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First major D60 disappointment...[imgs]

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I bought a 1D. Not a bit disappointed. The AF is amazing, but I don't know if it would have focused on the fish. The finder is brighter, so manual focus may have been easier.

Jim
Laurie Sokoloff said:
DF said:
Hi Laurie,
Click to expand...
And a big "HI" back!
Laurie Sokoloff said:
I don't belong in this forum of course.....but I saw your post and
had to chuckle a little. You told me a while ago how big a gadget
addict you are, but really!....one trip to the Aquarium and you're
ready to spring for a 1D/1Ds?? lol.
Click to expand...
Yes - it doesn't take much to push me into gadget-wanderlust.
Fortunately, I have other good qualities...[g] Even all my
ex-husbands agree. [vbg] (For all those who don't know me as well
as DF, the preceding was JUST A JOKE!)
Laurie Sokoloff said:
Well, who am I to talk, since I share the same temptations (though
perhaps different brand names).
Click to expand...
Yes - fortunately for us, with many deep breaths, the lust passes.
Make that many, many deep breaths...well maybe, many, many, many...
etc.. So, have you run into absolutely no limitations yet with
your S2?? Have you tried taking photos at the Aquarium yet??
Laurie Sokoloff said:
Anyway, thought I'd give you a call in the next day or two if I can
find your number again.
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Please do - it'd be a pleasure as always.
Laurie Sokoloff said:
Happy New Year.
Click to expand...
Same to you!
--
Very best,
Laurie
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--
Canon 1D
 
Keiron O'Mahoney said:
Hiya Laurie,

To be honest they are hardly inspirational, most are okay and a
couple are more than okay! As you say a few do have motion blur
in, that was the one thing I wasn't expecting. With the 50mm 1.8 I
was hoping I could get enough ambient light and I did, but
sacrificed shutter speed. Next time I'm going to make sure the
camera stays on ISO 1000 and then deliberately underexpose, I can
then hopefully correct the exosure from the RAW processing and this
should be enough to get a suitable speed.

Also, shooting through scratched and cloudy 4" perspex didn't help!

Good luck, as you can see I did okay on my first visit. You should
do much much better on your second.
Click to expand...
Thanks Keiron - couldn't get much worse.
keironomahoney said:
I think I was wary of using flash, who knows, they may well have no
problem with me blasting the eyeballs of their little fishes! That
and I only have a Cobra 700 which is a bit pants.
Click to expand...
No, I may well be the one in the wrong here. I didn't see any "no flash" signs, but I also didn't look or ask. Funny - I had a friend years ago who was a tax attorney. His definition of "tax deductible" was anything you deducted that the IRS didn't challenge in 3 years. By his definition, I guess December 31st was a "Go Ahead, Use Flash All You Want" Day at the National Aquarium.[g]

I have to claim total ignorance about the Cobra 700 - and what does "a bit pants" mean??

--
Best,
Laurie
 
Hi Lin - what an utterly fantastic shot. With such great results, you can be sure I'll take your advice to heart! Once again patience is a virtue. Afraid I was using the "shoot everything in sight" approach, hoping I'd get lucky. Your approach sounds a lot more realistic and reasonable, and the photo speaks for itself.

Thanks!

--
Best,
Laurie
 
Jim Dawson said:
I bought a 1D. Not a bit disappointed. The AF is amazing, but I
don't know if it would have focused on the fish. The finder is
brighter, so manual focus may have been easier.

Jim
Click to expand...
Hi Jim - Thanks. I don't know if it will be possible to rent a 1D, but it seems sensible to try, and then take it to the aquarium and see. Easier manual focusing would be nice. It's quite possible that it wouldn't make much of a difference - I'll see.

--
Best,
Laurie
 
Mike Danckert said:
When I take pictures of my marine aquarium with my D30, I have
found that I have the best luck using manual focus. The fish just
move to quickly and the AI Servo mode does not really help with my
small fish.

It's funny, there are many times that I have been using manual
focus lately and I get better results.

Good luck with future aquarium shots.
Click to expand...
Thanks a lot Mike. And I agree about focusing manually.
--
Best,
Laurie
 
Hi Forrest - What a great shot you got there - really exceptional. I own the 50 1.4, and didn't think to bring it. If I'd realized it would make it easier for me to see to focus, I would have.

So much to learn! Thanks.
--
Best,
Laurie
 
JHere's a shot of a leafy Sea Dragon

 
Calvin Chann said:
Pretty amazed they let you use a flash in an aquarium!!

My local one jumps on me even if I'm using the focus assist light.
They think it's a flash, Ha.

I'm taking my 50 f1.8 next time.
Click to expand...
I'm beginning to think I was just lucky not to get caught . . . which was the only luck I was having.[g]

And I'll take my 50mm also - thanks Calvin.

--
Best,
Laurie
 
Laurie Sokoloff wrote:

I posted a reply, went out of town and returned to find 57 posts in this thread. Took me awhile to read them all, but it was very interesting.

I agree--I suspect the light would have reflected the flash. When I'm at our coast (NC), I will have to try our aquarium and try all these good tips. I will def. take my 50/f/1.8 though LOL.

--
Diane B
http://www.pbase.com/picnic/galleries
B/W lover, but color is seducing me
 
RAD said:
Laurie,
Here's a recent aquarium shot with my D60 (New Orleans Aquarium)
Shutter speed: 1/45 sec
Aperture: 4.0
Exposure mode: Program
Flash: Off
Metering mode: Evaluative
Drive mode: Single frame shooting
ISO: 800
Lens: 28.0 to 135.0 mm
Focal length: 28.0 mm
AF mode: Unknown
Focus point:

Image size: 3072 x 2048
Image quality: Fine
White balance: Auto
Saturation: Normal
Sharpness: Normal
Contrast: Normal
​
Click to expand...

A stunning shot RAD! One of the nicest I've seen. Did you use noise-reduction on this? (At ISO 800 I'm guessing you did?) And the 28-135 is only as fast as f4, isn't it - so I guess the IS really helped level the field on this. But you were able to autofocus? Was it a particularly bright display? And no flash - very impressive. Thanks very much for posting this.

--
Best,
Laurie​
 
I spent last weekend at the Shedd aquarium in Chicago. Most of the pictures I've seen posted here are of fish that barely move or are confined to smaller tanks... Try the same low light situation with penguins swimming in a frenzy or dolphins swimming underwater at a decent speed. When they were stopped I didn't have any problems at all but the D60's shutter lag (1-1.5 seconds) was dismal at trying to get anything moving. I switched to MF but it's very difficult to get sharp pictures when shooting at F2.8-F4 and 1/30 at ISO 800 with a fast moving object.

Prefocusing is out of the question unless you have all day to take a couple shots because dolphins and penguins don't swim in the same patterns or have identifiable destinations like baskeball players (that comparison was funny). I had both the 28-70 2.8/L and 70-200 2.8/L. I've taken pictures of jellyfish in much darker situations that looked really good...but again..they are slow movers....

It all depends on the situation. The D60 can handle most of them but your luck plays a large role in a some situations...

I hope to add a 1D to my collection soon..
Laurie Sokoloff said:
Took my godchild to the National Aquarium here in Baltimore
yesterday. Talk about your lowlight situation! I had to guess at
focusing almost all day. I got lucky a few times, but no shots are
even just good, and it really was just luck.

I really hate to spend the money - and I don't go to the Aquarium
that often - but I'm beginning to sense a 1D or 1Ds may be
somewhere in my future... (That's the sound of my wallet whining
and begging for mercy!) I do like photographing indoors though -
but admit the focusing has not been a porblem - until yesterday.

Do the 1D and 1Ds really do THAT much better in this kind of a
situation? I think what frustrated me most of all was not being
able to see well enough to focus manually. Bummer!

--
Best,
Laurie



Click to expand...
 
PaulS said:
I spent last weekend at the Shedd aquarium in Chicago. Most of the
pictures I've seen posted here are of fish that barely move or are
confined to smaller tanks... Try the same low light situation with
penguins swimming in a frenzy or dolphins swimming underwater at a
decent speed. When they were stopped I didn't have any problems at
all but the D60's shutter lag (1-1.5 seconds) was dismal at trying
to get anything moving. I switched to MF but it's very difficult to
get sharp pictures when shooting at F2.8-F4 and 1/30 at ISO 800
with a fast moving object.
Click to expand...
PaulS95190 said:
Prefocusing is out of the question unless you have all day to take
a couple shots because dolphins and penguins don't swim in the same
patterns or have identifiable destinations like baskeball players
(that comparison was funny). I had both the 28-70 2.8/L and 70-200
2.8/L. I've taken pictures of jellyfish in much darker situations
that looked really good...but again..they are slow movers....

It all depends on the situation. The D60 can handle most of them
but your luck plays a large role in a some situations...

I hope to add a 1D to my collection soon..
Click to expand...
Hi Paul - yes, this seems to be what I'm gleaning from the collective wisdom here. I'm also coming to understand that shooting under such circumstances is a practiced and learned skill, with a good bit of preparation and forethought. I could have saved myself a lot of grief by knowing and accepting the points you've made here (and everyone else's too), and spending more time going for the shots that were more possible or realistic - like sticking with the slow-movers, and the few bright spots that exist. Or at least I think that will be my plan for my next Aquarium visit. A bit more luck wouldn't hurt either!

Thanks a lot,
Laurie
 
Laurie Sokoloff said:
Wiley Denson said:
Laurie:

It will probably be a combo of the camera and lens to get the
"really lo-light shots". It's amazing what the high ISO on the 1D
combined with image stabilization can do.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Laurie Sokoloff said:
Laurie Sokoloff said:
I really don't mind the hunting-to-autofocus problem with the D60 -
Click to expand...
I used SLR's for years that had no autofocus, so doing it manually
feels quite natural. But they did have big, bright screens so that
focusing manually wasn't such a problem. But when the camera can't
focus, and the photographer can't see well enough to focus . . .
seems like a brick wall to me. Am I missing something?
--
Best,
Laurie
Click to expand...
Laurie:

I don't really know, having had no experience with the D60. I suppose every situation is different and calls for different technique, and sounds like you have plenty of experience. I do know the 1D, when coupled with the right lens, can get some amazing shots. It is far better than my D30 ever was.

I know you'll figure it out.

Good Luck

Wileyd
 
Laurie Sokoloff said:
Took my godchild to the National Aquarium here in Baltimore
yesterday. Talk about your lowlight situation! I had to guess at
focusing almost all day. I got lucky a few times, but no shots are
even just good, and it really was just luck.
Click to expand...
Laurie,

There isn't any reason to rely solely on luck. I have a D30 and of course it has the same autofocus issues as the D60. I can't help but think the camera is confused by the glass and there is also the problem of movement and slow shutter speeds.
I switch the camera to manual focus all of the time and that may be your only
solution here.

You can turn the autofocus off and use the focus scale on your lens but you are still dealing with the shallow depth of field and movement.

Perhaps you can use the movement and lack of depth to create an image that is beyond a record of a fish in water in an aquarium. Why not let the movement and the color of the fish be the image instead? I don't mean this as a flip remark I just think you might consider using the situation instead of fighting it.
Regards,
Thom Jackson

--
Thom J
 
Diane it stops where you stop. Once you make up your mind you are at a place where you are comfortable and have the quality and tools that you need to do the job it stops. I think one thing that keeps us all going is that we all want the best we can get. We also want our pictures to be the best they can be. These are all signs of people who are achievers and who always strive to accomplish.

Jason
Diane B said:
Laurie Sokoloff said:
I really hate to spend the money - and I don't go to the Aquarium
that often - but I'm beginning to sense a 1D or 1Ds may be
somewhere in my future... (That's the sound of my wallet whining
and begging for mercy!) I do like photographing indoors though -
but admit the focusing has not been a porblem - until yesterday.
Click to expand...
Laurie, what lens were you using? I'm just curious. I wonder if
the glass caused problems--or if an STE2 would have helped?

Ah, the wallet is whining again LOL--its totally out of the
question for me for a good long while, and I have to admit I've not
run into a situation where I felt I really needed one. However, I
am sure, somewhere in the future, a full frame is probably a
possibility--but then that calls for LOTS of computer power--beyond
what I have now, which does just fine. This doesn't really stop
anywhere, does it LOL?
--
Diane B
http://www.pbase.com/picnic/galleries
B/W lover, but color is seducing me
Click to expand...
--
Jason Stoller [email protected]

We are just Beta Testers who pay the Camera Companies to test their new products!
 
I had one of those guys live over 5 years in a tank at my house some years back.

By the time it died, it was so big it hardly fit in the 120 gallon tank he was in!! It was about one inch long when I bought it.

-John
 
Laurie Sokoloff said:
RAD said:
Laurie,
Here's a recent aquarium shot with my D60 (New Orleans Aquarium)
Shutter speed: 1/45 sec
Aperture: 4.0
Exposure mode: Program
Flash: Off
Metering mode: Evaluative
Drive mode: Single frame shooting
ISO: 800
Lens: 28.0 to 135.0 mm
Focal length: 28.0 mm
AF mode: Unknown
Focus point:

Image size: 3072 x 2048
Image quality: Fine
White balance: Auto
Saturation: Normal
Sharpness: Normal
Contrast: Normal
​
Click to expand...

A stunning shot RAD! One of the nicest I've seen. Did you use
noise-reduction on this? (At ISO 800 I'm guessing you did?) And
the 28-135 is only as fast as f4, isn't it - so I guess the IS
really helped level the field on this. But you were able to
autofocus? Was it a particularly bright display? And no flash -
very impressive. Thanks very much for posting this.

--
Best,
Laurie
​
Click to expand...

I did do some work in Photoshop on this shot. Besides "Levels" I used Fred Miranda's ISO Noise Reduction action for the D60 but honestly it wasn't overly grainy to start with. I also took the saturation up a touch with Fred's Digital Velvia action.

The light in the tank was probably better than what you had to deal with so the autofocus might have been helped by that. I was also a little patient waiting for the fish to swim around a few times to get in just the right position for me.

At 28mm the 28-135mm IS lens is supposed to max at f3.5 so I wasn't shooting wide open. Yes, I believe that the IS had a lot to do with the success of this shot (along with a cooperative fish) :-)

Regards,
Ron
--
RAD​
 
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