Bacardi

Guess I finally accepted the Olympus 8080WZ. I had some problems when I started: camera freezing (due to a slow card of 1GB, changed to Sandisk extreme 512 and no more probs), batteries running low quite quickly (after some 5 reloads they last more than 180 fullsize jpg with preview each time, so that was a new battery problem) and focusing problems (set from iESP to spot usually does the trick).
Yet I usually set light metering to -.35, even .70 on some subjects.

The main problem for me is the manual focus, which is electrical, and not manual. And I do miss the extreme wide-angle...

Anyways: it's worth its money, and not only for reproductions in catalogues (saves me 4x5inch slides each time).

This is a reduced size detail from a fish from the Aquarium of La Rochelle.
A little curves, and a tiny bit of unsharp mask due to the reduction.

Raven

B7 Nice shot, Erik! This was taken through the aquarium glass?? Nice detail and contrasts, the scales' pearly shine captured well. I haven't always found aquariums' thick glass clear enough to get good results through.
Glad you are enjoying your Olympus, they make some fine cameras!

Bacardi

Thanks.
The advantage of digicams is that you can set them to an automatic ISO jump, so that they switch to "higher sensitivity film" when there is less light.
Second: never ever use a flash in an aquarium. Not only this results in a bad photo, but it's also very bad for the animals (eyes,...)
Third: buy a rubber hood and fold it backwards so that you have a kind of rubber cushion around your lens. Gently press this against the glass -the extra stability is a bonus advantage- and then take your photo.
Light conditions are low, often you'll have to get 1/15th or even longer shots, which are difficult as fish are always moving.
That's my way, and it works for me.
But I could take pics with my trad. OM4Ti that I can't take with the 8080 mainly due to focusing problems. Manual was much better and is cumbersome on the 8080, even more in macro mode. With the OM4 I can focus and await the fish to come into view. With the 8080, a red beam is sent out and focusing is calculated, which means the fish is usually unsharp.
Apart from that, digital has many advantages.

Raven

Great tips for these shots, Erik -- thanks! [righton]

Last time I had a chance to visit an aquarium was when I went to NZ couple of years ago. It wasn't possible to get the excellent shots like yours of the fish, but I did manage to get this "snapshot" of a tidal pool display, and it was the colorful collection altogether which captivated me. Wish I could have gotten a clearer pic but it was dimly lit in there and the overhead lighting wasn't very good (although, probably best for the sea creatures ), so I've cropped off the portion where lights glared on the water. It's not a great shot but I still like it for the colors and the memories....

Raven

One more...again, lighting, fish movement (this is a NZ Moki if I remember correctly), my lack of experience taking aquarium shots, etc. kept this shot from being sharp, but I did manage to capture the unusual vibrant blue of the fish (they are more than 12 inches long) and the background ended up with a lighting/coloring and rather painterly look...which I liked actually.

Bacardi

Isn't the submarine life very colourful! I've always loved to look at its beauty and variety. But, to be honest, the scientific names of fish I neglect as my visit is mostly an aesthetic one, spiced with a trance-like feeling.
Nice pics by the way.

It's really not a question of experience though as everyone quickly meets the camera's limitations. If you own a digital slr with decent 1600(noise) and have a wideangle equivalent of a 24/28mm f:2, you can take really sharp pics of fish I guess. But with less sensitivity, the sharpness of the fish is a question of luck. Like mine above.
Mind well: I don't talk here about your own movement.

BTW: I never use any of the filters in the camera (noise, sharpen,...) as, due to its processor, it can never ever match a real mac or PC, be it 800MHz or dual3GHz.

If you want to store many pics, instead of going the zip or rar way, you can also use .xar if you happen to have XaraX. It's worth a try, and it'll be a nice surprise.

Raven

Thanks for those great tips about camera settings and use of .xar files for storing! [righton]


I find watching fish swim and going about their lives very soothing/restful/peaceful...but I suppose very many people enjoy watching them too. The undersea world is full of unusual beauty and activity, such an immense variety of life in all depth zones. Sometimes I wish I could live undersea free like those creatures. It's such a fascinating world!

I don't know the names scientists have given to so many of the fishes, I wonder what the fishes would call themselves mostly, I just like to see them. I have just generalized knowledge of main types I guess. I have more knowledge regarding the molluscs/bivalve/univalves as I've been fascinated by seashells since I was a child and I have now a huge collection and have studied quite a bit about the creatures which make these shells for their lives and homes. The shapes and patterns, textures of seashells is very beautiful imo. The animals themselves fascinating. While in NZ I also was stunned by the incredible iridescence and colors of the paua shell, a species of abalone which is only found in NZ area waters. Such beauty in form hidden while the creature goes about it's life, and upon its passing this treasure left behind also to be pondered.....ah well, I go on too long always.

The pics above I took with a borrowed digital Kodak, not of the SLR type, and I didn't know all of it's features so these were just point/shoot/pray something would come out. I couldn't spend a lot of time either. I tried to just make the best of what pics I got, and even though they aren't the best I still enjoy them. B7

I brought back seashells found on the beaches and also rock samples -- I met with some local rock collectors/sculptors also while there -- and thought it would most probably all be taken away from me going through customs but to my shock when I came to declare what I had in my luggage and told the man in charge that I had these things I was instead told I could have all of these I wanted, given a big smile and checkmark on my pass, and didn't even have to have any of my possessions looked at! That made my day!

Below a pic of a paua shell found (without animal) on a NZ beach and brought back... to be sure what's outside is most interesting, but what's inside.....ahhhh.... .
I love the colors.