# [Wet Thumb Forum]-I'm going to buy a digital camera, advice needed



## MarcinB (Apr 16, 2004)

Hi guys!

I almost decided to buy Canon A-60, what's your opinion about this camera? Any other options at comparable price and quality?

150L (40G) planted tank
photo available here


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## Alex (Mar 31, 2004)

I just recently bought the A70 and I can say it is a good buy. Takes great pictures, lots of features and it pretty easy to use. It takes especially nice macro pictures in tanks.

Here is a very close, cropped and zoomed in picture from it.

Alex


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## Ptahkeem (Feb 16, 2004)

my suggestion is to spend a little extra dough and get the better camera like a g2 or g3. trust me later on when you start liking photography youll kick yourself in the butt for not getting the better camera.


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## MarcinB (Apr 16, 2004)

What are the advantages of G2 over A60? I know that G2 has 4 megapixels, but I don't need such a high resolution.

150L (40G) planted tank
photo available here


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## Ptahkeem (Feb 16, 2004)

the main advantage besides the increase in megapixels in the g series cameras is that they have more manual controls over the a series. this will allow you to play with settings like aperture, shutter speed, and manual focus among other things. also the g series cameras allow you to add different types of lenses onto your camera whereas the a series does not.


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## ekim (Jan 31, 2004)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by ptahkeem:
> the main advantage besides the increase in megapixels in the g series cameras is that they have more manual controls over the a series. this will allow you to play with settings like aperture, shutter speed, and manual focus among other things. also the g series cameras allow you to add different types of lenses onto your camera whereas the a series does not.


*you are totally wrong!!*

A60 or A70 has *full manual control * and *other lenses*!!
Maybe you should familiarize yourself with some cameras before giving any advise!!

MarcinB, I own the A70 and am very happy with it!


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## ekim (Jan 31, 2004)

Here is some pics I took in the first three or so days I got the A70, also here is a link to a few more pics I have taken, 
*My Digital Gallery*




























[This message was edited by ekim on Mon June 16 2003 at 02:45 PM.]

[This message was edited by ekim on Tue June 17 2003 at 09:43 AM.]


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## Ptahkeem (Feb 16, 2004)

oops 
im sorry hehe i guess i havent done much research on the a series cameras. =(. what are the differences between the a series and the g series then? im sure there has to be some significant different since the g series is supposed to be the better camera and is more expensive. again im sorry for the wrong information.


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## MarcinB (Apr 16, 2004)

Ekim, was your contest photo taken by Canon A70?

150L (40G) planted tank
photo available here

[This message was edited by MarcinB on Mon June 16 2003 at 02:47 PM.]


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## ekim (Jan 31, 2004)

ptahkeem, no problem... Yes the G series is a better camera but more than double the money up here!!! The A70 is 3.2 the G2 is 4.0 I think, maybe a wider range in the settings!

MarcinB, yes it was... I only had the camera for a week at that time and had never used all manual settings before.

My Digital Gallery


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## MarcinB (Apr 16, 2004)

> Originally posted by ptahkeem:
> the main advantage besides the increase in megapixels in the g series cameras is that they have more manual controls over the a series./QUOTE]
> 
> A-60 has all those manual controls that you mentioned (manual focus, aperture and shutter priority etc). Actually it has all features I need and it's cheap. That's the main reason I like it so much. Of course I would like to have G2 or G3 but they are way too expensive. In Poland all electronic devices cost up to 100% more than in USA, even A60 costs more than I can earn in a month
> ...


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## MarcinB (Apr 16, 2004)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by ekim:
> MarcinB, yes it was...


That's a strong argument for buying this camera









150L (40G) planted tank
photo available here


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## ekim (Jan 31, 2004)

Thanks, 
no editing was done to any pics either, manual white balance is the Key!!

My Digital Gallery


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## Ptahkeem (Feb 16, 2004)

my apologies =). i guess if i were living in poland and the markup was 100% then id consider getting an a series camera too. i didnt mean to offend =). anyhow i can contest about canons awesome cameras i do i must admit own a g3 and i love it to death. i do however need to get some close up or macro lens add ons for the camera as i would love to take some up close shots of my plants.


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## Guest (Jun 17, 2003)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by ekim:
> Thanks,
> no editing was done to any pics either, manual white balance is the Key!!


Great response. WB is indeed a great addition to photography. Can you elaborate on its use in your pictures. I know others may benefit from this info.

Join as at www.njas.net


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## ekim (Jan 31, 2004)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by Jay Luto:
> Can you elaborate on its use in your pictures. I know others may benefit from this info.


Well, I tried some of the standard WB settings (Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H) but none seemed to bring out the true colors of the tank, "Fluorescent H" was the closest but still not the best. I placed a white plastic lid inside the tank, in the middle depth wise & set the WB. After just a few pics I was convinced this was much better than any of the preset settings!

My Digital Gallery


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## Guest (Jun 17, 2003)

> quote:
> 
> I placed a white plastic lid inside the tank, in the middle depth wise & set the WB. After just a few pics I was convinced this was much better than any of the preset settings!












Sorry, can you elaborate on this. Can you take pictures of process you mentioned.

Join as at www.njas.net


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## ekim (Jan 31, 2004)

Jay, have you ever set a manual WB?
I don't know what to take a picture of... 
just put something white, like a lid or piece of something white inside your tank! 
Birgit mentioned using a white paint can lid before.

The lights over your/our tanks have a "hue" to them, it could be yellow or purple or probably any color depending on the Kelvin, putting something white in the tank and then "focusing" on it to set the white balance will correct / calibrate the camera to see the color of the plants in the tank just as you see them!

Hope this helps, if I left something out, just ask!









My Digital Gallery


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## ekim (Jan 31, 2004)

Jay, did you give it a try?

*My Digital Gallery*


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## Guest (Jun 23, 2003)

No not yet...Want to get my tank in top shape and then will try to take some pictures.

Join as at www.njas.net


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## gpodio (Feb 4, 2004)

This is so true, I always have to adjust the white balance on my video camera to get true colors in the tank. Besides the "semi-manual" (point to a white object and set the white balance automatically) some cameras also have a complete manual white balance which allows you to scroll through the entire range, I find I'm able to get even better results by adjusting the WB manually after having set it using the "semi-manual" method with a white object.

Regarding the Canon A series, I have an A20, I know it's an older model and everything but it's not a bad camera at all. My only complaint would be the battery life. Have the newer models improved on battery life? After owning this camera I decided my next camera had to have a battery pack. Other than that it has some nice features and I'm sure the new models you are considering probably have even more. The extra lenses are a great accessory too, even the non-canon ones you find on eBay do a good job!

Giancarlo Podio


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## Wheeler (Feb 8, 2004)

Hey gang,

I know that I'm getting to this topic late, but I think you all are over looking a gem of a camera:

The Olympus C-4000z.

It has all the *features* of the Gx series Canon cameras, at hundreds less dollars. You can get it for about $400 at nearly any online retailer, and even less if you shop around.

I love mine, and it feels better to hold than the Canon G series.

The G series cameras are *very* nice, though-- Indeed, in some respects, they are much nicer cameras than the consumer Olympus digicams. The biggest differences are the length of the zoom is greater on the Canon, and the lens is a little sharper with less chromatic abberations, and overall performance speed-- The Olympus is a *little* on the slow side. 

Still, it's a *fully* featured, 4mp camera that supports add-on lenses and external flash(!). Color is much more accurate than Nikon or Fuji consumer/prosumer digicams and extremely close to the Canon (prolly the best available on G series and better-- I don't have any exp. w/ the A series).

The bottom line is that all the features can be had for hundreds less and the picture quality is fantastic with the Olympus.

I'd be happy to post examples if anyone's interested.

Best wishes,
John Wheeler


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## imported_Svennovitch (Feb 1, 2003)

Of course we are interested.
Well, i am


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## bobo (Jan 21, 2004)

What about Nikon Cameras which I rarely see mentioned? Specifically the 5400 and 5700 series. Are these too expensive or not user freindlyenough fortank pics.

Any comments would be appreciated as the time is coming, yea, past due, when I must get into the water and have fun with this media


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## gpodio (Feb 4, 2004)

Nikon makes great cameras, usually a little more expensive however at the moment with all the rebates Nikon is offering you can get (if you can still find one) a CoolPix 4500 for $400!

Most of the Coolpix series have full manual settings including up to a 10 minute exposure in bulb mode and external flash sync. No AF assist lamp however.

Giancarlo Podio


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## Wheeler (Feb 8, 2004)

Nikon makes a great camera for everything except photos that will have alot of highlights like outdoor shots and planted/reef tanks. Anyplace with lots of reflective surfaces really (leaves). Their consumer level digicams blowout (overexpose) highlights pretty badly which results in some blur and chromatic abberations. This would prolly only be a factor in whole tank shots (big problem) and macro shots near the lights. 

I would've purchased the CP4500 instead of the Olympus C-4000z otherwise.

The 4500 is a steal for all the features (if you can get past the highlight clipping), but the 5000 and 5700 are way too expensive compared to their competitors. If you're gonna spend that kind of bread, buy the Sony DSC-F717. Short of a DSLR with killer glass, it's the best thing out there for us. 

Check any online reviwer to confirm. I like Steve's digicams and DPReview.

Best wishes,
John Wheeler


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## jdwyz (Jun 14, 2003)

EKIM

just curiuous, what settings do you use to take a picture of your tanks to get a full frontal view ? what seems to be the best settings for this camera (a70) that you have found?


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## Guest (Nov 1, 2003)

jdwyz,

General rules:

- Set your camera on the tripod.
- Set your white balance by using white object.
- Try to underexpose your pictures first. 
- Get as close as you can but get entire tank in viewfinder/LCD. Try to eliminate use of zoom.

Regards,
Jay Luto


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## dissident (Sep 6, 2005)

for anyone intersted:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP/CDISPLAY.HTM

Great resource for compareing digital cameras.

_____________________________
http://alaam.com/


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## gpodio (Feb 4, 2004)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by jdwyz:
> EKIM
> ...


Pretty much what Jay said.

- Put the camera on a tripod and find an angle where there are no reflections from the glass
- Turn off AiAf
- Set the dial to M 
- Set white balance using a white piece object in the tank
- Set ISO to 50 or 100
- Set frame to 2sec delay
- Set f to the lowest number possible
- Try a couple of different exposure times, take a series of photos with different settings and then see which one works best

You can also experiment with the flash, this gives you the possibility to balance out the dark and bright areas of the tank, again find an angle where the flash doesn't reflect back to the camera.

You can also try to use external lighting, I usually use a 2x55W PC fixture on the floor pointing up at the tank to illuminate some of the areas that don't get a lot of light from above. This allows you to take shorter exposures without black areas where there was insufficient light reaching it from the top.

Last.... take 100 pics and you'll find the one or two that are just right!









Hope that helps
Giancarlo Podio


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