Picked up a Canon 30D with a couple of lenses - anyone want to show me how to use it?

[WayneL333]

If you do, I'll let you have any frag in my tank!!!

In all seriousness, this is a beast of a camera. Thanks to my impulse shopping and the Canon rebate, I bought the 30D with the 100mm macro lens and the 24-105mm f/4 lens. I also got the 580EX flash.

So my question is where does an ultimate newbie start in learning how to use all that stuff? Are there any books (Photography for Dummies) or websites that you guys can recommend?

I'm in full auto mode right now. I'm trying to take some macro shots, but when I'm too close, I can’t seem to get the entire frame in focus. I guess I’d like to start there.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Jeffrey Porter]

B+H Photovideo has several books. I just got my first digital camera 4 months ago, Canon 20D. Still have a lot of learning to do, but was taking what i would consider great pics from the first night onwards. It's one thing to explain, but it's so much easier to understand if someone is explaining and showing you at the same time.

 

[acroporas]

Start of by doing a google search and reading about the three components of exposure: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.

To answer your question about depth of field read this.
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/depth-of-field.htm

As far s photographing aquarium subjects, there is too much to say in one post. It is easiest to take it one subject at a time. Pick a subject and I'll help you get a killer shot of it.

First tip I'll give you though is: do not ever shoot at an angle. The camera should always be as close to perpendicular to the glass.

 

[WayneL333]

Thanks for the info and tips Jeffery and William.

William, I'd just like to get as close as a shot I can get to a polyp of one of my SPS. If I use a tripod, I'm not able to put the lens flush up to the tank. should I forego the tripod?

TIA!

~ W

 

[acroporas]

Ok, to get as close as possible to an SPS polyp.

• First turn off all pumps, powerheads, fans, or anything that causes water movement.
• While you're waiting for all the water to stop moving, set the camera in Program [P]. Then place a piece of white computer paper between your halides and the water. Take a picture of it. Then press menu button, scroll down to "Custom WB" Press set, then set. Then set the WB to Custom (a square between two triangles)
• Set the camera to Aperature Priority mode. (Av)
• Using the front wheel (under your index finger) set the aperature to F/16
• Using the back wheel (under your thumb) set the exposure compensation to -2/3
• Set ISO to 100
• Press menu, scroll down to "Custom Functions" Press Set, Find the Mirror Lockup custom function (CF 12?) and set it to 1=on
• Set Drive to Self Timer
• Set AF to manual. (AF is not acurate enough when the DOF is so thin as it allways is for very close macro)
• Set up your tripod so that two legs are are shorter, and one leg is much longer so that the camera is directly above the two shorter legs. This will let you get the camera all the way up against the glass. The tripod is not very stable like this but that is ok because you are going to then place the camera so that the lens is resting on the glass, which effectively adds another leg to the tripod.unt
  
  
• Chances are only a fraction of the branch will be in focus. So manually focus on the part of the branch that you want to be in focus.
• Press the shutter button and take two steps back.

 

[acroporas]

Ohh, and do not use the flash.

 

[PL-Reef]

I know I've put it on here a hundred times before, but it's a great site for Canon users...
www.photography-on-the.net

all sorts of good information.

 

[WayneL333]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8489198#post8489198 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by acroporas
Ok, to get as close as possible to an SPS polyp.

• First turn off all pumps, powerheads, fans, or anything that causes water movement.
• While you're waiting for all the water to stop moving, set the camera in Program [P]. Then place a piece of white computer paper between your halides and the water. Take a picture of it. Then press menu button, scroll down to "Custom WB" Press set, then set. Then set the WB to Custom (a square between two triangles)
• Set the camera to Aperature Priority mode. (Av)
• Using the front wheel (under your index finger) set the aperature to F/16
• Using the back wheel (under your thumb) set the exposure compensation to -2/3
• Set ISO to 100
• Press menu, scroll down to "Custom Functions" Press Set, Find the Mirror Lockup custom function (CF 12?) and set it to 1=on
• Set Drive to Self Timer
• Set AF to manual. (AF is not acurate enough when the DOF is so thin as it allways is for very close macro)
• Set up your tripod so that two legs are are shorter, and one leg is much longer so that the camera is directly above the two shorter legs. This will let you get the camera all the way up against the glass. The tripod is not very stable like this but that is ok because you are going to then place the camera so that the lens is resting on the glass, which effectively adds another leg to the tripod.unt
  
  
• Chances are only a fraction of the branch will be in focus. So manually focus on the part of the branch that you want to be in focus.
• Press the shutter button and take two steps back.

William, thank you for taking the time out to write these detailed instructions. I love the diagram - Visio?

To show you how much of a newb I am, when you say "Then place a piece of white computer paper between your halides and the water. Take a picture of it." Take a picture of what? The white paper or my subject?

Many thanks again.

 

[afex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8494030#post8494030 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WayneL333
William, thank you for taking the time out to write these detailed instructions. I love the diagram - Visio?

To show you how much of a newb I am, when you say "Then place a piece of white computer paper between your halides and the water. Take a picture of it." Take a picture of what? The white paper or my subject?

Many thanks again.

take a picture of the piece of paper. this process is to adjust the white balance setting on your camera to match your tank lights.

 

[karm40]

White balance may be beyond your realm right now. You might want to take the camera outside and shoot on manual and learn what the shutter and aperture actually do. The info posted above should help you. A book would help. I am local if you want a quick lesson. By the way DOF is depth of field. On a macro lens your area of focus, or depth of field is reduced, so you need a smaller aperture, like f16 or more, that is what acropora was explaining.

 

[acroporas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8494030#post8494030 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WayneL333
William, thank you for taking the time out to write these detailed instructions. I love the diagram - Visio?

To show you how much of a newb I am, when you say "Then place a piece of white computer paper between your halides and the water. Take a picture of it." Take a picture of what? The white paper or my subject?

Many thanks again.

Yes, take a picture of the piece of paper.

And I made the diagram in Adobe Photoshop.

 

[WayneL333]

Thanks - you guys are awsome! I'll test it out this weekend and show you guys the results.

 

[WayneL333]

OK...here's the first try:

I wish I had more time to do more. Hopefully this evening. What do you guys think?

 

[DarthBaiter]

Nice shots. I like the fourth one alot.

 

[ADA33]

I dig on the 5th on great shot!!!!!

 

[acroporas]

Looks pretty good for a first try, though your sensor is quite dirty....

First critique is that they are all over exposed. Next time try bringing the exposure down another 1/3-2/3.

The second picture, is a little blurry. Looks like the tripod was shaking a bit. Have to take care that the tripod is as motionless as possible.

And the last one, is very blurry. Did you shoot through the glass at an angle on this one? If so that is probably the cause for some of the blurryness.

PS, you have some sweet corals there, I can see why you'ld want to take pictures of them......