Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I also have a Sony F707, and was curious what you need to get the close ups you have gotten. I looked on sony's website, and found a close up lens for 59.99. Is this what I need? I noticed in a post lower down you said something about filters as well. If you know of any websites to get some of this stuff I would GREATLY appreciate it!! Thanks!
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MIKE
4.14 Leopards (SHTCT, and Jungle Albino Trempers)
2.13 Fat Tails (Amels, Hets, and Normals)
1.1 Teratolepis Fasciata
1.3 Crested geckos
0.0.3 Dendrobates Tinctorius (Citronellas)
1.0 Diamond Back Terrapin
14 Snakes (Tri colored hogs, subocs, alterna, rosy boas, and black milks)

Here is a link to what I use:
www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=22756&is=REG

They are nice, but also tough to use. They reduce the depth of field so to increase it you have to increase your apature, which reduces the lighting... So it can get a little tricky, but they do let you get closer.
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Kyle
www.kylesphotos.com
Dart Links - still a work in progress
1.2.0 D. leucomelas
1.1.0 D. azureus
1.0.1 D. imitators

Yeah...the depth of field with my Nikon CP is very tricky and I often get pics of frogs whose legs are in focus and their bodies aren't. I set my aperture low and my shutterspeed faster (1/125 and 1/250) and when the flash is filtered through several layers of white paper the results are great. Being a point and click camera lacking a port for a synched slave I had to improvise. This filtered flash is excllent and nearly reduces the extreme glare from the flash on this camera. I have a couple of before and after shots that I fired off. I'm going to put them this camera to the test tommorow on my frogs and post the results. Also looking into buying 2 and 3 lenses for the camera. Until then, I'm working solely with the stock Nikkor lense. Great imitator pic also...is that from the 2 lense or 3?

-Bill J
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Updated list as of: 11/7/03
2.2.3 D. azureus
1.2 D. ventrimaculatus 'yellow' (22 tads in the water)
3.3 D. tinctorius 'cobalt'
0.0.3 D. tinctorius 'patricia'
0.0.1 D. tinctorius 'giant orange'
0.0.1 D. tinctorius 'citronella'
0.0.2 D auratus 'zwartgroene(Panamanian black and green)'
0.0.5 D. auratus 'green/black'
0.0.3 D. imitator 'Alex Sens line' (very soon)
0.0.2 D. reticulatus (soon)

The last imitator pic is with the 2, but I use the 4 the most.
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Kyle
www.kylesphotos.com
Dart Links - still a work in progress
1.2.0 D. leucomelas
1.1.0 D. azureus
1.0.1 D. imitators

Do you shoot your pictures through the tank glass? If so, are there any tricks?

Tim

Yes right through the glass, ticks to that are:

1. Put the lens right on the glass.
2. use a lens hood if you have one
3. keep room lights low to reduce glass glare
4. Don't bang the lens against the glass, cuz the frogs will move

To be honest the biggest problem I have seen in a lot of frog photos, is that people zoom in too much. At some point your camera can not focus, and a lot of people go past that. Watch the LCD, and when you zoom in if it looks like the camaera can not focus, then it can't, and back up a little.
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Kyle
www.kylesphotos.com
Dart Links - still a work in progress
1.2.0 D. leucomelas
1.1.0 D. azureus
1.0.1 D. imitators

What is a lense hood?
What about using a flash?
Also, what size are your digital pictures?

You're close-ups always come out very nice.

Tim

Ok, first thanks a lot, and here are your answers:

What is a lense hood?
www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=23165&is=REG

What about using a flash?
Flash is fine, but I have found it best to use on low, or to use paper to difuse it.

Also, what size are your digital pictures?
5 megapixel 2560x1920

One thing to note is you always want to use the highest resolution you can on your camera or you will not get the full megapixels of the camera.
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Kyle
www.kylesphotos.com
Dart Links - still a work in progress
1.2.0 D. leucomelas
1.1.0 D. azureus
1.0.1 D. imitators

Just curious if you have tried their "Close up" lens. They are about the same price as the ones offered in the link you sent me! Is one better than the other in your oppinion? Thanks for all your help, I'm sure once I get the lens, I'll have a ton more questions for ya!
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MIKE
4.14 Leopards (SHTCT, and Jungle Albino Trempers)
2.13 Fat Tails (Amels, Hets, and Normals)
1.1 Teratolepis Fasciata
1.3 Crested geckos
0.0.3 Dendrobates Tinctorius (Citronellas)
1.0 Diamond Back Terrapin
14 Snakes (Tri colored hogs, subocs, alterna, rosy boas, and black milks)

I have not tried the Sony one, but it is only one lens and if I remember about a 3. I like the hoya set for the diferent lenses. You can also stack them and get a 7. So the amount of options is very nice compared to just one.
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Kyle
www.kylesphotos.com
Dart Links - still a work in progress
1.2.0 D. leucomelas
1.1.0 D. azureus
1.0.1 D. imitators