# Help: Taking clearer pics



## ZooTycoonMaster

Does anyone have any advice as to a camera that'll take crystal-clear pictures?


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## Lupin

Bright lighting or Flash. What camera are you using? I've splitted your post from the other thread.


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## GregV

A good camera with a macro setting helps alot, I would also sugest a tripod as this will get rid of the slight motion blur.


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## rhacmac

I shoot my fish with a Nikon D300 with a 300mm macro lens and they look great. However you can use about any camera as long as there is enough light. Try pointing lamps at the tank (if you do not have an off-camera flash) and use a fast shutter speed like 1/500, or as slow as 1/80 as long as you can hold it really slow.


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## FuzzAz

A digital SLR is much better than a Point and Shoot type camera. I can take great photos with my Nikon D70 (SLR) with little effort, but taking photos with my Cannon SD750 (point and shoot) is much more difficult. macro lenses are good too, I have been playing around with mine and can make hydra look like something off war of the worlds. BTW you forgot to mention your price range, originally paid $1400 for my D70, but recently bought another D70 body (no lens) used for $350 so you might be able to find one with a lens for under $500. A while ago I posted a reply on tips for taking pictures with a point and shoot camera that may be helpful(you may have to scroll down a bit to find it).


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## mattyphilly

there is no 300mm macro prime for nikon.


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## jr.masterbreeder

I just use the macro setting on my point and shoot. No problems whatsoever. I use a tripod too... DONT USE A FLASH!!! Terrible reflection off the glass... the pic of my flames before i got rid of them, was taken with a 2.1 mp Cannon powershot A60... on it's macro setting. Not the brightest because I was trying to spawn them at the time, but I just got a 10.1 mp camera with a macro setting on it, wonderful if i get a tripod on it.
(I moved from IA to VA) My parents didnt want me to loose my fish, so we gave them to a LFS.


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## Guppyluver4ever

If you turn off your filter 15 minutes before taking the picture, then use macro to take the pic, you should be fine.


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## Madilyn

I shoot mine with a Sony Cybershot H10, and it looks amazing. Like others said, don't use a flash, though, because it reflects on the glass and you get a bunch of white washout.
Good luck,
Madilyn


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## TankMAster

Okay guys. It's nice probing this forum. This is my first post ... yipee

I am a Professional Photography student as well as a Photographic assistant. The key to taking great pictures of aquariums is to keep the lighting simple.

* NO BUILT IN / POP UP FLASH!!!
*NO MIXED LIGHTING. - It may be technical but different lights have different color temperatures. Mixin these lighting temperatures will result in a badly lit and often color cast image. 

Example :

http://www.projectwoman.com/uploaded_images/whitebalance-742417.jpg

The image on the left is the color temperature mix of tungsten and possible flash. Tungsten are the normal common bulbs. The image on the right shows a well balanced image in tungsten light. 

Since all or most aquarium lights are fluorescent, mixing flash and tank light will result in a colored image. Possibly a green or blue, depending on the color of the tank light

*ALWAYS USE A HIGH SPEED CAMERA!
* IF USING A DSLR, SET THE SHUTTER TO ANYTHING ABOVE 1/25 OF A SECOND, COMPENSATING WITH AN IS0 OF 400 +

FOR NON-DSLR USERS ......

* ALWAYS TAKE PICTURES IN COMPLETE DARKNESS WITH JUST THE TANK LIGHT ON.

There will be no need for flash , as your camera light meter will 'sense' the degree of light only coming from the tank.


I hope this helped. 

Please feel free to ask questions.

Ps: No need for Macro/Telephoto/Ultra zoom cameras. Use what you have.

Focus up close and snap a few on auto mode in the dark. If you use manual mode then read your user guide to set up for white balance to fluorecent. You may want to add some magenta if your camera has a digital color filter.

Even if you have a mobile phone camera, snap a few in abundant light. It doesn't matter to mix light with mobile phone cameras. Just don't use flash for anything reflective like glass.



Regards

The TankMAster


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## Jack Middleton

take picture of the tank when the room it is in is in darkness and the tank lights are on, turn off the flash and set the ISO to 200 if there is still too much noise adjust accordingly.

use macro mode when taking pictures (the little flower icon)


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## frmrgrl87

I bought myself a canon rebel for x-mas this year and have been using it to photograph my tank. I just set it to auto and it does the rest. Most of my pics use the flash and most with the flash don't have a horrible reflection. I use a 18-55 mm lens zoomed in all the way and use automatic focus (since the fish move to fast for me to focus manually!!). Most of my fish absolutely love having their pictures taken, fighting for position in the front of the lens, its the funniest thing ever! I've found that water quality does a lot for clarity of pictures. Even if you can't see anything wrong with the water, a camera is great at picking it up. lol. My camera showed my water to be slightly tan, before I realized that my light (or overfeeding) caused an algal bloom.


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## AnthonyR1

try out some cameras before you make a final selection. i opted for the lumix FX-01 (dated now) because it has a great macro setting, manual exposure setting and a decent anti-shake setting. as tankmaster said have the lights on your tank only...and snap as many as you can because your bound to get some blurry ones. 
another nice feature on the lumix is multi exposure setiing, hold down the shutter and it will take 3 pics in a row.
good luck


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## jasikablack

The light particles from the flash often reflect off of algae, dust and other underwater stuff, making your picture look like it has been attacked by fairy dust. Instead, save your flash for the nighttime indoor festivities and take your underwater photos when the sun is high in the sky,Gunky things like silt and mud tend to sink which means that taking pictures of the bottom of the ocean can result in murky-looking photos. Stay close to the surface where it's sunnier and the water is clearer and you'll get brighter.


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