Photography

[Chandra]

I'm looking to take photos and about my aquarium fishes. Any camera and less recommendations for beginners under budget?

I could use iPhone but clarity didn't seem to work for me. 

[WhitecloudDynasty]

I use a Samsung galaxy 9plus on pro mode, and manuel focus.

 

Edited August 23, 2020 by WhitecloudDynasty

[Robin]

I have an 8+. I'll have to try those settings. I've never been great with pics of my fish. I'd love to get something clear like what you posted. Thanks for the tip.

[Alesha]

2 hours ago, WhitecloudDynasty said:

I use a Samsung galaxy 9plus on pro mode, and manuel focus.

 

I'm going to have to try that.  I had NO idea what to do with the Pro Mode. But I'd love to get better pics of my fish.  Thanks for sharing! 

[MickS77]

Pro mode is the way to go. I'm using a Samsung Note 9. I still don't know what I'm doing. I adjust the settings until I like what I see. I think a quick shutter speed is key. Using manual focus is best. I find setting the focus once and waiting for the fish to swim into focus works better than constantly trying to adjust it. 

This is the clearest photo of a Rainbowfish fry that I've been able to get. You can easily see the full stomach of baby brine shrimp. 

Edited August 23, 2020 by MickS77

[Taylor Blake]

This is a shot I took with my iPhone 8+ of some of my fish. I am not a photographer by any means but I got a few that I like. It took me a hundred pictures to get one I liked but it is possible. 

[Robin]

1 hour ago, Taylor Blake said:

This is a shot I took with my iPhone 8+ of some of my fish. I am not a photographer by any means but I got a few that I like. It took me a hundred pictures to get one I liked but it is possible. 

Very  nice. Gives me hope I can figure it out. Did you use some kind of tripod?

[Taylor Blake]

@Robinnope just zoomed in and too the shot here are some that aren't as good in my opinion so I'm still figuring it out

[WhitecloudDynasty]

On 8/23/2020 at 10:09 PM, Taylor Blake said:

This is a shot I took with my iPhone 8+ of some of my fish. I am not a photographer by any means but I got a few that I like. It took me a hundred pictures to get one I liked but it is possible. 

Rainbow shiner?

[Taylor Blake]

 

4 hours ago, WhitecloudDynasty said:

Rainbow shiner?

Yup I have a school of about 20 young ones

[Ryan W]

On 8/13/2020 at 10:52 PM, Chandra said:

I'm looking to take photos and about my aquarium fishes. Any camera and less recommendations for beginners under budget?

I could use iPhone but clarity didn't seem to work for me. 

If you’re looking for a “real” camera, the Canon M50 with just the kit lens can be had for around $500 on the Internet. It’s a pretty solid starter interchangeable-lens camera for stills and the kit lens is great for learning and 1080p video. It also does 1080p video very well. A good add-on lens for the M50 would be the Canon EF 50mm 1.8 for around $100-$125. You would have to buy an additional EF-M to EF adapter that would run about $25. Another great option would be the Canon EF 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 is ii USM with the lens adapter mentioned above. That’s a $400-$500 lens though but it’s the best telephoto option for the M50 without getting into “L Series” lenses but if you can afford an “L Series” I’d suggest getting a better camera more suited for your budget. I would also get a CPL filter to fit the lens you use regardless of whatever camera/lens you end up getting. A CPL filter is a polarized lens attachment. Not only will it help with tank-glass glare and stray light, it will also enhance the colors of whatever you’re photographing, especially if it’s through water. Polarized filters shift the rays of light hitting the sensor to essentially reduce glare. If you’ve ever worn polarized sunglasses and looked into a lake/river )or even into your aquarium) a CPL filter does the same thing for your camera.

if you can’t afford something like that, a modern phone is more than capable of taking pretty good pictures. Lighting your subjects are key. Don’t be surprised if you have to add more lighting to your tank just for photos. It’s ok though because those extra lights aren’t permanent. Just use them for the photos. Photo editing features on modern phones have come a long way and can also be helpful in producing a good photo. Again, lighting usually dictates that. You’d be surprised how much noise and grain can be reduced just by using proper lighting.

[Daniel]

7 hours ago, Ryan W said:

 Lighting your subjects are key. Don’t be surprised if you have to add more lighting to your tank just for photos. It’s ok though because those extra lights aren’t permanent. Just use them for the photos.

I echo what @Ryan W is saying. Chris Lukhaup takes amazing photos on very old equipment but his secret is good lighting. Even an iPhone is capable of very good photos if the subject is properly lit.

[Chandra]

2 hours ago, Daniel said:

I echo what @Ryan W is saying. Chris Lukhaup takes amazing photos on very old equipment but his secret is good lighting. Even an iPhone is capable of very good photos if the subject is properly lit.

 

10 hours ago, Ryan W said:

If you’re looking for a “real” camera, the Canon M50 with just the kit lens can be had for around $500 on the Internet. It’s a pretty solid starter interchangeable-lens camera for stills and the kit lens is great for learning and 1080p video. It also does 1080p video very well. A good add-on lens for the M50 would be the Canon EF 50mm 1.8 for around $100-$125. You would have to buy an additional EF-M to EF adapter that would run about $25. Another great option would be the Canon EF 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 is ii USM with the lens adapter mentioned above. That’s a $400-$500 lens though but it’s the best telephoto option for the M50 without getting into “L Series” lenses but if you can afford an “L Series” I’d suggest getting a better camera more suited for your budget. I would also get a CPL filter to fit the lens you use regardless of whatever camera/lens you end up getting. A CPL filter is a polarized lens attachment. Not only will it help with tank-glass glare and stray light, it will also enhance the colors of whatever you’re photographing, especially if it’s through water. Polarized filters shift the rays of light hitting the sensor to essentially reduce glare. If you’ve ever worn polarized sunglasses and looked into a lake/river )or even into your aquarium) a CPL filter does the same thing for your camera.

if you can’t afford something like that, a modern phone is more than capable of taking pretty good pictures. Lighting your subjects are key. Don’t be surprised if you have to add more lighting to your tank just for photos. It’s ok though because those extra lights aren’t permanent. Just use them for the photos. Photo editing features on modern phones have come a long way and can also be helpful in producing a good photo. Again, lighting usually dictates that. You’d be surprised how much noise and grain can be reduced just by using proper lighting.

Thank you. Thats a great suggestion I was looking for.

[Chandra]

2 hours ago, Daniel said:

I echo what @Ryan W is saying. Chris Lukhaup takes amazing photos on very old equipment but his secret is good lighting. Even an iPhone is capable of very good photos if the subject is properly lit.

Thank you @Daniel

 

[Daniel]

@Chandra I saw a cherry shrimp near the side of the aquarium by my desk just now. I moved a desk light over near the shrimp and then used an iPhone to take a video. Here is a screenshot from the video. Thanks to the lighting the clarity isn't too bad.

[Ryan W]

3 hours ago, Chandra said:

Thank you @Daniel

 

You’re welcome! 

[Chandra]

Thank you so much @Ryan W. I compared both iPhone and camera finally. I debated alot and luckily bought a fuji xt-200 which I like transitioning from iPhone photos. Your advice was very well given.

[Ryan W]

Nice! You’re welcome man. The most important thing is finding a piece of gear that’s easy for you to use. The easier it is, the more fun the learning curve is going to be. The more fun it is, the more pictures you’re going to take! I think you’re going to have a lot of fun.