# Help with settings



## GraphicGr8s (Apr 4, 2011)

When I am doing tank shots I am in full manual. 

You need to play with the settings to find your cameras sweet spot. 

Choose your starting settings. Maybe 125 on shutter.
f/stop about halfway.
Power level on the flash about 50%.
Take some shots.

Now you look at the pix and see what's good.
And what's not.
Change ONLY ONE SETTING at a time!!!!!!

First thing is to see if the swimming fish is frozen. No? Increase the shutter speed. 
Maybe 250.
So where does that leave the pix?
Too dark?
Increase the power on the flash.
Too light? Well there you have 2 choices. You can close down the aperture. (higher number) or lower the flash power. But again, only do one of those things. Nice thing about closing down the lens is the increased DOF.

I'd use manual focus also. And remember this is a case for patience. You don't want to chase the fish. Let him come into your field of vision.

I don't use reversing rings myself. I use macro on one of the zooms I have.


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## JonA (Mar 8, 2017)

Here's the album of everything I took with the SLR. 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/albums/72157686403697265/with/35152182514/

This is with the macro coupler. The focal range is so close to the lens I can only focus on things about 2 inches in the aquarium.


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## viwwo (Jan 15, 2010)

Hey there!!!! 
I hear help with macro photography. Here is the two things you need to know to get get macro.
Aperture should be no lower than f/9. You will still get a lot of soft background. 
Very high ICO to compensate for the pinhole aperture (the D40 is an old camera so I don’t know how high it can go)
Try not to go lower then 1/200 shutter speed unless it’s a stationery object and you have a tripod.
And A LOT of light! But never flash light!!!
That should do… I do wedding photography so I know a thing or two about macro.


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## doylecolmdoyle (Sep 22, 2015)

I agree with the above, for macro use a f-stop above 9, shutter no slower that 1/150, iso 1600 or higher, personally I use on speedlight flash on my camera when taken macro photos of my fish, I have had many ppl ask how I use the flash but its just mounted to the camera and set to auto, seems to work for me. 

For your full tank shots the 50mm prime should work well, f-stop above 4-5 so you get the full tank in focus, shutter 1/150 to freeze the fish, ISO 400 - 800. No flash

https://www.flickr.com/photos/colmdoyle/

IMG_0031 by Colm Doyle, on Flickr

IMG_9858 by Colm Doyle, on Flickr


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## GraphicGr8s (Apr 4, 2011)

doylecolmdoyle said:


> I agree with the above, for macro use a f-stop above 9, shutter no slower that 1/150, *iso 1600 or higher*, personally I use on speedlight flash on my camera when taken macro photos of my fish, I have had many ppl ask how I use the flash but its just mounted to the camera and set to auto, seems to work for me.
> 
> For your full tank shots the 50mm prime should work well, f-stop above 4-5 so you get the full tank in focus, shutter 1/150 to freeze the fish, ISO 400 - 800. No flash


That sounds great going that high but remember that those of us in the photography field before digital used to get the shots with a max film ISO/ASA of 400. So it can be done at a low enough ISO for less noise and if the camera can't go that high.
Heck one year I did the photo shoot of my aquariums for a calendar. All were done with ISO 100 film.


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## Maryland Guppy (Dec 6, 2014)

GraphicGr8s said:


> That sounds great going that high but remember that those of us in the photography field before digital used to get the shots with a max film ISO/ASA of 400. So it can be done at a low enough ISO for less noise and if the camera can't go that high.
> Heck one year I did the photo shoot of my aquariums for a calendar. All were done with ISO 100 film.


Memories!
100' rolls of Ektachrome 64, roll your own 40 shots per roll, pushed 3 for low lighting, developing in the bathroom all night long.
Slides for me only. Color saturation was key.
Remember the blue cast of Fuji?
Then a special slide scanner to fill the digital needs.


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