Close-up Viewing

[FishTri]

Camera newbie here.

Does anybody use their camera for closeup/magnified viewing of corals and fish?

I'm picturing a nicer camera with interchangeable lenses. Hand held (or mount it on a tripod) with a telephoto lens and zoom in on the fish you want to look at up closely.

Any suggestions for a camera/lens combination that would give me close-up viewing?

["Umm, fish?"]

Yes. In fact, snapping the photo and blowing it up is a great way to see things that you wouldn't otherwise.

But, if you're really interested in something that'll let you see everything in your tank at a magnification that you're unlikely to get with a camera, this is the place to go:

http://www.ogles.info/

[Phyl]

Lots of folks in this forum doing just that.

Here are a few of my shots taken with a Nikon D200 with a 105mm Macro lens.

[FishTri]

Andy,

You've got the idea. The mesoscope provides exactly the viewing I'm looking for.

But by the time you've spent $495, why not put that money towards a lens that would let you do similar real-time viewing through the camera, and then snap a pic if you want to?

[sbwood007]

Phyl

Those are very nice shots!!!

[FishTri]

Phyl,

Great shots! I understand they were taken within 6" of the front of the aquarium. Can you see clearly to fish and corals that would be further (2') away?

["Umm, fish?"]

But by the time you've spent $495, why not put that money towards a lens that would let you do similar real-time viewing through the camera, and then snap a pic if you want to?

The mesoscope is a very specialized tool. You will not find a lens that will give you that level of magnification (I think it's something on the order of 2x-3x) that will focus all the way to the back of your tank. I have a lens that'll focus to those magnifications, but it has a 2" working distance.

[Phyl]

Originally posted by FishTri
Phyl,

Great shots! I understand they were taken within 6" of the front of the aquarium. Can you see clearly to fish and corals that would be further (2') away?

Thanks. The magnifacation to the back of the tank would be closer to 1:1 rather than what I have there based on my current equipment list.

[FishTri]

So the 105mm Macro lens gives you good magnification for subjects close to the front. Does this same lens let you look to the back of the tank (but with less magnification)? Or do you have to switch lenses?

Is there one lens that would let you follow a fish from front to back of a 2' deep (front to back) tank? Or would you have to change lenses?

Ideally there would be a camera with a single lens that could be used for magnified viewing (like "Umm, fish's?" mesoscope) no matter where the fish traveled. If that's not possible, is there a lens that give you a pretty good compromise?

[Phyl]

You couldn't practically follow at fish at 3x magnification because at that rate you'd have a really hard time finding them in the tank. You need a bit more field of view than is available. The depth of field at that magnification wouldn't allow for much of the fish to be in focus either.