Fintastic photo gear: What are the top photo accessories for fish and coral pictures?

[Peace River]

Fintastic photo gear: What are the top photo accessories for fish and coral pictures?

Sure, you can grab your cellphone and take a quick snapshot of your tank, but there are many other approaches and a lot more gear to support photography in and around your aquarium. What accessories do you use for fish and coral pictures? How important is a tripod and do you have any preferred features? Have you ever used a lens tube and has it help you improve your pictures? Do you regularly use a lens filter for taking pictures of your tank? Are there other accessories that are important to you when taking photos of your tank? Let’s talk aquarium photo accessories!

Photo by @SuncrestReef

 

[IsaacHunt]

I HATE cell phone pics of my tank. I do it in a pinch from time to time, but they are always terrible. The camera really struggles with any amount of blue light and the clarity is always very poor.

I also HATE when people use orange filters. Sure, it takes out the excessive blue, but it looks super unnatural to me. I try my best to capture the true color with my camera.

I use a Panasonic LUMIX GX85 camera body, which is a micro four thirds. It’s about half the size of a typical DSLR, and a little bugger than a typical point-and-shoot.

For years, I used either extension tubes or magnifying lenses on a telephoto lens for macro shots. I recently bought a true macro lens but I’m yet to figure out how to use it properly. I don’t really have a ton of interest in photography, so the equipment I have is pretty much only used for aquarium photos.

Here are some photos using the new macro lens.
View attachment 3128140View attachment 3128141View attachment 3128142View attachment 3128143View attachment 3128144

For someone who has not yet grasped the concept of using a macro Lens those pictures are quality.

I use my macro lens at F2.8-4 to blur the background and saw the eye onto the subject.

 

[IsaacHunt]

Some I recently took. Sony A7RIII with a Sony 90mmG macro and extension tubes. I have a bunch more I need to size down to be able to upload that I am fond of.

Someone needs to learn where the focus ring us and how to use it

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

I'm poor. I use the icecap macro lens on my pixel 6pro.

Here are some recents from it. All under full lighting, ab+ish

It does pretty well.

 

[IsaacHunt]

Fintastic photo gear: What are the top photo accessories for fish and coral pictures?

Sure, you can grab your cellphone and take a quick snapshot of your tank, but there are many other approaches and a lot more gear to support photography in and around your aquarium. What accessories do you use for fish and coral pictures? How important is a tripod and do you have any preferred features? Have you ever used a lens tube and has it help you improve your pictures? Do you regularly use a lens filter for taking pictures of your tank? Are there other accessories that are important to you when taking photos of your tank? Let’s talk aquarium photo accessories!

View attachment 3112375
Photo by @SuncrestReef

I find an algae scraper and a microfibre polishing cloth are essential accessories to clean the glass in preparation for taking photos.

the latest camera and Lens combo is about as much use as a Fish with **** if the user lacks the knowledge to manually adjust white balance and exposure to suit.

I have recently started using Off Camera flash to eliminate shadows and improve the colours

below are a few randomly selected examples of my work.

None have been edited apart from cropping

 

[IPT]

I need to figure this out with the macro lens, because I don’t thing cropping the image is the answer?

If you feel like you can't get the subject large enough in the frame, then yes, sometimes cropping is the answer. If you can't get close enough, you need more reach (longer focal length), or to get closer . Thats the purpose of the glass boxes and tubes, to literally get closer. Other options would be to use a Tele-convertor which will increase your reach. There is a 1.4 and 2.0 (from Canon). That would effectively make a 100mm lens into a 140mm and 200mm lens respectively. The trade off is light loss. though with pumps off, a tripod and todays great high ISO capabilities and noise reduction software that shouldn't be an issue. That, or get a tele-photo Macro lens. There is one that is 180mm. Can't recall if it was Canon or Sigma, or both. Likely Nikon has one too. Maybe it was Tamron.....You would be able to take a picture close up of a subject without actually being close. Think about wildlife where people have 500mm lenses and take pictures of wildlife from a great distance but still fill the frame with the subject.

A "macro" lens is just like any other lens, it just has the capability to get way closer, and still be able to focus. This makes things really detailed and big. Lots of people use the 100 f2.8 for portraits because it has nice reach and a relatively large aperture. The challenge with Macro lenses the way we use them is usually the DOF (depth of field). When you are that close it's hard to keep everything in focus at one time (enter focus stacking, of which I have very little experience with) or, cropping .

You could also get crazy and use longer lens (like a 200mm or 300mm) with extension tubes to make the minimum focusing distance less .

 

[IPT]

I use a Flipper magentic magnifying glass's orange filter and just hold it in front of my phone. hehe. [HASH=76452]#cheapskate[/HASH]

View attachment 3128046

It's a start...but it really just pops the oranges. Though it didn't seem to help the clownfish. Here's a quick PS color balance correction. I didn't spend much time on it. If you wanted to really get into it you could use local masking etc. Like I would go back and fix the background behind the tank where it's too orange. Too me the biggest difference here is in the rock and clownfish. At least my eyes viewing on a non-color profiled laptop screen.

The starting image was pretty blue too so it was tough to pull back. As mentioned, shooting RAW and using White balance correction right from the get go, will save you tons of time and headaches with color correction.

 

[IPT]

Two older images of mine. I'm sorting through the wreckage of a hard drive failure. Hopefully I'll have more soon. If I recall I did use a flash for the clownfish and goby in the anemone. You can see the shalowish DOF (Depth of field).

 

[sawdonkey]

If you feel like you can't get the subject large enough in the frame, then yes, sometimes cropping is the answer. If you can't get close enough, you need more reach (longer focal length), or to get closer . Thats the purpose of the glass boxes and tubes, to literally get closer. Other options would be to use a Tele-convertor which will increase your reach. There is a 1.4 and 2.0 (from Canon). That would effectively make a 100mm lens into a 140mm and 200mm lens respectively. The trade off is light loss. though with pumps off, a tripod and todays great high ISO capabilities and noise reduction software that shouldn't be an issue. That, or get a tele-photo Macro lens. There is one that is 180mm. Can't recall if it was Canon or Sigma, or both. Likely Nikon has one too. Maybe it was Tamron.....You would be able to take a picture close up of a subject without actually being close. Think about wildlife where people have 500mm lenses and take pictures of wildlife from a great distance but still fill the frame with the subject.

A "macro" lens is just like any other lens, it just has the capability to get way closer, and still be able to focus. This makes things really detailed and big. Lots of people use the 100 f2.8 for portraits because it has nice reach and a relatively large aperture. The challenge with Macro lenses the way we use them is usually the DOF (depth of field). When you are that close it's hard to keep everything in focus at one time (enter focus stacking, of which I have very little experience with) or, cropping .

You could also get crazy and use longer lens (like a 200mm or 300mm) with extension tubes to make the minimum focusing distance less .

Thanks for the pointers. I generally have a decent understanding of all of these concepts. I think what I need most is just time playing around this this lens. I have many of hours experience using extension tubes and diopters on my 35-100 telephoto lens. I really like those setups, but those have drawbacks too.

I tried to see what using an extension tube with the macro lens would do. Nothing would focus. Also, I shoot with a Panasonic LUMIX four thirds frame, so my lens options a little limited. My macro lens is a 50 mm, so that a 100mm equivalent of a full frame camera. It shoots 2:1 magnification, but I’m not really sure how that helps me for reef photography? I need to do some research on this. Here’s my lens:

 

[IPT]

Thanks for the pointers. I generally have a decent understanding of all of these concepts. I think what I need most is just time playing around this this lens. I have many of hours experience using extension tubes and diopters on my 35-100 telephoto lens. I really like those setups, but those have drawbacks too.

I tried to see what using an extension tube with the macro lens would do. Nothing would focus. Also, I shoot with a Panasonic LUMIX four thirds frame, so my lens options a little limited. My macro lens is a 50 mm, so that a 100mm equivalent of a full frame camera. It shoots 2:1 magnification, but I’m not really sure how that helps me for reef photography? I need to do some research on this. Here’s my lens:View attachment 3131102

If I remember correctly, using an extension tube on a macro lens lets you get REALLY close to your subject. Odds are you were just too far away. Try that same setup and do something on your kitchen table and move in real close. I usued to stack extension tubes and 100mm Macro to take pics of individual frost crystals.

I think 2:1 means you can make it 2x life size on the image. Of course it will require you to get VERY close. On the land that's not an issue. In a reef tank it can be. Hence the advantage of a bigger zoom. Your 50mm will likely still give you a 50mm view, and then just crop in body to the equivalent of 100mm. I'm not familiar with that setup.

If you haven't try using it with hand held with something setup on your kitchen table. That way glass and water won't be in the way of you getting the relations ship you need to get focused and the magnification you want. lay with that, and then once you understand the limitations see if you can do in in the tank. Some of the stuff may just just be "too far away" in the depths of the tank to get what you're hoping for. Honestly, I'm not sure. I'll be curious to see what you figure out once you play with it.

 

[fishRus]

Fintastic photo gear: What are the top photo accessories for fish and coral pictures?

Sure, you can grab your cellphone and take a quick snapshot of your tank, but there are many other approaches and a lot more gear to support photography in and around your aquarium. What accessories do you use for fish and coral pictures? How important is a tripod and do you have any preferred features? Have you ever used a lens tube and has it help you improve your pictures? Do you regularly use a lens filter for taking pictures of your tank? Are there other accessories that are important to you when taking photos of your tank? Let’s talk aquarium photo accessories!

View attachment 3112375
Photo by @SuncrestReef

That’s funny right there

 

[fishRus]

 

[fishRus]

You can take some great pictures with your phone!

 

[Freenow54]

Fintastic photo gear: What are the top photo accessories for fish and coral pictures?

Sure, you can grab your cellphone and take a quick snapshot of your tank, but there are many other approaches and a lot more gear to support photography in and around your aquarium. What accessories do you use for fish and coral pictures? How important is a tripod and do you have any preferred features? Have you ever used a lens tube and has it help you improve your pictures? Do you regularly use a lens filter for taking pictures of your tank? Are there other accessories that are important to you when taking photos of your tank? Let’s talk aquarium photo accessories!

View attachment 3112375
Photo by @SuncrestReef

Wow pretty brave with that lens

 

[Freenow54]

As to phones I am certain that there are huge improvements in the quality however there comes a time you get little return for the investment. I used to chase the same carrot when it came to music, and movie sound and effects. It never ends I believe the manufactures know what they are going to do years in advance, so keep the bank account full if you get on the wheel. For old 35 mm guys I love my Pentax K-01 digital, as it allows me to use all of my old but expensive lens. It also matters what your subject is obviously fish are harder than coral . No expert but do like digital as you can " waste shots without costing you a fortune and not finding out until your film is developed

 

[GunnarH]

I don’t really have a ton of interest in photography

For someone with no interest I'd say you're doing pretty well. I love those macros you posted, very nice!

 

[Singspot]

I HATE cell phone pics of my tank. I do it in a pinch from time to time, but they are always terrible. The camera really struggles with any amount of blue light and the clarity is always very poor.

I also HATE when people use orange filters. Sure, it takes out the excessive blue, but it looks super unnatural to me. I try my best to capture the true color with my camera.

I use a Panasonic LUMIX GX85 camera body, which is a micro four thirds. It’s about half the size of a typical DSLR, and a little bugger than a typical point-and-shoot.

For years, I used either extension tubes or magnifying lenses on a telephoto lens for macro shots. I recently bought a true macro lens but I’m yet to figure out how to use it properly. I don’t really have a ton of interest in photography, so the equipment I have is pretty much only used for aquarium photos.

Here are some photos using the new macro lens.
View attachment 3128140View attachment 3128141View attachment 3128142View attachment 3128143View attachment 3128144

Great details!

 

[Cichlid Dad]

So I've tried all three of these and can't seem to get a good picture

 

[Tripod Ninja]

you also need a good tripod for best photograp

 

[Tripod Ninja]

Fintastic photo gear: What are the top photo accessories for fish and coral pictures?

Sure, you can grab your cellphone and take a quick snapshot of your tank, but there are many other approaches and a lot more gear to support photography in and around your aquarium. What accessories do you use for fish and coral pictures? How important is a tripod and do you have any preferred features? Have you ever used a lens tube and has it help you improve your pictures? Do you regularly use a lens filter for taking pictures of your tank? Are there other accessories that are important to you when taking photos of your tank? Let’s talk aquarium photo accessories!

View attachment 3112375
Photo by @SuncrestReef

you also need a good tripod