dumb question, I'm sure

[32flavors]

Okay... How do you guys take those great tank shots where the tank almost looks dark, but the lights (some anyway) are clearly on? I have 250W MH's 20k. I can deal with the bluish look until I can get a better camera, but for now; is there anything I can do to bring down the blinding look of my tank (which as anyone with 20k's knows, is actually not blinding at all.

Here are some pics I've taken with the cam I have now, a Power Shot SD 790 IS

Acro 1 (pic 1), is actually deep green with violet tips

same acro, pic 2

My 75

My 65

Confused in California

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

This isn't a dumb question at all. You need to understand how a camera sees light.

Basically if you take a picture of something that is really bright (like snow), the camera will make the picture too dark. If you Google Image "snow", you will probably see lots of gray snow.

If you take a picture of something dark (like a black car), the camera will make the picture too bright, trying to compensate.

If you know the camera is going to take a picture too bright, there is an exposure compensation needle you can play with to balance everything out.

So if you are taking a picture of snow for example, and know the camera will make the image too dark, you can turn the exposure meter up a notch or two to force the camera to make the picture brighter. Every camera ever produced to my knowledge (even on cheap cell phones) has a changeable exposure meter.

If anyone knows of a camera that does not have this capability please post because I would be very enlightened to find out about it.

 

[32flavors]

Cool, thanks. I have a Canon A2E, so I understand what you're referring to, but I am really lost in the transition to digital. I'll break out the manual, a small book.

 

[Mrs. Suzy Smith]

What kind of fish is the red angel looking one in the 4th pic?

 

[32flavors]

If you mean the fish in the upper left of the shot just below the hammer, that is a male McCosker's Flasher Wrasse. A Carpenter's in (blurred as he was turning) in the upper right of the photo. Both are much prettier than my measly pic shows, and of course their true beauty goes on display when they "flash" -- sort of freezing in the water with every fin fully erect and they actually do flash extremely bright colors. You see this affect more when you have more than 1 male flasher in the same tank. They don't fight, but they do the "guy" thing, always trying to one-up over the other (no offense, intended fellas).

 

[32flavors]

BTW, Titusville Surfer--I had to get the manual out to find the exposure compensation settings, but totally works, turns out -1 1/3 stops is best for my lights and this camera's built in lens. It was an embarrassing moment reading your reply, as that is, indeed, a universal function in photog, regardless of format..... thanks again.

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

As I said it wasn't a dumb question. I am willing to bet less than 1% of people who own a camera even know the option is there, much less how to properly use it. I am glad to help.

I shoot with a full fledged DSLR and make use of manual mode often. The whole point of manual mode is to make the needle off center. After a while I began to pick up how much to vary the eposure instinctively. If you are taking a picture of a tree for example, -2/3 is usually right on the money. A certain distance from the sun is good for dead center...further from or closer to the sun starts to teeter totter in the appropriate way, ect.

EDIT:
While you have your manual out, go to the index and look up "metering mode". This selects the method the camera uses to decide where the center value is for the needle in the first place. Depending on which metering mode you use (I have 4 or 5 to choose from), the needles "center" might be different with all other variables constant. You can't predict what the camera is going to decide if you don't know how the camera is going to come to that decision. With this knowledge you can then decide for yourself if the camera will be right or wrong, and if wrong you can even figure out how wrong. Then make your adjustments accordingly.
If you really want to get into it, I have a vocabulary term for you:
histogram

I don't even know if you can view a histogram on your LCD so I will leave it at that but if so, it might be worth understanding.

 

[32flavors]

It's a Canon, so much like the Canon SLR's I'm familiar with, it has Evaluative, Spot, and center-weighted. I already knew about those, but they didn't make much diff with the tank. Now on the other hand, with my A2, I probably used that feature more than exposure compensation, as I have a strong sense of which metering program is best for what I am doing. My new problem--and I think I'll need a DSLR, but I'm looking into it--is controlling the shutter speed and/or the aperture, which obviously a built in lens has limitations with, so I can do some motion photog with the fishies. The cam has a great Aquarium mode for this, but I can't compensate exposure in it, and it has a great Pets/Kids (don't want to offend anyone, that's what they call it) which primarily targets freezing moving subjects (actually got a pretty sharp pic of my Golden Retriever running, zoomed in--he looks like a kangaroo in it), but again, in these pre-programmed modes, I can't adjust exposure, which my lights demand. This was my first venture into dig. I bought the cam a couple of weeks ago at Costco on a recommendation from a pro photog, and while the cam handled his demo in the store, it didn't translate into the demands of my tank. Sooooo, now I'm looking at getting a used 20D or 30D from Adorama. Since I already have good EOS lenses, except a macro, I think a Canon EOS DSLR is a good way to go. In fact, on another thread, someone told me that the 20D is a great cam and that many reefers use it and the 30D..... Oh, if I only loved any easy and cheap hobby--although that sounds boring.

 

[32flavors]

"although that sounds boring" -- the easy part, not the cheap!

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

The 20D is a great camera. The 30D wasn't much of an "oh wow" upgrade. I use a 40D myself, and the 50D is the current "new" body. They are all fantastic.

If you already have a bunch of EOS lenses (are you absolutly certian they are EF and not FD)? FD is not EOS. Those are Canon's pre-autofocus era lenses.

 

[32flavors]

No, really. Although new to digital. I'm a fairly experienced SLR photog, semi-pro in fact. Weddings, etc. The camera I loved the most and still have is an EOS A2E, and it takes EF lenses. In fact, I purchased one of the first EOS IS lenses made for average photogs and not heavy duty sports photogs, a 75-300mm.

 

["Umm fish?"]

I'm still using an old 20D. It's still working fine for me. The truth is, the camera's only as good as the lenses. So there's nothing wrong with buying a good used body and then spending your money on nice lenses.

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

Gahhhh no offense but I passionately hate the 75-300. You do have an EOS system though I'll give you that.

 

[32flavors]

Yes, the 75-300 is very limited, aperture wise. But, since candids are my specialty, it was a lot of fun to be able to have the zoom range--and not need a tripod. I actually took some amazing shots with that lens. Really, it just required its own appropriate setting, then it's a pretty decent lens. Didn't use it much for weddings, which is ironic because it was my candid portfolio that inspired people to use me for their weddings. My clients liked the "documentary" idea of the day, a passion for which I shared. But for the trad wedding sets--the poses. I never used that lens, mostly a tried and true 50mm. Although, again, got some amazing up close candid shots during ceremonies with the lens, while I was behind or off to the side of the whole show. I won't be using that lens with my tank though--that's for certain. ;-)

Andy--yes, this is what I hear.... I refrained from going fg for so long because it was a while before bodies prod the quality that I wanted, and then by the time they did, I was a student again--and poor--and such bodies (as the 10D and 20D when they were launched) were out of my price range. Now, they're older and avail used for what I can afford though, so.... lens shopping it is. There was a Nikon that came out around the time of the 20D, maybe just after that had me drooling--and if I had had the $--would've switched to Nikon for. Don't remember now though.... might've been an F1? It was the top of its class for a while, but I love Canon--and the EOS line of lenses is extremely broad, so I'll be staying put.

 

[32flavors]

"fg" was supposed to be dig