my pics are improving, don't you agree?

[Gary Majchrzak]

My photography skills are dismal considering I live in 'Kodak-Town': Rochester, NY, the 'Image City'.
Taking good aquarium pictures is VERY difficult,and I cannot imagine the challenges of underwater photography.
I use an old 70's Minolta 35mm to take my pics.
How do you rate this pic ?

[Sylock]

I rate the picture:

A) If you were focusing on the Butterfly then it's a A+ picture
B) If you were focusing on the Live Rock behind then I'd have to say not good, not good at all

[gregt]

I agree with Sylock. That's the worst picture of LR I've ever seen.

It's a great shot of a butterfly though.

[MontanaRocknReefer]

HHHHHHmmmmmmmm let me see! That is a great pic of your butterfly as I am partial because I have a butterfly too! Here is my pic! Johnny

[Gary Majchrzak]

Thanks guys, I am always in awe of your photos.
gregt: your photo album is full of stunning images.
Johnny, I can only wish to post images as quickly as you can. I still wait to use up a roll of traditional {Kodak, of course!} film, haul it to the developer,wait for developing,sort through the 'bad' pics, decide what merits showing everyone, and then scan the image. Probably takes a week for the whole process.
It must be nice to be able to discard an unwanted image 'on the spot'.
Wouldn't it be better for me to get a digital camcorder than camera?
I could pan across the aquarium {fish are always moving}and sort out the "ideal" frame to use as a picture{?}
I'm having great difficulty in having several of my wrasses 'hold still' while I {manually}adjust the focus on my ancient Minolta.
Sylock,thanks for the encouraging rating!

[MontanaRocknReefer]

Digital Camera! There is no other way! Your pick of the butterfly using a regular camera is far better than any pics I have taken with my 35mm camera. Digital Camera at least you can take alot of pics and download them and take what you want and no film developing!!! Gotta love that! Johnny

Drawback: Digital camera wear down batteries quite fast! Always recharging them!

[cath]

Hey Gary!

I started out taking pix of my tank with my Nikon 8008, using no flash. But the pix were nowhere near as good as yours. I found it very difficult, even set on manual focus, to get the correct subject in focus. Oh yeh, you better believe that I took the full roll of 24 pix, and maybe, just maybe got one half way decent pic out of the lot.

Digital is the way to go! I bought a Nikon CoolPix 885 and love it. Batteries do wear out quickly. Next thing I'll buy for my tank is a rechargeable battery. Well, it might be replacement 2x55s for my tank and then the battery for my camera

[MontanaRocknReefer]

Hey cath! I forgot about the rechargeable batteries case! Great to plug into wall and recharge! A must thing to have! Johnny

Oh Yeah! A tri-pod is great as well!

[gregt]

http://www.greenbatteries.com/

If you have a digicam you need the 1800maH niMH. You will not regret it. Trust me on this one.

[Doug1]

Gary, its really too bad that you cant get a digital back to put on your 35mm
I fianlly retired my old SRT101's yaers ago and went with a pair of XD-11's, never bought into the Maxxum legend, as i wasnt about to scrap all the old lenses I accumalated.
For easy shots that you know will come out ( family stuff,etc) you can have them put on disk, but it gets expensive if you only get one fish shot per roll
I also use a digi cam , Kodak, of course

[uurt]

Stop knocking your Minolta. They are exceptional cam. I take for granted that you are using a Rokkor Lens. I have a SRT201 with a F1.2 Rokkor.
Of course I don't use the Minolta for the tank. For that I'll use my dad's digital, or the I can check out the 1 we have at the office.
Put do keep the Minolta for the other stuff.

[cath]

So true, Uurt! Minolta's are good cameras, and there are some things that I would never use anything but a film camera.

[Gary Majchrzak]

Thanks for all the input,everyone.You have convinced me to keep the Minolta.{The lens is a Rokkor}.I'm into photographing things other than my aquarium, but a digital cam seems to be the best way to go as far as reef tank photography.Here is a Mammillaria {from my collection of cacti} in bloom.