Help Me!

[chocolateblnt]

I am having "user" problems taking pictures with my Coolpix 5700 ... I have tried the advice from other threads and am pretty close to getting the pics I want but can't figure out a few things.

Maybe I have a bad technique ... I take pictures from about 4 ft. away from my tank and zoom in on what I want to take a picture of what I want. If I get close to the tank and try to zoom in on something like a mushroom it just blurs and stays blurry and won't focus.

I filled out this questionnaire just in case!

Do you use a tripod?
No ... I try to stabilize my arms on something ... I guess I'm a tri-pod.
Do you use a special lens (i.e. macro) when taking your pictures?
No ... however I do have a Wide Lens
Do you use a flash.
No ... however I have a Speedlight adapter.
If you use a flash is it on camera or off.
err ... huh?!
Do you add supplemental lighting?
No ... I turn off all the lights except for tank lighting
Do you edit your images in an image editing software before
posting them?
Just to re-size ... shouldn't the pictures be great once I take the pic?! I do sometimes turn up the contrast a lil'.
Are you using auto focus or manual?
I use both depending on what picture.
Are you using other special camera settings like manual exposure or manual aperture?
Sometimes ... to experiment.
Do you use specific white balance settings?
I set it but it made my tank look yellow so I just use AUTO.
Do you have any suggestions for the best settings on the specific camera that you are using?
No.
Are you using special metering modes?
No.

This is my best attempt at a close up of a mushroom that isn't moving and it turned out quite well ... probably because it wasn't moving.

Close Up:

Super Close Up:

Torch Coral didn't turn out as well because it moves ...

The problem is when I try to capture fish ... I crank up the shutter speed. However my pictures only come out well when I have the flash on.

Which mode should I be shooting in? There are 4 Shutter Speed and Aperture modes?

When I shoot in Programmed Auto it's Blurry
When I shoot in Shutter Priority it only comes out with flash but makes everything else "reef" look un-naturally colored.
When I shoot in Aperture Priority it's blurry
When I shoot in Manual it's good for everything but fast fish.

 

[bamann345]

Try increasing your ISO and shoot in manual. That will help you increase your shutter speed.

HTH,

WIlliam

 

[gregr]

You get an A+ for information included in post
I still think you need to use a tripod though. Certainly there was some blur because the corals were moving, but there's quite probably some sharpness lost because of camera movement too. The rule of thumb is that you can safely [still get sharp results] handholding the camera at shutter speeds at or faster than 1/focal length. So if you're using a 100mm macro lens you can get sharp pics handholding at speeds of 1/90th or faster. Of course everyone is different and some people can do much better- but only up to a point.
When you move in close to the tank for the close-ups you'll have to zoom out to get the camera to focus on the subject. That camera is capable of focusing on something only 3cm away from the lens- but you'll have to widen out to do it.
The good news- handholding at a wide angle is a lot easier than when you're zoomed all the way in.
If you don't get good results in manual exposure mode try aperture priority and keep an eye on your shutter speeds. If the picture is too dark or bright you'll need to set exposure compensation- if you're not sure how to do that consult manual (or ask here) because it's something that will come in very handy very often
Greg

 

[chocolateblnt]

LoL A+

Thanks for the reply Greg!

I am going to try to get a tri-pod a.s.a.p. However I still don't understand why my fish pics turn out great with flash and ****ty without flash. I seem to get great results in Auto Mode and Manual Mode like you mentioned. I appreciate your help and am going to study up on the things you mentioned and definitely try it it tonight and post results.

Also can you tell me how to figure out what mm my lens is so I know what the fastest 1/focal length I can shoot?

 

[gregr]

When you use a flash the pics are coming out sharper because the flash burst is really fast- something like 1/500 to 1/2000 of a second.
The Nikon 5700 lens is the 35mm equivalent of 35-280mm, so when you're zoomed all the way in to 280mm it's going to be difficult to get sharp pictures unless you have very fast shutter speeds. You'd have to increase your iso and shoot at the biggest apertures (smallest fstop numbers) to get that much speed- your depth of field will be minimal and the pics will be grainy. The alternative is widen out and get closer, plus use a tripod for longer exposure times when you want more depth of field.
This Reefkeeping Magazine article describes (with picture samples!) what depth of field is- and more.
Greg