Camera setting help please

[Momotaro]

You can also bop over to www.aquatic-photography.com for some additional tips!

Mike

[Ibn]

Okay...here's a couple of pics for comparison.

First pic:

Exif info: shutter 1/800 aperture f4 focal length 300mm iso 200

Second pic:

Exif info: shutter 1/30 aperture f32 focal length 300mm iso 400

Both shots were done using aperture priority (you set the aperture/f-stop and the camera basically does the rest for you) on auto. F4 was the lowest that the lens was capable of and went as high as f32.

You can see what the difference in aperture does to the background (btw, sorry about the blurriness of the 2nd pic; still trying to get used to a 3lb 100-300mm f/4 lens...more on this later). When the aperture is higher (2nd pic), both the subject matter and the background is in focus and vice versa (background blurred while subject matter remains in focus at lower aperture).

Also, check out the shutter speed. It's much slower when there's less light entering the lens (at f32, it's 1/30 of a sec.). Just by altering the aperture, it was much easier to take the picture and the difference in shutter speed is very noticeable (you can even hear the difference). Even when the lens is a bit on the heavy side, it can still be handheld (in other words, setting a lower aperture will also help if your hands are shakey).

[observant_imp]

Eric--thanks for taking the time and trouble to make some comparison shots. It's an excellent example of the difference f stops make. I tried adjusting the aperture all the way up, and even though the pics were blurry, I can see the difference in the apparent depth.

I'm definitly going to have to use a tripod--I'm not steady enough for either method (S or A). Both methods are a huge improvement over what I'd been getting.

One more (but probably not the last) question: If I zoom all the way out and stand close enough to the tank to fill the viewfinder, I have to switch to macro mode. If I want to use regular mode, I need to stand further back and zoom in. Are there any advantages to one over the other? ok--make it 2 questions--I have both a uv filter and a polarizing filter--are either of these worth experimenting with for this application?

Thanks to everyone who's been responding. It may be old hat to you guys, but it's a big help to me.

[Ibn]

Originally Posted by observant_imp

Eric--thanks for taking the time and trouble to make some comparison shots. It's an excellent example of the difference f stops make. I tried adjusting the aperture all the way up, and even though the pics were blurry, I can see the difference in the apparent depth.

I'm definitly going to have to use a tripod--I'm not steady enough for either method (S or A). Both methods are a huge improvement over what I'd been getting.

One more (but probably not the last) question: If I zoom all the way out and stand close enough to the tank to fill the viewfinder, I have to switch to macro mode. If I want to use regular mode, I need to stand further back and zoom in. Are there any advantages to one over the other? ok--make it 2 questions--I have both a uv filter and a polarizing filter--are either of these worth experimenting with for this application?

Thanks to everyone who's been responding. It may be old hat to you guys, but it's a big help to me.

I would actually zoom all the way out and then stand close to the tank to take the picture, especially if you were handholding the camera. If you plan on using a tripid, there really isn't a difference. When you're zoomed, if your hand shakes, then the picture would come out blurry.

As for the filters, it really doesn't make a difference if you use it indoors. I keep a UV on my lens, but that's just to keep the dust out. The filters work better outdoors and if you're gonna use it indoors, I'd use the UV.