# Photography



## Jdinh04 (Mar 15, 2004)

It depends on what kind of camera you have. I have a Sony Cybershot DSC-T1 and it takes pretty good pictures. If you have manual settings you will be able to get some decent shots.

I don't know if i'm able to do this or not, but if you visit aquaticphotographyforum.com website? you will be able to get some good tips. If not, you can always ask Eric (Ibn) to help you out.


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## ctmpwrdcamry (May 10, 2005)

That is a really cool shot. I am not trying to do anything that detaild yet, i just want to post a journal.


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## Jdinh04 (Mar 15, 2004)

ctmpwrdcamry said:


> That is a really cool shot. I am not trying to do anything that detaild yet, i just want to post a journal.


What camera do you have? Try no flash, and see how it turns out.


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## Bert H (Dec 15, 2003)

If you have a 35mm film or a digital which allows various aperture/speed settings, put it on a tripod, don't use the flash and fire away. You can adjust your aperture (f-stops) to give you good depth of field or shallow depending on what you're trying to achieve. Your fish swimming by may be blurred, but everything else should be good and sharp. If you have to use a flash, angle it so you don't get the 'mirror effect' of the tank with a bright light in the middle from the flash.


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## UprightJoe (May 13, 2005)

The tripod makes a really big difference.

I'd really love to get a digital SLR. I have a 35mm SLR but having film developed (or developing it myself if it's black&white) is enough of a hassle that I always use my cheapo digital camera.

Unfortunately, my 35mm SLR is also a bit of an oddball (Nikon EM from the 70's) so I doubt I can get a digital SLR that will use my existing lenses.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

ctmpwrdcamry said:


> How do you all get such wonderful photos of your tanks? Everything i have tired, i get the same results, fuzzy or flashy. :icon_redf Is there a writeup on how to take these photographs that i missed?


I tried to summarize my findings here:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=12194


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## bharada (Mar 5, 2004)

UprightJoe said:


> The tripod makes a really big difference.
> 
> I'd really love to get a digital SLR. I have a 35mm SLR but having film developed (or developing it myself if it's black&white) is enough of a hassle that I always use my cheapo digital camera.
> 
> Unfortunately, my 35mm SLR is also a bit of an oddball (Nikon EM from the 70's) so I doubt I can get a digital SLR that will use my existing lenses.


The EM's lenses will work on the new Nikon DSLRs, but you won't get the functionality that you would from the newer, chipped lenses. You'd just be using the DSLR in manual mode for setting your exposure.

Of course, you also mention wanting a cheap digital camera, which the DSLRs are not.

All the better digital P&S cameras will give you manual control over the exposure settings. Where it gets tricky is in getting the focus right...epecially for close up shots.

Some things to remember when taking overall tank shots: 1) darken the room; 2) turn off the camera flash; 3) correct the camera's white balance setting for the tank's lighting; 4) Take a bunch of pics.


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## bavarian3 (Feb 22, 2005)

depends on the camera youre using. it may be a pain depending on if you have shutter speed/aperture control or not. USE A TRIPOD!


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## ctmpwrdcamry (May 10, 2005)

I do not have that fancy of a camara, i have that canon stylus 400. Over all its been a great camara for what i do, but so far taking shots of the tank appears to be diffucilt. I did shut off the flash, but that slowed the shutter speed to the point everything became blury. Does anyone know if I can adjsut that? So far ive learned alot, i just want to get home and start shooting. Wait, i think i should put fish back in there first.


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## bavarian3 (Feb 22, 2005)

ctmpwrdcamry said:


> I do not have that fancy of a camara, i have that canon stylus 400. Over all its been a great camara for what i do, but so far taking shots of the tank appears to be diffucilt. I did shut off the flash, but that slowed the shutter speed to the point everything became blury. Does anyone know if I can adjsut that? So far ive learned alot, i just want to get home and start shooting. Wait, i think i should put fish back in there first.


the shots come out blurry because you cant hold the camera steady. use a tripod.


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## ctmpwrdcamry (May 10, 2005)

Can do. Ill use the remote too


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## bharada (Mar 5, 2004)

ctmpwrdcamry said:


> I do not have that fancy of a camara, i have that canon stylus 400


Do you mean Olympus Stylus 400?


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## ctmpwrdcamry (May 10, 2005)

Yeah, thats it. Sorry, at work, trying to remember.


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## bharada (Mar 5, 2004)

Looks like the Olympus doesn't have any manual adjustments so I don't know how you can get a faster shutter speed short of adding more light over your tank.

And when you say things are blurry, do you mean the whole shot? Or the fishes swimming? For the former you definitely need a tripod. If it's the latter then you'd need more light so the camera will use a higher shutter speed.


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## UprightJoe (May 13, 2005)

bharada said:


> The EM's lenses will work on the new Nikon DSLRs, but you won't get the functionality that you would from the newer, chipped lenses. You'd just be using the DSLR in manual mode for setting your exposure.
> 
> Of course, you also mention wanting a cheap digital camera, which the DSLRs are not.


That's good to know - some guy at the camera shop told me that they were an oddball size and wouldn't work. I've seen the Nikon camera backs without any lenses go for a few hundred bucks. At least I'd be up and operational until I could get better lenses.

I actually didn't say I WANTED a cheap digital camera - I said I HAVE a cheap digital camera. I want a really nice one. Maybe I'll use my upcoming honeymoon as an excuse to buy one "Honey, we can't go to Belize without at LEAST a 5 megapixel camera. Think about it, when is the next time we're going to be on our honeymoon."


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## bharada (Mar 5, 2004)

UprightJoe said:


> I actually didn't say I WANTED a cheap digital camera - I said I HAVE a cheap digital camera.


Oops. My bad :icon_lol:

I've been looking at getting a Nikon D70, but wonder how often I'll actually want to carry an SLR around. Moot point since the money I was earmarking for the camera has been spent on some dosing pumps for my tanks.


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## crshadow (Sep 4, 2003)

UprightJoe said:


> Maybe I'll use my upcoming honeymoon as an excuse to buy one "Honey, we can't go to Belize without at LEAST a 5 megapixel camera. Think about it, when is the next time we're going to be on our honeymoon."


Ironically, that's exactly how I got my digital camera! :icon_eek: 

-Jeremiah


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## Ibn (Nov 19, 2003)

LOL.

The old Nikkor lenses will work with modern digital Nikon bodies, although you won't get autofocus or metering. I have an older 55mm f/3.5 macro in my bag and it's one sharp lens. The fish in the avatar was taken with this same lens on the D70.










Tripods are really only good for taking entire tank pictures. You can also do it handheld; just make sure that you have steady hands, or use a shutter speed that's high enough (add more lights over the tank if you have to; really not a problem in most planted tanks).


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