# [Wet Thumb Forum]-I need help.....



## jread (Feb 28, 2004)

I recently purchased a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P10 and am having a very hard time using it. It is my first digital camera and I have no idea what I'm doing.

I mainly got it for taking pictures of my aquariums and various fish for a website I run. I've been trying to get some good photos but none of them come out well. I can't seem to get the focus, lighting or shutter-speed right on ANY of them. There are only two that have come out decently so far and they were purely by accident.

There is a "sports mode" for using a fast shutter speed to photograph fast-moving objects, so I've been trying to do this to keep from having blurry fish. However, when I'm in this mode, the screen is so dark that I can't see anything! Why does it do that? It's extremely frustrating. I also don't know if I want macro on or off, or if I want continuous focus on, or if I want Center autofocus or Multi autofocus, or if I want spot metering or multi metering, or if I should mess with the EV settings........

Can someone please point me in the right direction?


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## Guest (Apr 4, 2004)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by jread:
> There is a "sports mode" for using a fast shutter speed to photograph fast-moving objects, so I've been trying to do this to keep from having blurry fish. However, when I'm in this mode, the screen is so dark that I can't see anything! Why does it do that? It's extremely frustrating.


Your shutter speed could be high and small aperture low causing not sufficient amount of for the camera. Increase light over the tank, lower shutter speed, make your aperture higher. Again, refer to above links for more detail information.



> quote:
> 
> I also don't know if I want macro on or off


Depends what you are doing. If you are taking pictures of plants, macro will give you nice close up pictures. Taking pictures of fish with macro settings is doable but for more "experienced".



> quote:
> 
> or if I want continuous focus on, or if I want Center autofocus or Multi autofocus, or if I want spot metering or multi metering, or if I should mess with the EV settings


I prefer manual focus. Again, please refer to above links.

Please read througout links on this page. There is a lot of basic tips on how to take good pictures with any camera.

http://aquabotanicwetthumb.infopop.cc/groupee/forums?a=tpc&s=4006090712&f=6876084703&m=5836097023


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## hobbydud (Apr 17, 2004)

Why manual focus?

What could go wrong with automatic focus?

Allen.


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