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Thread: Type of camera?

  1. #1
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    Type of camera?

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    Hi allz i suppose all you guys use digital cameras to take your pics, so can i just have an enquiry how good must the camera be for decent shoots? 3.2 megapixels at least? Then how about zoom? Is there any good recommended cameras? Cos i thinking of buying one also. Thanks.
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    Me more into traditional photography rather then digital format.

    Think in your case, you should be looking out for the Macro function more then the Megapixels. Macro allows you to take really close shots.

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    Dakkon,

    Its all about the lens and the marco if you wanna take close ups.

    The mega pixel only affects final quality when printing.
    Think you it this way, if your lens is crappy, you can have a large format picture that looks crappy.

    If your lens is good, you can have a smaller format picture that looks fantastic.

    Of course, skill comes into play too.

    Robin
    i always fighting algae but still got more

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    if you wish to take decent fish pictures, and assuming you get a digital, get one that allows you control over the basics : apeture, shutter speed, and ISO (for ISO, only digital allows you to change it at will).

    I take both film and digital. Nowadays i will not take digital unless i really need to. But digital does provides much more advantages here to anyone interested to take pictures of their fish.

    (i) with film, one tends to make a lot of calculations and judgement based on the light condition. IN a fish tank, it can be tricky especially when the fish are moving and light coming off them change. Digital offers the advantage of preview. You can just set the camera to manual mode and choose a reasonable apeture which your light condition allows. (more about low light situations later) set a shutter speed according to what the camera recommends. Try some shots and carry on and adjust the shutter speed accordingly from there.

    (ii) i prefer to use manual focus (if the camera allows). i tend to prefocus at a distance and take pictures when the fish comes into view. THis is actually necessary in low light conditions where the camera spends too much time hunting for the focal point.

    (iii) macro function is useful most of the time. it allows you to focus on objects that are close.

    (iv) external flash : many people get the perception that flash always produce pictures that are unnatural. It is not always the case. especially if the flash is used correctly. they can produce bright and natural looking pictures. To attach the flash you need something called a "hotshoe" on the camera.

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    Wow! Thats alot to learn for a newbie or a person that is comfortable with a point and shoot camera.

    Is it possible to take a decent photo with an idiot proof digital camera? None of these idiot proof cameras have hot-shoes for external flash, will an external slave flash help? Some models do have macro lense, but of course not as good as the SLR ones.

    I find focusing very difficult for digital. I am of course, using an idiot proof one, Cannon A70. Being the idiot that I am.

    I suppose at low light, with the shutter speed slower, a tri-pod is necessary to reduce any camera (hand) shake.

    The picture below was taken with Canon S40 without tri-pod nor flash. Naturally with my shaky hands, the results looks a little blurred


    This new category in this excellent forum is a fantastic idea. Well done, AQ!

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    On 9/15/2003 11:05:50 AM

    Is it possible to take a decent photo with an idiot proof digital camera? None of these idiot proof cameras have hot-shoes for external flash, will an external slave flash help? Some models do have macro lense, but of course not as good as the SLR ones.

    I suppose at low light, with the shutter speed slower, a tri-pod is necessary to reduce any camera (hand) shake.
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    Yes, it is always better and preferable to use tripod to minimise handshake if you can.

    Yes, you can take a decent photo out of an idiot proof digital camera if your idea is to share with friends and AQ about your aquarium. However, it also depends on what you want the photos for. Such consideration for your final product is important to help you decide.

    There're many advantages of going digital, but there're also disadvantages of it. Digital are very versatile, in short, but image quality yet to come close to film type yet, though it might be a matter of time.

    The deciding factor to use film instead is:
    1) If professional quality printing are needed. That, using slide film is the best with the richest color reproduction and resolution. Many photo stock houses and quality publishing requires slide film. However, slide film are only meant for the technically proficient one.
    2) If those aqua competition requires that. Just to side track, at the moment now, those international professional photography are still using slide as a requirement and criteria for judging photographic skills for distinguished titleship.

    IMO, it's really no point loading yourself with extravagant professional equipments if your final product are only for the web to share. There're still creative ways to get around several limitations if you don't own those professional equipment.

    Darkkon, 3.2 MP is more than enough for photos on net, and a small size print. However, whether the functions statisfy your requirement is another story.

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    Basics of photography is very straightforward. You can look up the internet under "photography basics". Understand how the apeture and shutter work together. It will help you go a long way and i hardly see it as something extra, or no-need-lah kind of thing. THe hour or so that you spend reading up a bit can really make a difference.


    No need “professional equipment”.
    the functions are more important than the eventual "quality" here.
    using a 2MP with full control is much better than a fully automatic 4MP.

    for someone not so concerned abt taking pictures, digital will yield much better results eventually.

    and one another useful thing about digital is that there is such a thing as "white balance". it is very useful in the case of certain lighting conditions.

    even though aquarium lights supposedly have the same colour temperature as sunlight, they are still not exactly so. To cut it short, if you use film (and yes slides included) that do not have any colour compensation, you may have greenish colour casts under flourescent type of lighting. Digital allows you some control over colour balance so make full use of it since it is already there.

    If you cannot have full control over the basic workings, at least have a camera that allows you to control the ISO. It is still achievable with some tries. Many mid-range compact digitals have it too.

    regarding tripod, it depends on what you take. WIth stationary objects you can use that. But if you are taking moving fish, at such a close range, the fish moves in and out of focus very fast. (it is not so obvious for faraway objects) It will be needed to hand hold unless your fish is staying still and waiting for you to take its picture.

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    On 9/15/2003 3:18:19 PM

    and one another useful thing about digital is that there is such a thing as "white balance". it is very useful in the case of certain lighting conditions.
    even though aquarium lights supposedly have the same colour temperature as sunlight, they are still not exactly so. To cut it short, if you use film (and yes slides included) that do not have any colour compensation, you may have greenish colour casts under flourescent type of lighting. Digital allows you some control over colour balance so make full use of it since it is already there.

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    Just a side note. Usually, for film, filter(s) like FLW corrector filter is used to correct the color cast from lightings. For digital, nature aquarium has little color shift, so not required to get those camera with such color balance function. A slight color correction from image editing software will do the job.

  9. #9
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    did not bring up the filter because this is addressed to anyone with a camera. this is a fish forum afterall.

    about white balance, the vast majority of digital cameras have it. so might as well use it

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