Choosing my first DSLR camera but need some direction

[faithenfire]

me, i find the canon rebel much more suited to nonprofessionals that want a professional look. they aren't super heavy and they can fit the more advanced lenses.
I've been eyeing the t3i or the 4. i've been shooting with the xt

know that macro lenses are typically more expensive than a prime lens. you might want to investigate a prime lens and see if that fits your needs better

 

[webersp]

me, i find the canon rebel much more suited to nonprofessionals that want a professional look. they aren't super heavy and they can fit the more advanced lenses.
I've been eyeing the t3i or the 4. i've been shooting with the xt

know that macro lenses are typically more expensive than a prime lens. you might want to investigate a prime lens and see if that fits your needs better

Good advice. I'm not a camera expert, but I use a Nikon DSLR that I paid $200 for on Craigslist with the standard lens. It's worked out wonderfully for me and as someone who isn't a professional photographer, I don't think that I'll ever need or want anything more. I think it's a D80 or a D90.

 

[Kyle918]

I did see pictures taken with flash in a saltwater reef under the photography section. It was titled "My latest pics". Those photos came out like nothing I've seen before.

I also agree. While I do like my friends D5000, I did get a chance to play with a T3i in a store the other day and the feel of it was just much nicer to me. It fit my hand much better and you are right, it was lighter which I appreciated. I also found my way around the menu easier.

 

[dkeller_nc]

Yeah ok. That's why I don't bother with flash over my tank.
Just set a custom wb and jack up the iso to get a fast enough shutter speed and take advantage of the tank's natural lighting. Then just slight tweaks in lightroom or photoshop.

I might play with it sometime though... just to see what kind of effects I can get.

Actually, setting a custom WB or messing with the WB in photoshop doesn't quite work with flashes because (as I think you implied) the color temp of the flash is very different from the lights in the tank.

So what 3Dees suggested is the route to take: gel filters. If you've a Nikon flash, you can get a set of disposable color filters for the flash for about $20:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/searc...r+Filters/Gels&ci=655&N=4168864814+4068381345

What you would do is mount a blue filter on the flash, set it for fill light (as opposed to overall exposure), and take a few test shots. Since you've LEDs, you can fine-tune the match between the filtered flashes' color temp and the tank lighting color temp.

By the way - if you don't already have one, a circular polarizing filter helps enormously when using one of more flashes through the front glass as fill-lights to avoid harsh shadows.