# Camera for take pictures to aquariums



## prBrianpr (Nov 18, 2007)

I want to buy a new camera to take pics to my acuarium. I have $200-$300 money to buy a new cam.

What cameras sre better to take macros in this range?

Im thinking in buy this camera:

Nikon unveils Coolpix L100 – budget superzoom camera with 15x optical zoom

people what you think.

thanks


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## Ben7 (Jun 10, 2003)

I have had difficulties with auto zoom cameras. I will be curious to hear what others say, though.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi prBrianpr,

Pick up a copy of Consumer Reports this month (12/09), there is a ranking of the various types of Digital Cameras. I just bought the Canon Powershot SX110 IS. It is a Consumer Reports "Recommended" model that is being replaced by Canon with a newer more expensive model. I picked mine up for $180 on Close Out at our local Target.


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## Ben7 (Jun 10, 2003)

I meant problems with auto-focus, not auto zoom....


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## ashappard (Jun 3, 2006)

any camera that supports manual focus is good. That way you can dial in the image and get the best shot. I'll agree that most Auto Focus modes are frustrating when trying macro shots. I picked up a used canon A710 cheap, and I can get some decent shots with it.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

You don't want a camera with lots of optical zoom. Zoom is for far away objects, not close up photography. I agree with Seattle_Aquarist, the best cameras for macro shots are the Canon Powershot series. I had a Canon Powershot A95 before I got my Canon 5D SLR camera and the Powershot offers the full range of manual settings and exposures that a pro camera offers, allowing you to take decent macro pictures.

A really good camera is the Canon Powershot G10. This is probably about the best non-pro camera you can get for macro. Or if you don't have the 350 bucks it costs, you could get the G9 which is nearly as good.

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/c...categoryid=144&modelid=17624#ModelFeaturesAct


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## prBrianpr (Nov 18, 2007)

whooahh I dont check this post for a month!! I just bought a Nikon D3000 The camara works great but now need a macro lens


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## khanzer22 (Nov 30, 2009)

prBrianpr said:


> whooahh I dont check this post for a month!! I just bought a Nikon D3000 The camara works great but now need a macro lens


That's even better... Good luck with the new camera!


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## sjohny84 (Feb 27, 2011)

Very impressed with picture quality and incredible optical zoom function. Really enjoy large viewing screen that remains clear even in bright sunlight.


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## NeonFlux (May 15, 2008)

Hmm I might get me one of those cameras one day.. 

I'm having a hard time with my 7.2 MP Carl Zeiss DSC-T30 Sony digital cam; taking macro shots with me shaking my hand even a little causes a little bit of motion blur...the frustration, but it's a good cam for the occasion, however..


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Turn the ISO up (above 800), the F-stop (aperture) down to like 2.8 or 3.5 and the shutter speed at least 60 FPS. These should help reduce motion blur and still keep the picture bright. Play around with these settings though.

ISO = digitally enhanced brightness 

F-stop = how much of the object is in focus (2.8F = thin slice of a macro shot is in focus, 9F = thicker slice is in focus), also affects the brightness of the picture, 2.8F opens the iris up wide, letting in more light, 9F closes it to a pinpoint letting in less light)

Shutter speed = frames per second (FPS) is how fast the shutter closes. 1 FPS means lots of light gets through meaning your picture is brighter but any motion that occurs while the shutter is open will be blurred, 60 FPS = the shutter closes faster which gives any motion by your hand or fish less time to move position meaning less blur.


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## Peterjay (Mar 4, 2011)

NeonFlux said:


> Hmm I might get me one of those cameras one day..
> 
> I'm having a hard time with my 7.2 MP Carl Zeiss DSC-T30 Sony digital cam; taking macro shots with me shaking my hand even a little causes a little bit of motion blur...the frustration, but it's a good cam for the occasion, however..


As a pro, I can offer this bit of advice concerning the four rules of indoor photography:

1) Always use a tripod.

2) Always use a tripod.

3) Always use a tripod.

4) See rules 1-3

I can't stress these rules enough. You don't need an expensive tripod by any means - even a cheap model from Walmart will make a huge difference, especially with a small, light camera. Nobody can hold a camera perfectly still, and the relatively slow shutter speeds necessary for typical aquarium photography just make it that much worse. Also, if anyone else is considering a new camera, manual focus works much better than auto-focus in the macro mode. Hope this helps.


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## ObiQuiet (Oct 9, 2009)

Peterjay said:


> 1) Always use a tripod.


Remote shutter releases are nice too, of course. If your camera doesn't have the feature, consider making something like this:
http://forums.steves-digicams.com/kodak/49082-remote-shutter-release-bracket.html


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## NeonFlux (May 15, 2008)

Zapins said:


> Turn the ISO up (above 800), the F-stop (aperture) down to like 2.8 or 3.5 and the shutter speed at least 60 FPS. These should help reduce motion blur and still keep the picture bright. Play around with these settings though.
> 
> ISO = digitally enhanced brightness
> 
> ...


Thanks I'll note some notes on that. Roger folks, Ima get tripod one day.


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## sjohny84 (Feb 27, 2011)

I think the Nikon Coolpix L110 is the most camera you can get for your money
There is a lot to like about this camera. It has a very nice feel in the hand and the rubberized grip makes you feel secure holding the camera. The large 3" LCD display is gorgeous... it is bright, sharp and has excellent dpi not normally found in a camera of this price range. It also works quite well outdoors due to the fact that it has an anti-reflective coating on it. However the camera lacks an optical viewfinder which I do miss as I am more accustomed to using a viewfinder than not. The lack of a viewfinder is not a deal-breaker for me though. 12.1 megapixels gives you ample file size to make huge enlargements or lots of room for cropping. And the awesome zoom, from the 35mm equivalent of 28mm-420mm gives you an amazing range. It's not normally even possible to hand-hold a camera and expect a very sharp image if you are zoomed to 420mm, or even 300mm, but with the great VR and Motion Detection incorporated into the camera, you can actually hand-hold at that extreme and get usable images.


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