What the proper setup with SLR to take CLOSEUPS of Corals

[Wally.B]

Hi,

I have had a Point and Shoot "Canon IS" for long time. Sure I could get reasonably good pics of my tank, but never close ups (FOCUS was the key issue). Even thought I could get good focus with Videos.

I bought a couple of camera's to try out "Cannon Rebel EOS SL1" and "Nikon D5200". Both take amazing pics, even in low light, but I still can't take a good closeup. Look great on small camera screen, then I go to computer and it's blury.

How does one take good close up pics? Ideal setting. (Auto, Manual Focus, tripod, Macro mode...etc)

Do you take a 12 MegaPixel shot from a distance and then zoom in digitally. (doesn't work for me).

I'm going to try tripod next, since this could be shaky hands.

I tried single point focal point. Focus lock. Still blury.

This is pic of tank which is fine, but closeups are blury as below.

Any tips.

Focused SHOT of TANK.

Sample blury closeups (Taken relatively close). Arrows are some edit's I was doing to try to get help on why my top side of corals are going white.

 

[Reef Bass]

Several suggestions:

You may be too close for the minimum focus distance of the lens. Every lens has a mininum distance it needs to be from the subject before it can focus. If you're having trouble focusing try taking a step or two back from the tank.

Shoot straight through the glass. Shooting at an angle introduces distortion. The thicker the glass the worse it gets off angle.

And as you've deduced, hand holding with too slow a shutterspeed can blur the image. A (stable) tripod helps there tremendously. Also use a remote shutter release or even the self timer to avoid blur caused by jiggling the camera when pushing the shutter release button.

 

[jdaniels175]

1. tripod
2. light
3. macro mode if your camera has it, or suitable marco lens if DSLR. This is assuming you are talking about getting those really nice pictures where the coral fills the whole frame.
4. Turn off pumps and wait a few mins for 'stuff' to settle.
5. Digital zoom is usually crap.
6. Take advice from above. there is a minimum distance you can be for all lenses. For some it is inches, for some feet. My wife is a big violator of this when using our DSLR. "no hun, you can't get 2" from that flower with the 24-70 lens...."

 

[frankyrivera]

Macro lens tripod shutter release pumps off

 

[Wally.B]

(Thanks for Tips)....Getting Much Better!!!

(Thanks for Tips)....Getting Much Better!!!

Thanks Everyone.

With all your tips, without any new gear, managed to get some much better close ups of my corals.

Still have to work on lighting, at least they are FOCUSED!

These are not full resolution, but even at lower res., for me just the clarity I need to track the health up my corals, daily, weekly...etc

Even Managed to get a good Actnic Night shot, which I couldn't get before.

 

[jdaniels175]

nice work. consider using a larger f stop (higher number). it will give a greater depth of field (how much of the picture is in focus, front to back) It gives a greater margin of error for focusing, especially on objects like the frogspawn or the SPS that have some depth front to back.