Melev's new 280g Starfire tank thread

[Alaska_Phil]

She doesn't come out often, but I really liked that shot. I realize it was overexposed from the whiteness of the sand, but I liked it because it was like she was hovering over snow.

Marc, the mandarin doesn't look over exposed, just the sand. I get the same thing photographing objects surrounded by snow (something I do a lot). If I meter on the snow, the subject looks dark and underexposed. so I typically center meter on the subject I'm shooting if it's big enough, or deliberately over expose. That way the snow looks washed out, but the subject comes out correctly. Many of my early attempts to shoot mushers came out with nice well defined snowfields and black mushers and dogs.

Phil

 

[Jessy.]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14002598#post14002598 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
I don't think this is very helpful, but what I've been doing is shooting in manual mode with the 18-70mm lens.

How do you think that it isn't helpful!!?? It is very helpful to learn the settings that good photographers use for a specific situation. For instance, I only learned recently that I like pictures of tanks at an ISO of 200. I always saw beautiful images that would look nothing like mine. I was just shooting at 400-800 ISO because I could capture things in focus...but never with the clarity I saw in other's pictures. Anyway all this sounds like second nature to you because you've been shooting for SO long, but for some others it is helpful....

Kind of like Control +T on photoshop Easy, but til you hear it, you never think about how helpful it can be.

 

[melev]

The lower the ISO, the better. Higher ISO is good for photographing moving objects like fish, as well as when you are in low light situations. Our tanks tend to be pretty bright, so lower ISO still works well. When shooting corals, that's usually fine because they aren't moving (if the flow is off for softies) much, if at all.

 

[melev]

Check out something in the works

Check out something in the works

This was made for me by a friend. I like it, and perhaps I'll post it once on each page of my thread.

<img src="http://www.digitalbang.com/ir/melev.asp">

 

[maroun.c]

The D70s has AF-M

The AF-M s in the lens not in the camera Marc. If you buy a Tamron or a Sigma lets say and use them on your camera this will not work

almost run for the computer to see if I actually nailed it

some software exists to connect your camera to the pc and see the pictures directly. I recently downloaded a free software taht allows you to do it. A bit hard to get to work at first but works nice on my D70s You can even set camera exposure factors and expose from your PC... Shoot me an email if you need the link to the software.

How do you think that it isn't helpful!!?? It is very helpful to learn the settings that good photographers use for a specific situation. For instance, I only learned recently that I like pictures of tanks at an ISO of 200. I always saw beautiful images that would look nothing like mine. I was just shooting at 400-800 ISO because I could capture things in focus...but never with the clarity I saw in other's pictures.

Depends on what camera we're using. I'm still usinga D70s which is famous for poor High Iso noise performance. anything higher than Iso 600 and noise is visible. Exposing correctly lessens the noise that will appear much more when you increase exposure by PP. Using software like noise ninja also decreases the noise but sometimessoftens the picture. Newer camears like the D300 and D3 will allow you to work at Isoo 1600 to 3200 with very low to no noise.

 

[jnarowe]

You need to seek medical attention maroun.c! :lol:

 

[maroun.c]

Yep both addictions aquariums and Photography are starting to show up really bad

 

[melev]

Thanks for the correction, maroun.c. I knew the AF-M was on the lens, and meant to say that. And I agree, the lower the ISO, the less noisy the picture will be.

I didn't know about the option to view TTL on a laptop. That's very interesting.

And just for fun, here's a graphic I made to represent my tank's lighting schedule.

 

[maroun.c]

Very nice graphics. Can you share how yo're making these?

 

[rEd86]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14012618#post14012618 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by maroun.c
some software exists to connect your camera to the pc and see the pictures directly. I recently downloaded a free software taht allows you to do it. A bit hard to get to work at first but works nice on my D70s You can even set camera exposure factors and expose from your PC... Shoot me an email if you need the link to the software.

Please post here so we can all check it out!

Thanks.

--Ed

 

[maroun.c]

ED,
the Progam can be downloaded on this link.
Took me some time to get it to run the first time but works fine since then.
http://www.diyphotobits.com/2008/11/28/diyphotobitscom-camera-control-21-greens/
A more fancy program but that one you'll have to pay for is Camero control Pro 2.

 

[rEd86]

Thanks for the link maroun.c. I look forward to playing with it after the holidays when I get back to the office.

--Ed

 

[melev]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14012846#post14012846 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by maroun.c
Very nice graphics. Can you share how yo're making these?

Well, to be honest I tried following tips from three different tutorials I found on Google, but no matter what they said, it didn't work quite like they described.

I just showed the graphic to my son, and he pointed out the I spent a couple of hours <i>of time</i> building clocks that don't work. :lol:

Making the circle isn't hard, nor outlining it with the Stroke command. I used gradients and drop shadows on each layer. Rotating the half circle was probably the most difficult part, after I finally figured out how to make half a circle.

 

[jnarowe]

I would have a melt-down.

 

[Jessy.]

Nice job on the circle graphics. Sorry it was such a pain... you know that rotating thing....yeah .... try Control +T next time.... no kidding

 

[melev]

I don't think Control T helped at all, Jessica. It was more about Transform, Rotate and Shift.

You should see my layers. :lol:

Here's a video about that software, guys.
http://www.diyphotobits.com/2008/12...camera-control-21/comment-page-1/#comment-685

 

[Jessy.]

Control T IS TRANSFORM YOU NUT! Its just the shortcut

 

[melev]

I thought it was TEASE, because it never DOES anything!

 

[Kentanner11]

Leave it to Marc to change my mind with one comment! I'm now considering the Canon EOS 40D.

How was your holiday?

 

[Micki]

Hey Marc, I hope you had a great Christmas! I haven't gotten any e-mails to your thread recently. I started looking and see yet another split! Between my Mom falling a few weeks ago and getting 23 stitches in her head and her going back and forth for cardioversions and me being in bed for 4 days with the flu then Christmas a few days later, I missed the split!

Anyway, after a minor mishap (ok disaster) this morning, I want to look into getting an alarm of some sort. If memory serves me correctly (and I wouldn't count on it) I think you have an Aqua Controller correct? Just wondering if you are satisfied with it or if you or anyone else has info on that versus a Reefkeeper etc. I want something that will e-mail/text me if there is a problem.