Question on taking pictures...

[Lonewolfblue]

I just bought a nice 5.3MP camera here at the local liquidation store and it works great. But when I try to take pictures of inside my aquarium, it's very blurry. Even when on a timer and tripod. What's the best way to take the pictures? Is there any particular setting? I've got the HP Photosmart 935. It's got all kind of settings, shutter speeds, lighting, etc. What works best for you?

 

[Guest]

Man all this new digital stuff makes me feel old, but I guess you can't stop progress. I still use an old 35mm cannon and have to mess around with speed and f-stops. Pictures come out great with isa 400 and a 45 on the flash, but however loose quite a lot of quality when scaned on the computer. I feel your pain, but I will wish you goodluck with that new digital cam.

 

[erik7]

Same with my digital camera. Granted, its a sucky 2.1mp.. but it shouldnt be blurry. Im guessing it has something to do with it needing to process the images and the water and stuff makes it blurry.

But thats just IMO

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I kind of figured it out. Have to have the camera fairly close to the tank. Having it at a distance it focuses on the glass. But if close enough, it focuses inside the tank. I also tried 400 speed, and have it on night flash, works pretty good. But the eyes are bad. I have it set on remove red eye, and instead of red, it's white. The only reason I'm doing it at night is because that's about the only time the eels are out. Will be taking pics with no flash during the day of the other fish.

I think tomorrow I'll try with the focus on infinity to see if that helps when taking the pics on zoom from a distance. Will let you know how it goes, and the settings that work best for me.

Now, how do you post pics in here? Do you just put the link in here inside the

 

[Lonewolfblue]

hi again...

I figured it out....

 

[reefrunner69]

This thread may help
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=4783

The less light you have the more pronounced your problem is going to be. Without a strong flash...I think your going to have a difficult time taking photos in a dark tank, from the looks of the above photo your focus was not really on the eels. Auto-focus is difficult (even on more expensice slr cams) in low light situation. You also should make sure your using the macro function on your camewra for close up focusing, you may be too close for the mode your in.

 

[hashbaz]

Another suggestion is to take TONS of photos. Some are bound to turn out good.

 

[chrism]

from your pic i'd say that you want to check that you are not too close to your subject... somewhere in your manual it will tell you exactly how close you can get. I can't actually see what is in focus, so it's either the auto focus doesn't know what to focus on, or you are too close and the camera can't focus.

If it's the first reason you can get around that by using focus lock. I'm guessing it will, you generally just have to hold the shutter button half way down. The idea of focus lock is that you can focus on something, a certain distance away, then recompose the shot and keep the same focal distance. So what you could do is focus on something, anything, roughly the same distance away as you would be from the thing you want in focus, then recompose the shot of the tank... and depress the shutter button fully... does that make sense?

 

[sudz]

WIth most digital camera's, it will focus on the glass of the tank. TO avoid this when taking a full tank shot, turn off the lights in the room that it is, and make the tank the brighest or only source of light. THe camera will not see the glass and focus on the tank.

I find that if you have a bright enough tank, you don't even need the flash, but you must use a tripod. Set the ISO speed higher if possible... you might get "blotchy" black area's due to underexposure, I try and use macro mode if i'm close enough.

Amazingly, i picked up my 2.1 mp HP camera for 50 bucks while i was working at Staples. The perks of being an employee, and it has settings for all of the above.

I would like to try a fixed focus camera (no optical zoom) to see if it comes out clearer, as everything is "in focus" on one of those camera's.

Now... to go take pictures of my tank!

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Also, when using a flash, angle yourself from the glass. That way the flash does not reflect. Alot of cheap digi cams will blur on zoom. Try not using the zoom and seeing if it improves. Also, I have found that if you have the camera set on the flower icon, it will take a better pic in some situations.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Hi....

On that last pic, my camera was on a tripod about 4 feet from the tank, and zoomed in. I'm going to try taking some pics at night tonight with the tank light on and see how that works. All lights off except the tank light. Will see if it focuses better. And hopefully the eels will stay out for it.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

hi again...

Here's a couple new pics I took yesterday, doing better. Can't wait til I get the exact settings right.

 

[rich311k]

Those photos are much better. Nice eel.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I cleaned the tank glass today. What you see are the lip marks from the cat, lol. She just loves watching the fish. The only fish that doesn't like her is the bala. He's pretty skiddish. The rest of the fish just say, neener, neener, neener, you can't get me, lol. And the dojo's find her interesting, "What in the world is that thing?", lol.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Yesterday I was able to get a better look at them too. They are longer than my hand span, which is 8 1/2 inches. They seem to be getting close to 10 inches each. And they are pigs, lol.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I cleaned the tank glass today. What you see are the lip marks from the cat,

I find it funny that at night Nemo will sit in the living room next to the African Cichlid tank. He will stare down the fish and as soon as they swim by him, he will jump towards them, trying to bat at them. It's very cute. It's makes you wonder if they are trying to eat the fish.

To get rid of the flash in the pic, take the pic at an angle, not straight ahead.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Yup, they look like they are trying to get their next meal, lol. As for the flash, I'm trying different angles. That pic you can see the flash, but as for the focus, it's one of the best pics I've taken so far. Also, in the 2nd pic, you can also see my striped loach behind the lower eel. And also my Golden Dojo Loach has stuck his head into the picture, lol. He's about 8 1/2 inches now.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Oh, and my cat, she's a calico. Her name is Dashboard. I got her from a neighbor when I moved into my house here. That's the name they gave her, and I kept the name.

 

[mr funktastic]

alright here is my 2 cents. i never use a flash. ever! i always take my pics at night with all the light off but the tank light. i go as close to the glass as i can and try to avoid the zoom as this will make it harder to focus. if u have the little flower icon on your camera turn it on. that is almost the only way to focus on the fish. once the camera focuse (which it will, on the fish) that will be your depth of focus. from there anything in that depth will be focused on and anything before and after will most likely be blurred(midground). just wait for the fish to come to you dont try to chase it or it will never turn out. just check out my gallery for some examples of what it will turn out like without flash. it is also good to not use the flash because u will never have the eye problem and it doesnt chare the fish away so you can take more shote. i am using a cannon powershot A60 and it is only 2 mp. hope u like them.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

With my camera, I have the AC adapter so I don't need to go through tons of AA batteries. That way everything is viewed with the viewfinder on. And I use a tripod.