Best Photograph

lewismw · 01/03/2008, 04:46 PM

Ok so i have been trying for years to take some really good photos of my corals like some of the ones here http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...&pagenumber=1.

I have tried multiple cameras in multiple modes and lenses to no avail. All images seem to have some blur or looks like an underwater picture.

Am I missing something?
Is there a lighting trick, certain camera mode, or is it just plain Black Magic that gets you a great color high resolution image?

kar93 · 01/03/2008, 05:06 PM

I think it all depends on what settings and what sort of camera you have.

m2434 · 01/03/2008, 05:24 PM

Can you at least play with the exposure and aperture?

dsanfilippo · 01/03/2008, 05:48 PM

i went looking at some of the cameras you guys use today and wow are they expensive...what is a decent less expensive camera for taking tank pics??

simmons797 · 01/03/2008, 05:49 PM

What types of cameras and modes have you tried? A lot of the pictures on the thread you mentioned are taken with a macro lens. A few tips if your pictures are coming out blurry: turn off the pumps so things aren't moving around in the tank, use a tripod so the camera doesn't move, and shoot perpendicular to the glass not at an angle with it. But the best advice is to read the manual for the camera and shoot a few (hundred) pictures and find out what works.

dsanfilippo · 01/03/2008, 06:09 PM

i went looking at some of the cameras you guys use today and wow are they expensive...what is a decent less expensive camera for taking tank pics??

Capt_Cully · 01/03/2008, 06:12 PM

I've been messing around with my camera for a while and have been pretty unsuccessful at getting any good pics. A friend of mine was over and had just gotten one of those SLR cameras. It takes digital images, but uses a mechanical shutter.....or something like that.....

Anyway, the pics he took were night and day compared to the ones I took with my digital.

They are very pricey cameras though.

lewismw · 01/04/2008, 09:30 AM

I was wondering about the SLR vs "point and shoot". I have a point and shoot Casio Exilim. It takes great photos of everyday events and such, but when i try to get great fine detail and rich color from a closeup, FORGET IT.

My sister has a digital SLR. I will compare both, but from what capt_cully says i hope i am in for a good show.

Logzor · 01/04/2008, 09:42 AM

I have had great results with my nikon d40. Great camera for a beginners with digital SLR.

You can get great tank shots but sometimes you have to edits the colors a bit. I can do this on the camera but I usually take it into photo shop and do some quick touch-ups.

To get the really fantastic close up shots people have of zoos and ricordias that show the extreme detail you will need a macro lens.

A good macro lens is going to run no less than 500 dollars.

Roy G. Biv · 01/04/2008, 10:07 AM

I have an old Sony p10. I need to take 30 pics to get one good one. Also I find that even though what I am shooting is dead center, it always seems to focus on some obscure object in a far corner.

gabe3d · 01/04/2008, 10:17 AM

In addition to my SLR i have a point and shoot Canon G6 which takes extremely good macro pictures for the price, much better than the entry level SLR package (body + lens) you can find. IME, for full tank shot it is better to go full manual, make a custom white balance (not always necessary), and of course experiment on different settings to see what looks the best.

simmons797 · 01/04/2008, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by lewismw
I was wondering about the SLR vs "point and shoot". I have a point and shoot Casio Exilim. It takes great photos of everyday events and such, but when i try to get great fine detail and rich color from a closeup, FORGET IT.

My sister has a digital SLR. I will compare both, but from what capt_cully says i hope i am in for a good show.

While I don't know anything about your specific camera, I think you will find this is true for the majority of point and shoots. They are made for everyday events and do a good job, however most are not made for the closeup fine detail you are looking for. This is one of the advantages of SLR's, you can change the lens to fit the type of picture you are trying to take.

Logzor-There are several good macro lenses that are less than $500. The two I am looking at purchasing (Sigma 105mm and Tamron 90mm) are both under $500.

Ludwigia73 · 01/05/2008, 06:31 AM

Here's a couple of beginner tricks:
Firstly, use a tripod. You can't beat simply holding the camera steady.
Secondly, use the camera's wait and snap feature. Set it, get the item in focus, and let the camera snap the picture.
Thirdly, turn off all the pumps a couple of minutes before you take pictures, and let the microbubbles come out of suspension, and the detritus fall to the bottom.

Hope this helps.

Racing1 · 01/05/2008, 06:54 AM

As stated above and also alot of people photoshop their pictures to make them look better when in all actuality they do not....

01/03/2008, 04:46 PM	#1
lewismw Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Birmingham Posts: 275	Best Photograph Ok so i have been trying for years to take some really good photos of my corals like some of the ones here http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...&pagenumber=1. I have tried multiple cameras in multiple modes and lenses to no avail. All images seem to have some blur or looks like an underwater picture. Am I missing something? Is there a lighting trick, certain camera mode, or is it just plain Black Magic that gets you a great color high resolution image?

01/03/2008, 05:24 PM	#3
m2434 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 2,171	Can you at least play with the exposure and aperture? __________________ Our imagination is stretched to the utmost, not, as in fiction, to imagine things which are not really there, but just to comprehend those things which are there. ~Richard Feynman

01/03/2008, 06:12 PM	#7
Capt_Cully Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Syracuse, NY Posts: 13,574	I've been messing around with my camera for a while and have been pretty unsuccessful at getting any good pics. A friend of mine was over and had just gotten one of those SLR cameras. It takes digital images, but uses a mechanical shutter.....or something like that..... Anyway, the pics he took were night and day compared to the ones I took with my digital. They are very pricey cameras though. __________________ People say cars are a bad investment. Those people don't have reef tanks. Current Tank Info: 120, Radion Gen 2 Pro x 2

01/05/2008, 06:31 AM	#13
Ludwigia73 Reef Reef Reef Reef Reef Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Davie, FL Posts: 4,841	Here's a couple of beginner tricks: Firstly, use a tripod. You can't beat simply holding the camera steady. Secondly, use the camera's wait and snap feature. Set it, get the item in focus, and let the camera snap the picture. Thirdly, turn off all the pumps a couple of minutes before you take pictures, and let the microbubbles come out of suspension, and the detritus fall to the bottom. Hope this helps. __________________ 14" cube (12 gal), LED's Current Tank Info: 125 gallon with 40 gallon sump, LED's

01/03/2008, 05:06 PM	#2
kar93 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Lincoln Posts: 5,521	I think it all depends on what settings and what sort of camera you have.

01/03/2008, 05:48 PM	#4
dsanfilippo Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 151	i went looking at some of the cameras you guys use today and wow are they expensive...what is a decent less expensive camera for taking tank pics??

01/03/2008, 05:49 PM	#5
simmons797 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Maryville, IL Posts: 90	What types of cameras and modes have you tried? A lot of the pictures on the thread you mentioned are taken with a macro lens. A few tips if your pictures are coming out blurry: turn off the pumps so things aren't moving around in the tank, use a tripod so the camera doesn't move, and shoot perpendicular to the glass not at an angle with it. But the best advice is to read the manual for the camera and shoot a few (hundred) pictures and find out what works.

01/03/2008, 06:09 PM	#6
dsanfilippo Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 151	i went looking at some of the cameras you guys use today and wow are they expensive...what is a decent less expensive camera for taking tank pics??

01/04/2008, 09:30 AM	#8
lewismw Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Birmingham Posts: 275	I was wondering about the SLR vs "point and shoot". I have a point and shoot Casio Exilim. It takes great photos of everyday events and such, but when i try to get great fine detail and rich color from a closeup, FORGET IT. My sister has a digital SLR. I will compare both, but from what capt_cully says i hope i am in for a good show.

01/04/2008, 09:42 AM	#9
Logzor Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Kenwood, Ohio Posts: 4,073	I have had great results with my nikon d40. Great camera for a beginners with digital SLR. You can get great tank shots but sometimes you have to edits the colors a bit. I can do this on the camera but I usually take it into photo shop and do some quick touch-ups. To get the really fantastic close up shots people have of zoos and ricordias that show the extreme detail you will need a macro lens. A good macro lens is going to run no less than 500 dollars.

01/04/2008, 10:07 AM	#10
Roy G. Biv Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 3,646	I have an old Sony p10. I need to take 30 pics to get one good one. Also I find that even though what I am shooting is dead center, it always seems to focus on some obscure object in a far corner.

01/04/2008, 10:17 AM	#11
gabe3d Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Elk Grove/Sunnyvale/Shibuya Posts: 1,605	In addition to my SLR i have a point and shoot Canon G6 which takes extremely good macro pictures for the price, much better than the entry level SLR package (body + lens) you can find. IME, for full tank shot it is better to go full manual, make a custom white balance (not always necessary), and of course experiment on different settings to see what looks the best.

01/05/2008, 06:54 AM	#14
Racing1 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Maine Posts: 740	As stated above and also alot of people photoshop their pictures to make them look better when in all actuality they do not....