Nuclear Green palythoa

[phyto4life]

First pic ever taken as a close up.

nuclear green palythoa's.

http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq303/clintos08/Picture370-1.jpg


canon rebel xs, tripod and 50mm lens/extension tube.

[sphelps]

The palys are out of your DOF, try using manual focus to center your focus better. And use a timer or remote to trigger the shutter.

[TheDoctor]

The palys are out of your DOF, try using manual focus to center your focus better. And use a timer or remote to trigger the shutter.

I agree. You could hit the shutter manually though, I don't think a remote is an absolute must.

[sphelps]

I agree. You could hit the shutter manually though, I don't think a remote is an absolute must.
It is if you're shooting 1/4 second like he did. Unless your tripod is rock solid pushing the shutter is enough to cause motion blur at that speed. You can use the timer function if you don't have a remote, set it to like 5 sec and you'll be good.

[TheDoctor]

It is if you're shooting 1/4 second like he did. Unless your tripod is rock solid pushing the shutter is enough to cause motion blur at that speed. You can use the timer function if you don't have a remote, set it to like 5 sec and you'll be good.

Aah Touche, I'm just speaking from own experience. Then again, I have wicked steady ninja hands. :P jk

[sphelps]

Aah Touche, I'm just speaking from own experience. Then again, I have wicked steady ninja hands. :P jk

Got some shoots you'd like to share? I wish I had ninja hands.

[phyto4life]

I think I was using a low mm extension and the coral rock was about 6" from the glass along with the lens against the glass.

probably around 1/4 shutter speed

no remote that time, but I do own one.

will mirror lock up help under these condition's?

I'm still learning about depth of feild, aperture etc.

[sphelps]

Yes mirror lock up will also be beneficial but at that speed not a huge issue provided your tripod is half decent. Use the remote and manual focus and see if you can take the same shot and get better results. Keep posting new pics here as you go and we'll turn you into a pro in no time!

[phyto4life]

Yes mirror lock up will also be beneficial but at that speed not a huge issue provided your tripod is half decent. Use the remote and manual focus and see if you can take the same shot and get better results. Keep posting new pics here as you go and we'll turn you into a pro in no time!

I appreciate it.

Do you think that a lower shutter speed will give me a better pic? say around 1 second plus? what would be the max shutter speed with pumps off?

and if so, @ what shutter speed would I use mirror lock up?

I shot in manual now, what do you mean by manual focus is it the focusing part at the end of the lens? then you might be right I might of over looked it when seting up everything on the camera at that time.

[TheDoctor]

Can you play with your ISO settings? It will help with your shutter speed a bit. You can open up your f stop too to let more light in. But then your DOF will change again.

[phyto4life]

I think at that time it was around 1.8 F

Do you know if the eos utility is compatible with windows 7 laptop?

I was hoping to use live shot/remote shooting!

[TheDoctor]

I think at that time it was around 1.8 F

okay, and your ISO setting? It might get really grainy though. Do you have noise reduction setting on your camera?

[sphelps]

I wouldn't decrease your shutter speed just yet, you got decent exposure there with ISO 80 and F8.0 at 1/4second. Going slower will only let you decrease (higher f number) your aperture from F8 which will give you more DOF but I would see what you get with proper focus first. I've shot over 1 second exposures before without the need for mirror lock up so I wouldn't bother with it until you believe it's actually causing an issue but if you want to try go nuts, won't do any harm.

You can shoot manual exposure but it might be easier to shoot in aperture priority (Av), start at F8 and adjust your exposure +/- to get a shutter speed that gives good exposure. This is similar to manual but sometimes a little easier.

When I say manual focus this is different from manual exposure. I see now that you're using a Canon PowerShot A590 IS so not sure manual focus is an option. But if it is, it's manual way of setting the focus point which is normally done automatically when you push the shutter button half way down.

Also set you white balance WB to custom and set it to your tank color by setting it while focused on something white/grey (sand usually works).

[TheDoctor]

I wouldn't decrease your shutter speed just yet, you got decent exposure there with ISO 80 and F8.0 at 1/4second. Going slower will only let you decrease (higher f number) your aperture from F8 which will give you more DOF but I would see what you get with proper focus first. I've shot over 1 second exposures before without the need for mirror lock up so I wouldn't bother with it until you believe it's actually causing an issue but if you want to try go nuts, won't do any harm.

You can shoot manual exposure but it might be easier to shoot in aperture priority (Av), start at F8 and adjust your exposure +/- to get a shutter speed that gives good exposure. This is similar to manual but sometimes a little easier.

When I say manual focus this is different from manual exposure. I see now that you're using a Canon PowerShot A590 IS so not sure manual focus is an option. But if it is, it's manual way of setting the focus point which is normally done automatically when you push the shutter button half way down.

Also set you white balance WB to custom and set it to your tank color by setting it while focused on something white/grey (sand usually works).

What he said

[sphelps]

okay, and your ISO setting? It might get really grainy though. Do you have noise reduction setting on your camera?

He shot at F8, ISO80 and 1/4s

[TheDoctor]

He shot at F8, ISO80 and 1/4s

Oh okay I didn't see that.

[sphelps]

Oh okay I didn't see that.

That's cause he didn't post it, you're not the only one with ninja skills. :mrgreen:

[sphelps]

You can use manual focus BTW, page 97 of your manual:
http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/6/0400000016/01/PSA590IS_CUG_EN.pdf

Give her a go!

[TheDoctor]

That's cause he didn't post it, you're not the only one with ninja skills. :mrgreen:

hahaha nice ;) nice to meet a clan member lol

[phyto4life]

not the Canon PowerShot A590

the canon rebel xs eos 1000D

I'm using this lens and extension tubes:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=148797

[sphelps]

Strange your exif data says powershot, hmm. Anyways that's a way better camera so it'll be much easier to setup manual focus, probably just a switch next to the lens and you just turn the focus ring on the lens.

[Blom]

Do the extension tubes make that much of a difference. I was looking into a macro lens but had an employee from Mcbain tell me that I could achieve similar effects with a tube.

Sorry for the thread hijack

[sphelps]

Do the extension tubes make that much of a difference. I was looking into a macro lens but had an employee from Mcbain tell me that I could achieve similar effects with a tube.

Sorry for the thread hijack

Tubes just decrease your min focus distance so they will add magnification but only if you can get closer to the subject. You also should still use a prime lens for good results. Personally don't think an extension tube can replace a macro lens.

[Blom]

Tubes just decrease your min focus distance so they will add magnification but only if you can get closer to the subject. You also should still use a prime lens for good results. Personally don't think an extension tube can replace a macro lens.

Perfect thanks for the info

[phyto4life]

Strange your exif data says powershot, hmm. Anyways that's a way better camera so it'll be much easier to setup manual focus, probably just a switch next to the lens and you just turn the focus ring on the lens.

I do own that camera and upload images on this computer, it could of been a mix up. How do you find the exif?

Is there away to have the raw photo show up on this forum?free?

Right now I am using the free photo bucket and convert the raw to jpeg.


Custom white balance: I went to the dollar store and brought a piece of white computer paper with me to match up against a plastic bowl, will this work if I were to put it in the aquarium set custom white balance?

http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq303/clintos08/IMG_0503.jpg

http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq303/clintos08/IMG_0455.jpg

http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq303/clintos08/IMG_0493.jpg

http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq303/clintos08/IMG_0496.jpg

3rd pic kind of turned out.

whats that white circle in the middle? dirty lens or sensor?

[sphelps]

The only real difference between those four photos is that you got your focus point right on the third one, the other three just aren't in focus so you just need some practice with manual focus. I also noticed you changed your aperture to F22, which I don't think you needed to do, your DOF will probably be fine at F8 or so for those pics. While F22 will give you more DOF you also increase your shutter speed which can make it harder to get a sharp picture so until you master your focusing try and speed up your shots. Once you master that and feel you could use some more DOF then decrease your aperture (higher number).

Your WB is still off a bit, I would try using the sand or zoom into a grey piece of rock before resulting to other methods. This usually works for me just fine.

Also unless you have a program like photoshop that allows you to edit and process raw files don't shoot in raw. It's not helping. If you want email (83phelps@gmail.com) me your raw file for #3 and I can give you an idea what post processing can do for you. For now shoot in jpeg.

So keep up the good work, continue to practice shooting in manual focus and work on getting your subject perfectly focused. Also make sure your viewfinder is adjusted properly for your eye sight, sometimes this causes problems, see your manual for details. Also always be sure to position your lens perpendicular to the glass.

[sphelps]

Oh and that spot does look like it could be related to your sensor, probably needs cleaning.

[phyto4life]

I just moved. so in a few week's hopefully I'll be taking shots of my new tank.

thanks for the advice, i'm going to look into on how to clean my sensor and seting up custom whitebalance for my next shot, along with trying to focus better.

[Lampshade]

A probelem with the focus could be if you're using the camera's "beep" for focus, and that will be wrong when using tubes. At least it is on my camera. My camera defaults to infinity focus as soon as a lense is connected using an adapter.

[phyto4life]

I brought my camera in and there is no problem with a dirty sensor but a permenent problem with the sensor. stuck or dead pixel's, so I played around with photoshop and it seems that I can get away with it by bluring the image and adding noise to a small area to make it look decent in photo shop.

not sure how this will effect the pic if I choose to develope it?


either way I will just use this camera to learn from before buying another if I do.

in the next few day's I will post some pic's.

finaly I am settled down in my new place to take pics


I got a free photoshop when I took my computer in to get cleaned, but now I am learning to use windows 7, firefox etc so things are a little different, just learning this. i'm switching from internet explorer,xp, oldschool.

[phyto4life]

A probelem with the focus could be if you're using the camera's "beep" for focus, and that will be wrong when using tubes. At least it is on my camera. My camera defaults to infinity focus as soon as a lense is connected using an adapter.


What do you mean by "beep's"

[TimT]

A cheap trick for getting rid of camera shake on longer shutter speeds is to use the self timer, or you can take it through EOS Utility.

Eos Utility works under Windows 7 64bit for the live view and camera control. Lightroom is much better for shooting tethered though ;).

Cheers,
Tim

[phyto4life]

Subject: pink recordia yuma

Working with:

canon eos rebel xs 1000d, lens 18-55mm, 50 mm nifty fifty, and the kenko extension tubes 12mm, 20mm, 36mm.

Not sure where to start regarding size of tubes and lens?

I have a tripod and computer live remote shooting with a laptop. but I also have a wired hand held shutter button, if needed?

My subject is approx 2" from the front glass in the middle of the tank under 6 t5 h.o and I can get my camera right against the glass.

Should I shoot in the dark with tank lit?

I'll be turning the pump's off. besides the very low flow lift pump, in the back.


Where should I start with shutter speed to maximize detail in the pic?

subject is at the same angle as the front glass.

And I want to maximize the subject so she fill's the frame, where should I start with the aperture?

what len's and what extension tube/tube's?

mirror lock up?

[phyto4life]

I see that some people put a black background. can this be done through photo shop convincingly? or is it better to use black acrylic/plexiglass before taken the image?

[sphelps]

Use tripod and some kind of remote, either the laptop or the wired remote, which ever.

I would use the 50mm, not sure which extension tube combination will give best results but I would try a few combinations until you get the subject within the the full frame and still have some focus tolerance on both sides.

I would use aperture priority mode starting at about f16, shutter speed will be determined automatically but if you find the shoots over or under exposed simply adjust your exposure +/- setting accordingly. Remember aperture controls DOF and ultimately how much of the subject will be in focus, shutter speed doesn't really control anything related to detail provided everything remains perfectly still.

Manual focus as previously discussed, focus on the center point of DOF on the subject to maximize overall DOF. Mirror up could be a good idea, but again but if your tripod is decent you shouldn't need it. Mirror up may be automatically selected if you're using a laptop with a live preview.

Remember to set the WB, minimize ISO, and shut off all tank movement and room lights.

For blacking out the background experiment with smaller apertures (remember that means higher f number) and longer exposures. You may notice that the background becomes darker but it's pretty hard to completely black it out with the camera only so you'll have to finish it off in photoshop.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a174/sphelps/new%20tank/AUG%2015%202008/Tort.jpg

You can do it completely manually as well using photoshop by making multiple layers and using the quick selection tool.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a174/sphelps/new%20tank/Lionfish1.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a174/sphelps/new%20tank/Lionfish.jpg

[phyto4life]

thanks

I get a little confused with aperture, because I thought that if I wanted to have 90% of the yuma fill the image that I would need the aperture wide open(low f#) to have the entire shroom in focus?


The first pic of the sps is exactly the effect I am trying to get with my yuma, except with the subject centered and filling approx 80-90% of the shot, leaving just the background black.


I'm going to take the shot tomorrow. does it matter if I am in the sunlight/artificial light or in the dark?

regarding exif, is their I can see the exif of another person's picture?


I found this info about exif, but I am not sure if I should download it? does it come with photshop or my camera's cd?
http://www.takenet.or.jp/~ryuuji/minisoft/exifread/english/