with the subject what do I answer to the member who says: "I don't have compiter, I don't know how to resize picture with my phone"
Is it really the role of referees to educate members in the excellence of photography when they are not experts in photography, while CCIP experts do this in a blink of an eye?
These members have the will to contribute to growing the Numista database. It is already difficult to explain to them how to write a title and how to fill in the different fields of a file, so please do not add to the referees the need to explain to members how to use their phone!
