Cheap Camera for Coral Pics

[BigJohnny]

Everyone keeps mentioning their phones. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think OP is looking for a new phone/data/service plan.

You could probably get a decent point and shoot for around what you mentioned. My advice is if you are planning on getting a dslr/macro lens eventually, you are better off saving up for one. There are deals out there, you just need to be patient and keep an eye out. Ebay/Amazon/Craigslist etc.

Yea I'm actually not sure I'm going to eventually get a dslr with a macro though, it's just absurd how expensive they are, the hobby is expensive enough.

 

[BigJohnny]

Generally I just use the camera on my Samsung S4 as well. BUT there are some other good cheap options.

If you want to take good photos but not spend much I really recommend a waterproof point and shoot style camera and get your hands in the tank. I had (I say had because it finally broke tonight) an old Olympus tough camera (bought almost 5 years ago and used heavily). It had 16MP, was waterproof and had settings pre built into it for underwater photography etc and you could also use the macro mode or adjust the white balance if you wanted to. I only recently thought to use it in my tank and got some great photos. I'm at work but will try to post some pictures I took with it soon.

This looks like it is the newer model of the one I had.
http://www.getolympus.com/us/en/digitalcameras/tough/tg-860.html

Cheers,

Macca

Edit: can't upload the photos nicely while at work. But here is a link to a gallery with the photos. http://imgur.com/gallery/BcVLn

Thanks macca, I actually stumbled upon someone else who uses an underwater camera with a 1 cm macro setting, called the pentax optio wg-2. I was actually going to buy that one (was only $200), but I really don't want to be sticking my arms in the tank to take pictures. I can't argue with the results though, your pics are wonderful and so are hers.

What settings do you use on your phone cam?

 

[MaccaPopEye]

Incase you havent googled it already the xperia Z3 is a phone. Its just a phone with a really good camera.

I think the waterproof options will be the best if you are only looking at point and shoot cameras as the one I had took very good photos from outside the tank aswell (had the adjustabe WB and macro setting, not that I ever played with it too much) and then there is the added bonus that you can get your hands wet once in a while to get the really top notch photos.

And for my phone I dont really play with the settings much. The samsung phones just take great photos on auto. I dont think you can change WB and stuff on the stock photo app though.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Can you just pm me the instructions by using speak to text haha? I would appreciate it.

LMAO you young whipper snappers can't talk on the phone, texting fools.

Go to your camera and open it up there is a gear looking icon top right click on that, Then white balance, it is set to auto, play around with it, I so far find it works best on Fluorescent, since my phone is a Galaxy SIII your's might have more options.

LMAO kids and their texting, I HATE TEXTING :hammer::blown:

 

[Dkuhlmann]

These are great pics but yea taking pictures under tank lighting is a whole different ball game.

That is what I told him after I asked for his tank pictures, I asked again and still no pictures. I'm guessing he wasn't so happy with tank pictures under the actinics

 

[ColinAbi]

You can get some really nice pics with messing around with the settings.

 

[MaccaPopEye]

For those that don't want to click the link here are the photos I took with the waterproof point and shoot
http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/MaccaPopEye/P7260034_zpss9sw5ixj.jpg
http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/MaccaPopEye/P7260013-1_zpsfmpchsy2.jpg
http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/MaccaPopEye/P7260020-1_zps8iojmaqf.jpg
http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/MaccaPopEye/P7260017-1_zpsioxnaxtk.jpg

And here is 2 examples of just using my phone camera (Samsung galaxy s4) one is obviously under only blue LEDs and the other is white LEDs. Taken on different days after moving the piece around a bit.
http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/MaccaPopEye/DSC_0004_zps9dfshasr.jpg
http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag78/MaccaPopEye/DSC_0003_zpsfsmzbz1u.jpg

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Ok with these I set the white balance on my phone to Daylight, no blue

 

[BigJohnny]

Incase you havent googled it already the xperia Z3 is a phone. Its just a phone with a really good camera.

I think the waterproof options will be the best if you are only looking at point and shoot cameras as the one I had took very good photos from outside the tank aswell (had the adjustabe WB and macro setting, not that I ever played with it too much) and then there is the added bonus that you can get your hands wet once in a while to get the really top notch photos.

And for my phone I dont really play with the settings much. The samsung phones just take great photos on auto. I dont think you can change WB and stuff on the stock photo app though.

My s5 takes terrible pics of my tank colorwise. The detail and stuff is great, but even messing with ISO setting I couldn't get it to look normal. Some people may think the photos are acceptable, but not even close for me. The standard camera app won't allow me to adjust to where it looks natural

 

[BigJohnny]

LMAO you young whipper snappers can't talk on the phone, texting fools.

Go to your camera and open it up there is a gear looking icon top right click on that, Then white balance, it is set to auto, play around with it, I so far find it works best on Fluorescent, since my phone is a Galaxy SIII your's might have more options.

LMAO kids and their texting, I HATE TEXTING :hammer::blown:

What on earth are you talking about? Who can't talk on the phone haha? I dont want to, there is a difference. It was completely unnecessary and i dont just give my phone number out to people i dont know, especially when it's completely unnecessary. Had you just posted the settings initially, you would have saved yourself 2/3 of your "texting" anyway.

Also, this isn't texting, it's a forum we were already talking on.......the whole thing is based on posting text to each other.

As far as your instructions, I don't have a white balance option. I have several "iso" modes which I believe to be similar but have minimal effect on the quality of the photos.

Thanks for trying, but again, I'm really looking for recommendations on good budget digital cameras with macro settings.

 

[BigJohnny]

You can get some really nice pics with messing around with the settings.

I wouldn't consider these a good representation of the livestock or colors

 

[BigJohnny]

The only pictures posted that I would consider sufficient quality are the underwater point n shoots by Macca.

 

[BigJohnny]

These were taken with a $200 point n shoot digital camera. This is the quality I'm looking for:

 

[ColinAbi]

They don't come out the same way it looks on my phone.

 

[BigJohnny]

I found about 2/3 of my cameras settings were hidden, playing with the white balance had minimal effect, still really just looking for recommendations on a point and shoot with macro for less than 300.

So far the underwater one is the only one anyone has suggssted, and while that's a good option, I like to keep my hands out of the tank as much as possible

 

[MaccaPopEye]

I don't know why my last post is coming up as links again though, they should be embedded images? Oh well.

The only pictures posted that I would consider sufficient quality are the underwater point n shoots by Macca.

Thanks. And I agree, I haven't seen a single other photo of something in a fish tank posted here that looks half decent. I wouldn't consider any of those mobile phone pictures to be any good.

BJ I think most point and shoot cameras around the $200-$300 mark should be good enough that they will have a macro setting and at least semi adjustable white balance. I maintain that I think the waterproof ones have the added benefit of being able to put your hands in the tank to take even better pictures (and also take it snorkeling, swimming or in the rain etc) but really any point and shoot towards the top of your budget should be able to take pretty decent photos.

Try searching best point and shoot cameras on google and just pick a couple towards the top of your price range that have the features you are after and even better go into a store and play with some of them a tiny bit. IMO that will be the best way to pick a camera.

 

[MaccaPopEye]

These were taken with a $200 point n shoot digital camera. This is the quality I'm looking for:

If pictures like that were taken with a $200 point and shoot from outside the tank then I think you have answered your own question :rollface: that camera should be the top of your list haha

The camera I used underwater would have taken photos just as good after playing with the settings a little but only from within the tank.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

What on earth are you talking about? Who can't talk on the phone haha? I dont want to, there is a difference. It was completely unnecessary and i dont just give my phone number out to people i dont know, especially when it's completely unnecessary. Had you just posted the settings initially, you would have saved yourself 2/3 of your "texting" anyway.

Also, this isn't texting, it's a forum we were already talking on.......the whole thing is based on posting text to each other.

As far as your instructions, I don't have a white balance option. I have several "iso" modes which I believe to be similar but have minimal effect on the quality of the photos.

Thanks for trying, but again, I'm really looking for recommendations on good budget digital cameras with macro settings.

LMAO, you're a trip

I know this isn't texting... anyway do like I said with the white setting to daylight and leave the ISO alone

If you were to go to the Photography forum here on RC you might just find a camera or five LOL

See if you listened to me you could take pictures like this of your tank with your phone. I took these on my Galaxy SIII with the settings I told you about set to daylight

 

[MaccaPopEye]

Dkuhlmann no offence intended but those two photos are far from great. The first is very blurry and has a weird depth of field and the second isn't bad as far as the coloring goes but isn't that great either.

The attached photos are some that I took on my phone which I think are better examples of what OP is after.

Even then phone cameras are great but you can take much better pictures on point and shoot cameras for a much cheaper price if you don't already have a top of the range phone.

Cheers,

Macca

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Dkuhlmann no offence intended but those two photos are far from great. The first is very blurry and has a weird depth of field and the second isn't bad as far as the coloring goes but isn't that great either.

The attached photos are some that I took on my phone which I think are better examples of what OP is after.

Even then phone cameras are great but you can take much better pictures on point and shoot cameras for a much cheaper price if you don't already have a top of the range phone.

Cheers,

Macca

LOL I never said they were great by any stretch of the imagination. I said they weren't BLUE