Camera Recommendations

[Miss Wiggle]

thinking of getting a new digi cam, thought you guys might be able to help.

budget's around £100

want something with an adjustable shutter speed so we can actually take pics of the fish...... and yeah just something half decent.

anyone make any suggestions?

Ta

 

[nmonks]

Hello Miss Wiggle!

I can't really recommend any one camera, but I offer some general advice. The camera doesn't matter that much, certainly not for aquarium photography. I use a very basic Nikon Coolpix 3200, 3.2 megapixels, which is a real consumer-end model. And I've taken pictures that I've sold to magazines and used in books. What matters is your willingness to practise and to understand things like composition. When taking pictures of fish, using ambient light, making sure the front glass is algae-free, and keeping the water spotlessly clean make a much bigger difference than whether you have a cheap-and-cheerful pocket camera (like mine) or a high-end digital SLR that costs 5 times as much.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[SugarQube]

I enrolled on a college course just monday for a photography class. I just love photography of any kind and love looking at the great photos people take on here. I just want to understand my camera My photos were as good on my 3.2 MP as they are on my new 8MP. My mum bought one off ebay this year for £55 including p&p and it's a great camera although she only uses it to sell things on ebay. I gave mine to my sister who takes lovely photos with it too. The cameras are Olympus MJU

Also recommend getting one with a rechargable lithium battery as it could cost you lots in batteries.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Hello Miss Wiggle!

I can't really recommend any one camera, but I offer some general advice. The camera doesn't matter that much, certainly not for aquarium photography. I use a very basic Nikon Coolpix 3200, 3.2 megapixels, which is a real consumer-end model. And I've taken pictures that I've sold to magazines and used in books. What matters is your willingness to practise and to understand things like composition. When taking pictures of fish, using ambient light, making sure the front glass is algae-free, and keeping the water spotlessly clean make a much bigger difference than whether you have a cheap-and-cheerful pocket camera (like mine) or a high-end digital SLR that costs 5 times as much.

Cheers,

Neale

Thanks Neale, I think the main issue we have with ours is shutter speed.... we get blurry pics all the time and the speed isn't adjustable, with fish that stay still it's fine, we can get lovely pics, but anything that moves scuppers us!

It just frustrates me I can spend ages cleaning the glass and sorting out lighting, then take hundreds of pics and don't get a singe one that's any good.

I'm no artist but I understand a little of composition, I think part of that comes in with creating a decent aquascape in the first place, it'll be naturally photogenic if you get it right. I'm starting to get to grips with that now, just re-done my little 8g tank and I'm so chuffed with how it looks.

Lovely pic by the way

 

[nmonks]

The shutter speed issue is important, but it's also misunderstood.

Most of the professional aquarium photographers are not photographing fish in aquaria. They place the fish in tanks that are too short and too thin for the fish to move. Effectively the fish is wedged into place, which keeps it in the field of view. Sometimes, a pane of glass is placed in the tank, and the fish trapped between the glass and the front of the tank. Either way, the fish isn't able to move, so once you're in focus, you're pretty well guaranteed some good shots.

So trying to get "professional" pictures in a real aquarium is a bit fruitless, because the pros aren't able to do that, either. And yes, you're right, it's best to start with static fish like catfish, gobies, cichlids, and so on. Tetras, guppies, and other hyperactive species are much more difficult. In two years I haven't managed to take a decent portrait of a glassfish yet!

Shutter speed can be compensated for (to some degree) with light. A longer shutter speed compensates for a dark aquarium, but in the process, the fish moves out of focus. Or, just as annoying, other fish or air bubbles slide into view. A short shutter speed will solve the focus issue, but at the cost of a dark photo. You can use a flash, but then this bounces off the glass and messes up the picture. If you angle the camera, you can avoid this a bit, at the cost of losing focus on part of the frame, so the best approach is to get the tank as bright as possible, and then switch off the flash.

I wonder if your camera has automatic shutter speed or just the one shutter speed? That would make a difference in usage. If it's automatic, then contriving a situation where the camera "thinks" a short shutter speed is required might be the solution?

Cheers,

Neale

 

[wendywc]

I'm just a point and shoot person really, but I think I've had great success in using my camera's flash with the camera at an angle. Although, the minor gripes would be that this method makes the pictures slightly unnatural... because it tends to brighten/whiten the fish's belly and makes the fish give off a shadow. But I still like the results.

This is with a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX8 5MP which over here costs about $200.

EDIT: Server changed. Pictures moved.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

The shutter speed issue is important, but it's also misunderstood.

Most of the professional aquarium photographers are not photographing fish in aquaria. They place the fish in tanks that are too short and too thin for the fish to move. Effectively the fish is wedged into place, which keeps it in the field of view. Sometimes, a pane of glass is placed in the tank, and the fish trapped between the glass and the front of the tank. Either way, the fish isn't able to move, so once you're in focus, you're pretty well guaranteed some good shots.

So trying to get "professional" pictures in a real aquarium is a bit fruitless, because the pros aren't able to do that, either. And yes, you're right, it's best to start with static fish like catfish, gobies, cichlids, and so on. Tetras, guppies, and other hyperactive species are much more difficult. In two years I haven't managed to take a decent portrait of a glassfish yet!

Shutter speed can be compensated for (to some degree) with light. A longer shutter speed compensates for a dark aquarium, but in the process, the fish moves out of focus. Or, just as annoying, other fish or air bubbles slide into view. A short shutter speed will solve the focus issue, but at the cost of a dark photo. You can use a flash, but then this bounces off the glass and messes up the picture. If you angle the camera, you can avoid this a bit, at the cost of losing focus on part of the frame, so the best approach is to get the tank as bright as possible, and then switch off the flash.

I wonder if your camera has automatic shutter speed or just the one shutter speed? That would make a difference in usage. If it's automatic, then contriving a situation where the camera "thinks" a short shutter speed is required might be the solution?

Cheers,

Neale

definately food for thought. I've seen that before with professional pics. Like all koi carp pics there just in a little tub.

I don't know if it's automatic or just a set speed, i'll have a look for the model number tonight, can do a little research.

So say it's an automatic speed.... how would i contrive a situation where it would decide it wants a short shutter speed.

It's mostly gonna be for pics of Ian's planted tank and the marine tank so they're pretty high light so that shouldn't be an issue.

 

[nmonks]

wendywc -- Nice pictures! I've never had any luck photographing tetras, so you're a step above me!

Miss Wiggle -- What's the camera you have now? Perhaps we can find out from the maker's web site whether it's automatic exposure (most likely) or fixed exposure (unlikely). To contrive the short-exposure situation, you basically need to make the tank as bright as possible. Also, the "sports" setting on cameras is usually a short exposure setting. On my Nikon at least, where there is the wheel for setting "modes", it has an icon of a little running man for the sports setting. Using this, I end up with sharp but dark pictures usually. The best pictures are with the "macro" setting, which is the one with the little flowers on the wheel (meaning close-ups). That mode is automatic exposure, but will use the flash if ambient lighting is too dim.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[Miss Wiggle]

wendywc -- Nice pictures! I've never had any luck photographing tetras, so you're a step above me!

Miss Wiggle -- What's the camera you have now? Perhaps we can find out from the maker's web site whether it's automatic exposure (most likely) or fixed exposure (unlikely). To contrive the short-exposure situation, you basically need to make the tank as bright as possible. Also, the "sports" setting on cameras is usually a short exposure setting. On my Nikon at least, where there is the wheel for setting "modes", it has an icon of a little running man for the sports setting. Using this, I end up with sharp but dark pictures usually. The best pictures are with the "macro" setting, which is the one with the little flowers on the wheel (meaning close-ups). That mode is automatic exposure, but will use the flash if ambient lighting is too dim.

Cheers,

Neale

yeah nice pics Wendy, I'll look into that model

my camera's an olympus something or other, meant to check the model last night but the delivery of our new RO unit was far too exciting (no it really was, and that's deeply sad ) it doesn't have sports or macro settings, doesn't really have any settings! Just point and shoot and a video clip setting.

So if I can't find anything with a decent adjustable shutter speed in my price range, then I should go for something with lots of options at least and then should be able to find ways of making it do what I want.

hmmm now I'm wondering though, the pics of the marine tank come out best of everything, and that's got the best light, so maybe it has got an automatic shutter speed. curioser and curioser said alice.

Cheers for all your help Neal, I'm understanding this a lot better now!

 

[wendywc]

Thank you for the compliments; it helps to have a camera-loving husband. But I don't think you need to get my exact model camera. I honestly think that most digital cameras today can get the pics I get. As long as there's a flash, a macro setting, and yeah maybe if it's better than 3MP. So if you don't have these features now, I would definately invest in a new camera. Good luck, Miss Wiggle.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Thank you for the compliments; it helps to have a camera-loving husband. But I don't think you need to get my exact model camera. I honestly think that most digital cameras today can get the pics I get. As long as there's a flash, a macro setting, and yeah maybe if it's better than 3MP. So if you don't have these features now, I would definately invest in a new camera. Good luck, Miss Wiggle.

thanks for the tips

 

[raptorrex]

I'm just a point and shoot person really, but I think I've had great success in using my camera's flash with the camera at an angle. Although, the minor gripes would be that this method makes the pictures slightly unnatural... because it tends to brighten/whiten the fish's belly and makes the fish give off a shadow. But I still like the results.

This is with a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX8 5MP which over here costs about $200.

i quite agree i use flash all the time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

its a matter of working round the short comings of your camera. and aggressive cropping. though this means you need a high MP camera, they are not that expensive, the one i use is 6MP and cost £150 from Tesco lol

 

[Mr.September15]

I have a Sony 7.2 MP and It doesnt take good shots or I just dont know how to use it. Does anyone know any tips on changing the settings so it can take good shots?

 

[nmonks]

Have a read of the thread from top to bottom. There's quite a lot of wisdom shared therein!

Good luck,

Neale

Does anyone know any tips on changing the settings so it can take good shots?

 

[raptorrex]

I have a Song 7.2 MP and It doesnt take good shots or I just dont know how to use it. Does anyone know any tips on changing the settings so it can take good shots?

ok could do with some of your pic to see what is going on. also the exact modle number so i can see it features, and work out some solutions for you. i will give a few tips now though:

set the close up setting, if the camera has one, it may be called "Macro"

pick an area with high contrast difference, most cameras work on infra red or phase detection, to work out focus. providing you keep the camera on the same plane you can re compose the pic after focus lock.

there is often a long, ish, delay after you press the shutter, often the fish have moved!!!! try to follow your subject, it takes practise, if you follow the fish, as you press the shutter, keep the following action going till the picture come up on the camera screen.

try holding the camera in different positions, ie upside down, flash to the left, or to the right, experiment with the angle of camera to tank,

above all study the pics you get, identify any problems, then try the pics again, using any of the above mentioned tricks. remember those that work, and do it every time you come across that situation.

lastly use a "good" quality photo editor. first save the pic in the apps native format ie PSD for photoshop if you save pics in compressed formats like JPG the pics from these apps will usually be smaller and better quality, than those saved by cheaper editors.