Need Some Tips

[Reefland]

Check out the attached image. The image would have probably been really good however it is dark and lightening it with some software brings out a lot of noise. Why is this image so dark?
S = 1/250
F = 4.6
ISO = 200
Taken in Shutter Priority Mode (to try to get a good image of the torch).

[Poseidon]

Was this a shaded area of the tank? Sometimes the camera's light meter is fooled by extreme highlights and extreme shadow. Does your camera have a histogram? A histogram is basically a graph of the exposure, left side is shadow, right side is highlight. If you can make the histogram so it does not touch the extreme edges, most of the time you will have a good exposure.

Send me the full size image by e-mail, and I will see what I can do with it for you.

[Reefland]

Your asking me if this camera has something? I's got a flash and a button to take pictures with.

No it does not have anything like that, that I am aware of. The image is actually a very bright section of the tank, but when I use the Shutter Priority the pictures always come out dark.

[Poseidon]

hmm..... What about exposure compensation. Looks like you need to tell the camera to let more light in.

Do you like the redo?

[Reefland]

I think the exposure compensation was at 0 Mike. And yeah, teh redo is really nice!

[Poseidon]

Try another shot in the same area, but move exposure compensation to +1 or maybe +1.5 I'll bet you get what you want.

[ibjmg]

[quote=Reefland] Your asking me if this camera has something? I's got a flash and a button to take pictures with.


Isure would like to know what kind of camera you guys are using?
I have a kodak easyshare6230 not very many opps that why my pic turn out like ----!
I m going to buy myself a present a real camera any suggestions?
told my wife it was for the family but... its really for the tank.
Sorry for jumping in on your thread scott

Jerrod

[Reefland]

No apologies required my friend.

We just got our camera earlier this year, it is a Nikon 5400. Got it from a shop in New York for, what I think was, a very good price. Mike and Gene use top of the line Canon's I believe.

[zhenya]

Mike and Gene use top of the line Canon's I believe.

Nope, Mike uses near top of the line and I'm using an entry level DSLR.

You know, you can try shooting in aperture priority mode, it always works for me if light is a plenty. When light is dim then I switch to shutter priority mode and bump the iso to 400 or 800 to increase shutter speed. I usually underexpose my pics anyway, it;s easily fixed in PS.

[Poseidon]

Me too Gene, I use apeture priority, and underexpose by at least 1 stop. I am usually at 400 or 800 too.

Levels is my new favorite tool for fixing exposure.

By the way, if all goes according to plan, I will have a 1D N in February!

[Reefland]

Can you guys translate that to english for me? I thought for shooting moving images (like the swaying tentacles of a hitchhiker torch coral) shutter priority is what I needed to shoot in?

[Poseidon]

Yes and no, if you have a super bright day and you want to get 1/500th of a second shutter speed, then yes shutter priority, set to 1/500 and the camera will set the apeture.

BUT we have limited light, and you want the fastest POSSIBLE shutter speed, you set the camera to Av, and then set the f-stop to your MAXIMUM apeture. THat gets you the fastest POSSIBLE shutter speed.

Clear as mud right?

[Reefland]

I'm totally lost. I think my problem is I have this dial on my camera with all these letters but I don't know how to adjust any of the settings. For example, if I am in Shutter Priority (S mode) how in the world do I control anything?


Ok, forget I asked, I'll just keep trying.

[Poseidon]

You'll get there Scott. If you set the camera for "S" then you should be able to control one variable, the shutter. In "A" you get apeture etc....

Let me see if I can find a manual for your camera, and I will 123 for you

[Reefland]

Ok, thanks Mike!

What you said there makes sense to me though. I can control the shutter speed if I put in it S mode but I see references to f-stop and apeture and I thought you were saying to set specific settings for them while I'm in S mode.

[Poseidon]

Sounds like you got it! I am sure a computer savvy guy like you can get that camera figued out!

[zhenya]

Hi Scott,

Is your camera Coolpix 5400 or 5200?
I found pretty easy explanations on how to use all of the controls for 5400 here:http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikoncp5400/page5.asp
You can also find the same type of review and rundown on all of the controls and menus on the 5200 on that site as well.
I glanced at it breefly and it appears that you can control both in the manual mode on the CP5400.

[Reefland]

Thanks for the link Gene, it is the CP5400. I'll check it out!

[dougc]

Nope, Mike uses near top of the line and I'm using an entry level DSLR.

I think an entry-level DSLR is a bit like an entry-level Mercedes.

I do OK taking pictures of corals, but fish are almost impossible. My camera lets me fiddle with shutter speeds, ISO, and aperture settings in manual mode, but I can't find a combination that eliminates blurring and is not too dark to fix on the computer. I guess that is beyond the capabilities of my camera.

[Reefland]

What do you use Doug?