New Camera Shots

[Second Hand Pat]

The camera came today. It is a Nikon D7000 and I charged the battery, attached the lens and played.

Gypsy, my little dumpster dog.

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/DSC_0001.jpg

Random Tefe Adults

Mom
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/DSC_0009.jpg

Batch A and B dads
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/DSC_0011.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/DSC_0013.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/DSC_0014.jpg

[Eddie]

Nice shots Pat!

[Second Hand Pat]

F1 Cuipeua sub-adult

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/DSC_0019.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/DSC_0022.jpg

Curua adult, this fish is that red. This was suppose to be my show fish at the NADA 2012 show

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/DSC_0021.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/DSC_0027.jpg

[Second Hand Pat]

Tefe RSG sub-adults

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/DSC_0033.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/DSC_0036.jpg

Tefe RSG. Third place winner in the Wild Class at the NADA 2012 Show
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/DSC_0038.jpg

[Second Hand Pat]

Batch A F1 Tefe Juvies

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/DSC_0028.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/DSC_0032.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/DSC_0042.jpg

[papyol]

Very nice....:D

[Second Hand Pat]

Nice shots Pat!

Thanks Eddie, these shot were to really play with the camera under differing lighting situations. I love this camera. Think what I can do if I am really trying lol. :D

[Dogvet06]

Beautiful ;)

[Second Hand Pat]

Beautiful ;)

Jaimie, not too bad for a total DSLR newbie? :D

[Second Hand Pat]

Beautiful ;)

Jaimie, not too bad for a total DSLR newbie? :D

[Oscarsx]

Excellent shots, with practice you'll end up making masterpieces hehe
^_^

- oz

[Dogvet06]

Yup dslr look scary but once u get ur hands on one u will never want n e thing less ;). If u get a light source they will look even sharper like ur pups pic. What ISO is the camera set on?

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Great shots Pat. Already a pro.

Playing around with different lighting, can you elaborate a bit what you were doing and how close to the tank did you actually get?

[johnnathan]

Very Nice Shots:thumbsup::thumbsup:

[Second Hand Pat]

Jeff, I actually was fairly close, 12 to 15 inches away. This lens has no zoom and I have already learned how to not catch the flash in the glass. Also the reviews on this lens (and camera) mention both do well in low light situations

In the adult Tefe tank the room light is natural light and this tank does have a LED light which was on. Both light source cast the fish with a warm cast which the camera caught nicely.

In my little fishroom the only light source is a couple of overhead lights which contain those funky florescent lights and this is where the Tefe RSD sub-adult are and the F1 Tefe juvies are. These tanks do not have tank light so only the camera flash was used.

The F1 Cuipeua tank is in the foyer and it has natural light and a overhead but again the camera flash was the primary light source.

[Eddie]

Great pictures! I really like that first fish and the last RSG youngin.

[Chicago Discus]

Pat they look great love the photos......Josie

[Second Hand Pat]

Very Nice Shots:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Thanks John :D

[Second Hand Pat]

Great pictures! I really like that first fish and the last RSG youngin.

Eddie, the first fish in which post? I know which RSG youngin, that is the most colorful of Batch A.

[Second Hand Pat]

Pat they look great love the photos......Josie

Thanks Josie. Still have to check out the video part :)

[Eddie]

Eddie, the first fish in which post? I know which RSG youngin, that is the most colorful of Batch A.

Post #3, the sub adult

[Second Hand Pat]

Eddie, that is turning into one nice fish. It is one of the F1 Cuipeua's from Mark. It is a little fire cracker too, pushes everyone around. Another 6-8 months until it is mature.

[ZX10R]

Nice Pat that Curua is amazing

[Discus-n00b]

Excellent Pat, you are already doing a great job with the camera you can tell a big difference already. I'm jealous of your Curua, if that fish ever doesn't fit your plans and you need to re-home it....just give me a shout. ;) LOL

[Second Hand Pat]

Nice Pat that Curua is amazing

Thanks Sean, it is one seriously red fish and it keeps getting redder.

[Second Hand Pat]

Excellent Pat, you are already doing a great job with the camera you can tell a big difference already. I'm jealous of your Curua, if that fish ever doesn't fit your plans and you need to re-home it....just give me a shout. ;) LOL

Matt, I love this camera and pretty sure I have barely touched it's capabilities yet. If that red fish needs a home I will holler. ;)

[pcsb23]

Having fun I see :)

[Second Hand Pat]

Having fun I see :)

It is a start Paul and yes I was. :)

[DiscusLoverJeff]

This lens has no zoom and I have already learned how to not catch the flash in the glass.

How did you re-direct the flash? I have been playing around with just putting my fingers in front of the flash to avoid it hitting the glass. I am looking into a speedlight that has the adjustable head to angle it up as apposed to it directly on the glass. And as mentioned by many of putting the flash on top of the tank.

Great job and keep the pictures coming!

[Second Hand Pat]

Jeff, you take the picture at an angle to the fish.

[Dogvet06]

i have a speed light on the way...i cant wait for it to come in :) using my studio lights currently for my good shots and they are a bit cumbersome. Pat you are going to be occupied for a while with that camera...they are hard to put down ;)

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Oh, I have done that before I was trying to get directly infront of my fish in my breeder tanks and they never sit still enough to get the angle shot when I am close so I use by big lense so I can be farther away, but then I can't get the right angle so I just shoot stright ahead.

Will try it that way when I get my new lens.

[DiscusLoverJeff]

i have a speed light on the way...i cant wait for it to come in :) using my studio lights currently for my good shots and they are a bit cumbersome. Pat you are going to be occupied for a while with that camera...they are hard to put down ;)

What type of speedlight Jaimie?

And they are hard to put down thats why I got a 32gig card and a 64gig coming soon so I can do more HD video with my camera as well. And HD video uses more drive space for sure.

[Second Hand Pat]

Jaimie, thinking X-mas for that. Should bring the picture taking to a whole new level.

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Pat,

I found this old thread but a reliable thread regarding speed lights for Nikon. Some good tips and info. I plan on getting the SB600 I think over the SB700 as some of the features will not directly work with the D3100 as the thread talks about.

Hope this is helpful to all.

http://nikonites.com/flashes/2389-planning-buy-speedlight-my-nikon-d3100.html

[Dogvet06]

i got this speedlight (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005KQ2NP4/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00) which according to reviews its pretty comparable to the canon 580ex but way cheaper. i figure im not using it for weddings and such so it should do. and i bought a pixel king wireless flash trigger and a gay fong light sphere diffuser. i had some chase rewards from my bank card and credit card that i could use at amazon so all of this was only 25$ for me ;)

[shoveltrash]

Nice Pat that Curua is amazing+1!!!
all of your photos are fantastic!
but most of all, I love Gypsy :) :) :)

[BobDaniel]

Pat, I used to use a flash unit that was connected to the camera with a cable. I put the flash on some eggcrate above the tank and when I took a photo I would generally be pleased as the light from above makes the light look natural.

[Second Hand Pat]

+1!!!
all of your photos are fantastic!
but most of all, I love Gypsy :) :) :)

Trish, Gypsy was dumped in my front pasture two years ago. She was a scared, skinny little mommy dog who was nursing a kitten when I found her. Today she is happy relaxed fun little dog who has adopted me as her human. She has come a long way.

[Second Hand Pat]

Pat, I used to use a flash unit that was connected to the camera with a cable. I put the flash on some eggcrate above the tank and when I took a photo I would generally be pleased as the light from above makes the light look natural.

Bob, that is my plan in time. :o

[shoveltrash]

she was nursing a kitten??? amazing!

if I remember correctly, I believe that Matt (discusnoob here) uses flash mounted on top of the tank.....

[Second Hand Pat]

It was the weirdest thing with the kitten. The kitten and another cat were dumped with Gypsy. The older cat is my barn cat Blaze.

Matt does. I watched him and actually helped to move fish alittle for a better picture at the NADA show.

[Dogvet06]

Well Pat im waiting for more pics...i know you took more!

[Second Hand Pat]

Not tonight Jaimie, Tomorrow I will take some of the Cuipeua adults. Those are very nice.

[Trier20]

Great pics! Makes me jealous! I really want to get back into the photo hobby

[Dogvet06]

i get my flash tonight...im almost as excited as when i get fish :)

[Second Hand Pat]

Jaimie, I want to see pictures on how you do this and of course pictures of your fish with the new flash.

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Me Tooooo!!!

Ordering my lens and flash this weekend.

Pat have you used the ISO setting and Shutter speed? Would like to know the best possible settings for aquarium shots.

I was told a fast shutter speed and ISO of 800 or higher.

[Second Hand Pat]

Well Jeff, I have used the camera all of 45 mins or so all on auto. I have not even cracked to book on the camera. Paul suggested learning one thing at a time but one time I could do is see what the properties are saved with the pictures. The ISO setting and Shutter speed could well be recorded.

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Here is a link I read a couple months ago when I got my camera. It gives the basic information somewhat like a "Dummies" book would give but in a shorter version. I know we have many camera pro's here in the forum (Matt for example) who might want to start a thread on aquarium photography. I find that if we all have beautiful fish up close and personal, it would be nice to get the best possible pictures to show the rest of the forum.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/digi_cam_basics_pt1.php

Good luck learning Pat as I am learning right along with you.

[Dogvet06]

iso is the film speed even though it isnt real film.... so the higher the ISO the grainier the image. i like to go as low as i can on ISO for that reason. this shows all my setting on this picture http://www.pbase.com/ladymontava/image/146700792&exif=Y as you can see i had an ISO of 100. If you click original size you can see the image at 100% and see all the detail. I will fish out an image with higher iso to show you.
The shutter speed you do want this to be pretty quick if the fish is moving otherwise you get a blur. The more light you have the faster you can make the shutter and the lower you can make the ISO. Which is why in Matt's video, he says the light is the most important part of a good picture.
i dont know if this makes sense or not...ive been taking pictures as a hobby for 10 years. My husband has been a photographer for 6 months and could probably explain better lol.

[pcsb23]

Me Tooooo!!!

Ordering my lens and flash this weekend. what you getting?




Pat have you used the ISO setting and Shutter speed? Would like to know the best possible settings for aquarium shots.

I was told a fast shutter speed and ISO of 800 or higher.The real key to aquarium photography is light and more light! Sadly there is no one setting that will work for all cameras as each make and model responds differently. A lot also depends on how good you are at post processing too. I posted some shots in Pats DSLR Camera recommendations thread that were taken @ 4,000 iso (without flash btw) but I have a little experience at handling noise in PP ... also depends on whether you shoot raw or jpeg too.

If I get time I will put a pic up of how I use flash as it may help some.

[Dogvet06]

ok this is a picture http://www.pbase.com/ladymontava/image/28900787 I took with my first dslr. It did not perform as well at higher ISO...my newer camera this image would still look as sharp as the fish. This is at ISO 400 with the same lens as the fish. But it is still my favorite picture I ever took :)

and here is ISO 800 with poor lighting with my current camera http://www.pbase.com/ladymontava/image/146464909 if you look at the background you can see the graininess. but zoomed out to medium size http://www.pbase.com/ladymontava/image/146464909/medium it looks pretty clear. So basically for zooming and cropping you want to go as low on ISO as possible but sometimes you are limited by how quickly moving or the amount of light you have.

[pcsb23]

Loving the tree frog Jamie :)

[Dogvet06]

Loving the tree frog Jamie :)
thanks!

[Second Hand Pat]

Thanks Jaimie, I actually do get the relationship between shutter speed, the amount of light, ISO etc at a high level. I do need to sit down, read and play with the camera.

That would be awesome Paul :) What app do you use for PP.

[Second Hand Pat]

That tree frog is a really cool picture Jaimie.

[Dogvet06]

That tree frog is a really cool picture Jaimie.
thanks :) sorry to hijack your pretty pics

[Second Hand Pat]

You guys post away. This is a learning experience for me and I am soaking up the info.

[Second Hand Pat]

Oh Paul, still would love to have a recommendation on a wide angle/zoom lens for the D7000 :)

[DiscusLoverJeff]

what you getting?




New lens will be this

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001S2PPT0/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_2

or this

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005C50H2Y/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=AHANP7RK1NKEU

Not sure which one yet.

Then the speedlight will be

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-SB-600-Speedlight-Digital-Cameras/dp/B0002EMY9Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350672514&sr=8-1&keywords=sb600+nikon+flash

Some good used ones there for sale too.

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Thank you Pat for letting us ride on your thread instead of starting a new one.

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Oh Paul, still would love to have a recommendation on a wide angle/zoom lens for the D7000 :)

This was a lens that was recommended to me

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-10-24mm-3-5-4-5G-Wide-Angle-Digital/dp/B0026FCKC8

[Dogvet06]

New lens will be this

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001S2PPT0/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_2

or this

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005C50H2Y/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=AHANP7RK1NKEU

Not sure which one yet.

Then the speedlight will be

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-SB-600-Speedlight-Digital-Cameras/dp/B0002EMY9Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350672514&sr=8-1&keywords=sb600+nikon+flash

Some good used ones there for sale too.
between those two lenses go with the 35mm b/c the aperture is smaller number better in low light

[Second Hand Pat]

No problem Jeff, why are speedlight so pricy. Isn't it just a wireless activated flash? and you still have to buy the diffuser :(

[DiscusLoverJeff]

The real key to aquarium photography is light and more light! Sadly there is no one setting that will work for all cameras as each make and model responds differently. A lot also depends on how good you are at post processing too. I posted some shots in Pats DSLR Camera recommendations thread that were taken @ 4,000 iso (without flash btw) but I have a little experience at handling noise in PP ... also depends on whether you shoot raw or jpeg too.

If I get time I will put a pic up of how I use flash as it may help some.

Thanks Paul as I am sure it will benefit us all who want to get deeper into photography our prize discus (maybe only prizes to us).

[Dogvet06]

i will let you know if my japanese flash is any good..they make a "nikon" model too if i needed a flash for weddings and such i would get a nice one but just for the fish i think it will work just fine

[Second Hand Pat]

between those two lenses go with the 35mm b/c the aperture is smaller number better in low light

Agreed, that is the lens Paul recommended and the one I bought. :)

[DiscusLoverJeff]

No problem Jeff, why are speedlight so pricy. Isn't it just a wireless activated flash? and you still have to buy the diffuser :(

I know what you mean but the diffusers are only (lol) $35.00 or so. Then you can say you have the whole package I guess.

No one ever said photography was cheap. Hmm, where have I heard that from; keeping discus???? Lol

[Dogvet06]

Pat this site is good for reviews on lenses and there is a forum too for each camera http://www.dpreview.com/

[pcsb23]

My photography mentor, really nice guy called Bernard, once told me the best lens is the one you have ;)

Jeff, the 35mm f1.8 is a gem, I've just done some pics on how I use flash - a speedlight 600 btw - and this is the lens used. I am just about to download and process them then I'll post up. I would find the 40mm to tight for proper macro work so if you need a macro lens consider at least a 60mm, either nikon or Tamron - I use a 100mm for macro work as it gives much better working room. For general photography the 35mm f1.8 just cannot be beat imo/e.

As for wide angle zoom, the nikkor 10-24mm is good. A lot depends on intended usage, using wide angle lenses takes some practice! I am getting a new wide angle lens soon and initially I had narrowed the search down to 4 ... one os the lens above, the others were the Tokina 12-24mm (either mk1 or 2), the Tokina 11-16mm (again mk1 or 2) or the nikkor 12-24mm F4. They are all excellent lenses and for my main use (landscapes) there isn't much in it between any once you get to f8. I have narrowed it down to 2 now though, it will be either Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 (mk1 omk2) or the Nikkor 12-24mm f4, I am just deciding of the extra stop in light is needed or the extra reach. The 1mm difference in the wide end isn't a factor for me, though it is for some. If you need ultra wide then the Sigma 8-16mm may be worth a look, but I am no longer a fan of Sigma lenses a there is far too much sample variation.

Anyway, down to some PP and hopefully I got some keepers :)

[pcsb23]

Hope you are ready for this ... bit quick and dirty I would normally take a little more time setting things up, but it demonstrates one way I use flash. Nowadays I mainly try and use other forms of lighting, but sometimes flash is good.

The basic list of things you need are:

DSLR or other suitable camera
Flash gun / speed light
Remote cable (ideally remote wireless trigger)
Egg crate
Cable ties
Length of white guttering
Optional supports


My kit used here was a Nikon D7000 with 35mm Nikkor f1.8 DX lens (as that is what Pat has & Jeff may be getting ;)) and a Nikon SB600 speed light. All photos were shot in raw and were processed using Nikons free utility called ViewNX2. Apart from minor adjustments and cropping no serious surgery has been performed, pretty much quick and dirty but I think OK.

I have pushed the aquarium light to the back, we are normally after as much light as possible so if you vcan leave the light there do so.

This first pic shows the egg crate with the speed light securely cable tied on - make sure you can get to the on/off switch btw ;) Notice how the speedlight is pointing UP!!
http://www.burntgold.com/img/s2/v70/p1206348158.jpg

I have now positioned the guttering on the two supports over the speedlight, btw the eggcrate is there to stop the speedlight getting wet! It is important that there is some room between the flash head and the gutter, which acts as a reflector, too little and light gets lost, too much and light spills.
http://www.burntgold.com/img/s1/v57/p1206348166.jpg


The speed light is connected to the camera via the hot shoe and then powered on. For the following shot I have set f1.8 as the aperture and dialled in an iso of 400. Now being technical I missed the focus point and at this f stop there is little room for error - it is slightly out of focus. Also note how very little is in focus, this is again down to the shallow depth of field when using large apertures.
http://www.burntgold.com/img/s4/v64/p1206348198.jpg

For the next set of pics I have dialled in an aperture of f4, this is far more forgiving of slight focus error and the depth of field is much deeper with much more in focus. I find with the 35mm lens f4 to be around the sweet spot for this type of work.

btw I had to encourage the fish to model by dropping in a couple of Al's freeze dried black worms - bribery isn't dead yet !!

Note how even and relatively soft the light is and how it shows the fish in their true colours - on some you can see the scale definition.
http://www.burntgold.com/img/s2/v70/p1206348194.jpg
http://www.burntgold.com/img/s2/v71/p1206348222.jpg
http://www.burntgold.com/img/s4/v64/p1206348240.jpg
http://www.burntgold.com/img/s1/v57/p1206348266.jpg
http://www.burntgold.com/img/s1/v55/p1206348288.jpg

You may remember I pointed the flash UP, well here it is pointed down.... I've suspended it on two lamp boxes (for studio lights!) to stop it getting wet!
http://www.burntgold.com/img/s1/v57/p1206348310.jpg

It is much harder to get really good pics this way, the following has had a bit more surgery than the previous but as I only used ViewNX 2 I haven't pulled all the highlights back, something like lightroom or photoshop or maybe DxO would do better as would Capture NX. However you cane get some interesting effects using flash this way.
http://www.burntgold.com/img/s4/v64/p1206348346.jpg

Hope that is of some interest. Any questions and I'll try and answer them.

[Dogvet06]

only one pic showing

[pcsb23]

only one pic showingthey are all there - honest! ... may be being blocked by your browser or firewall ... or try hitting F5 a couple of times to force a refresh.

[Dogvet06]

interesting now none show..can anyone else see them?

[Second Hand Pat]

Paul, I pull one of your picture links out and got a

Status 503 Service Unavailable

[pcsb23]

Paul, I pull one of your picture links out and got a

Status 503 Service UnavailableYep, think I've over shot my limit ... working on a fix, give me 5

[Second Hand Pat]

OK, tried to go to my account on photobucket and received the same message.

[Dogvet06]

i see two pics now ;)

[Second Hand Pat]

There be pictures here :)

Thanks Paul for an awesome guide.

[pcsb23]

There be pictures here :)

Thanks Paul for an awesome guide.Yes, sorry 'bout that, seems photobucket threw a wobbly, never mind they are on my server now :)

[Dogvet06]

like the last shot effect..looks like an alien abduction ;)

[Second Hand Pat]

I want a speed light :(

[Dogvet06]

before i even got my studio lights i started off cheap with shop lights with ceramic sockets and ge photoflood 500w bulbs http://www.adorama.com/LMEBW.html
and it still produced great photos http://www.pbase.com/ladymontava/image/39475744
instead of a flash its constant light so it does get hot but it works!
this was the day i got one of my new studio lights now i have 2 http://www.pbase.com/ladymontava/image/74984269/large

[pcsb23]

I have one set of studio lights and will probably get another. They use low wattage but high output CF lamps @ 5400K - complete with softbox they are perfect for what I need and they don't get overly hot either. btw if I tried to put a crown or robe on either of my dogs I'd have a riot on my hands :D great pic though.

[Dogvet06]

Haha it was mardi gras!! I have a set of alien bees lights love them

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Paul,

Thanks for the awesome shots and great advice. Soon we can all shoot photos like a pro.

[Second Hand Pat]

These do not compare to Paul's picture but for me they are pretty darn good.

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/DSC_0069_zps0accc8ee.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/DSC_0067_zps6b1621f5.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/DSC_0065_zps36dac328.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/DSC_0064_zps6fe136fb.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/DSC_0062_zpsc0bf58f1.jpg

[Second Hand Pat]

Jeff, one of the F1 Cuipeua

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/DSC_0045_zps31c0d248.jpg

[Second Hand Pat]

For something a little difference

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/DSC_0060_zpsc4c81f92.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/DSC_0061_zpsa894fea7.jpg

[DiscusLoverJeff]

You are becoming quite the photographer.

I am glad you are learning your new camera. Now you can share your settings with the class, lol.

Getting quality like the shots with the flowers is nice. That lens is really working for you.

[Second Hand Pat]

Jeff, actually I look at it as learning the limits of using the camera in automatic mode. :) What I mean is I have not messed with the settings yet. One step at a time. I do think I have gotten some pretty cool shots. Thanks for that. :D