Nikon D60 Settings

[sfb911]

All,

I'm curious if anyone has had good results with a Nikon D60 and taking pictures of their tank? If so, what settings do you use? I've been messing around with ours (also have some macro filters) but I haven't had much luck with pictures that I really like. I figure, I could mess around with it for hours and hours or just ask! Also - I know one of the first things is to get a tripod, I've got that covered (On order).

Thanks,
Steve

 

[JohnK]

Your camera should certainly be capable of getting some nice pics. What do you have for lens(s)?

standard quick tips off the top of my head;
-Shoot straight through the glass, never at an angle
-turn off the flow in the tank
-Make sure the tank glass is really clean
-know the minimum focus distance of the lens you are using, don't try to shoot too close.
-turn the lights off in the room around the tank
-Use A priority and play with the F setting, this will let you adjust sharpness vs depth of field (someone correct me if "sharpness" is not the right term for this statement )
-Look into "white balance" adjustment if the colors always seem off.

Play around and have fun. Sooner or later Greg(Delta), or one of the more serious photograpy people will come along to give more in depth advice. Til then, try posting a couple of the best pics you are getting so far - then you will get some critique / advice on what to think about next.

 

[mchartier]

Also what are you running for lights?

I use a D7000, with my 18-105 f3 lens I shoot at 1/100 and f5.6 ISO 400, I have it saved as a User preset. I run a single 250w Radium for lighting.

 

[sfb911]

So, Thanks guys!

First off, everything is under Pacific Sun LED's (Metis Hyperion S2) with all channels at 100% (50% power) except for Orange/Red/Amber which are at 50%.

Rather than dump a buncha pictures in the forums, I created a new album on reef central with some shots I took tonight (Wtih ISO 400), the lens is 18-55mm (I have another lens but its for crazy long distances).

Below is the link to some photos I snapped tonight with an ISO of 400. These were taken without a tripod (It will be here on Monday) so maybe that will make the difference, but they just don't seem to pop the way I would expect. White Balance issue? Open to suggestions.

http://s417.photobucket.com/user/sfb911/library/Camera%20Tricks

(Please pardon the diatoms/hair algae...working on it)

 

[JohnK]

I'd try setting the white balance. LEDs can mess with cameras.

 

[delta]

ok lets talk photography not guess work digital cameras have built in meters

set you camera to manual mode
then go in and set you iso to 400
set your Aperture to f8 and you shutter speed to 1/125th and point it at the tank but only half press the shutter while pointing at what you want an image of.

now look inside the view finder and find the [- 0 +] it will have bars under it. this will tell you what your exposure is.
If it is towards the [-] then you are have less light if it is towards the [+] you have more light. At the [0] the camera is reading properly exposed.
In the camera's eyes perfect light. Not that easy but you have a solid point of reference now. In a reef tank I find 1/3 under(towards the minus) is about where I find
proper exposure. Just a note now the plus and minus might be reversed on your camera

If you are all the way over to the [+] you have too much light drop you iso to iso200 that is one stop of light meaning half the light. If it is all the way to the [-] you do not have enough light and you should set your iso to iso800. which in the opposite one stop more of light and double the light.

Once you get close then you can adjust you shutter speed. just remember though if you are hand held you should not set it lower than you lens focal length so at 50mm you can shoot at a shutter speed of 1/60th or faster.

A custom white balance may adjust color to where you like it but many time it will not. Also white balance is not the first thing you set as once you change exposure you have to reset a custom white balance for it to be correct.

This is half of how you check exposure on a digital camera, histograms are the other half once you click the shutter but put a pin in histograms for now. obviously this is the abridged version

Try that, if you have any questions post them here