DSLR Noob

[goody]

Recently bought my first SLR and went with the Nikon D40X. Having some difficulty taking good tank shots. Any suggestions on settings? I'm using a 18-55mm lens, but wanted to know what anybody thinks of those "macro" lenses that can screw on the end of regular lens. Do they work? Can I take better macro shots with these? Can't afford a real macro lens, thus the question. Thanks.

[Dakota]

A lens' macro ability is based on whether or not it can focus close enough to an object to obtain a magnification of 1:1 (or close to it). It terms of settings, if you are working with objects close to the lens, you should be an the largest aperture you can (probably f 5.6 on your lens) and have your ISO settings at around 400. The D40x can handle the noise at that settings. This will increase your shutter speed to avoid camera shake/movement.

As for the screw on things, I believe you are talking about diopters? Like little magnifying glasses on the end, also called "close-up" filters? The best way to handle macro w/o a true macro lens is you buy extention tubes. These move the lens elements farther away from your film plane, thus allowing you to focus closer, creating macro magnification. Note that you WILL lose the ability to focus at infinity with extension tubes on, so keep that in mind. You can find them for around $75 an up depending on the manufacturer and thickness (in mm). If that is not in your budget, the close-up screw on types will work, but with noticeable loss of image quality.


Second thoughts: When taking pictures of your tank, be sure your glass is clean, and your lens is touching.. otherwise light can get in and glare. Also, you may need to crank up your ISO to 800 or even 1600 in order for proper exposure. Set your color temperature to around 8,000 or so to avoid harsh blue shifts. Make sure you do your best NOT to photograph at an angle to your glass. This will warp the image.