Few newb questions.

[UrbanSage]

First, what is a good tripod for a person who uses the camera for the ocationsla aquarium picture and normal average use?

Second I have just switched my MH equipment and currently I have 2 x 250W 20,000k XM HQI bulbs. It is a bit more blue than I am used to but it looks pretty good. Equipment aside. My pictures are naturally very blue, but much more blue than what I see with my eyes. Is there a trick to balancing the blue out. Or minimize it a bit, I realise that I can not get the Kodak moment I really would like because of my lights.
The camera is a Nikon Coolpix 8700.

This is before changing bulbs

And after, (this is even manipulated on a PC)

 

[gregr]

I recently looked at a Feisol tripod and was very impressed at the quality/price compromise.
Aside from that the Bogen-Manfrotto tripods are very popular.
As for the color issue- I played with the second picture in Photoshop a bit and got it to look pretty good by going to adjustments--color balance and sliding the blue/yellow slider towards yellow by about 20.
It's no surprise that the pics are coming out blue- those bulbs are far far beyond what any camera is designed to deal with (any 20K bulb is for that matter). Ideally you would shoot in RAW mode and make big color adjustment in the RAW software and then fine-tune it in your regular editing program.
Have you tried the RAW format with the new bulbs yet?
You've done manual wb right? That should get you pretty close but with the XM bulbs you may be forced to use RAW and change the color temp in the software, and most likely still have to make small color adjustments in PS [or whatever]. It sounds more complicated than it is- once you get the first picture done to your liking the whole RAW conversion process will go very fast.

 

[Hoggn]

To agree with Greg try RAW and adjust in PS. Also play around w/ different White Balance settings...

 

[astrogazer]

I liked your tagline "You can't control the wind, but you can adjust your sails" and that's exactly what you're going to have to do. I don't think you have the option to set WB manually. I agree with the above in that you're best off shooting RAW, then adjusting the white balance when converting. Using photoshop to balance your color gets to be second nature, an exposure different of lenn than half a stop can effect the color temp of the initial image.

 

[radone]

Awesome picture

Wish mine turned out like that

 

[UrbanSage]

So it is fairly common to manipulate images? Is that not cheating?

Got PS up and running, lots to learn but with your comments I know it should be possible to get some good shots even with 20,000k bulbs.

Thanks!

 

[Benny Z]

http://www.ximinasphotography.com/lessons/

 

[UrbanSage]

Already chewing my way through that site, its really good info.
But difficult because I dont know my camera very well yet.
I just set it on macro and click away

 

[Hoggn]

Check amazon for the book Latern Guide series for your model camera. Great starter guide...