new and just got my first camera

i just bought my first digital camera. it is a sony dsc-f828. is it any good? i got it for $300. i origanlly bought it for taking pics of my coral in my tank but now i want to use it for more and i don't know were to start/get to take great pics like many of you.

also i cant figure out how to make my coral look good under my actinic lighting. what settings should it be under?

thanks so much
nate

 

well if your camera is bran new.. you should do some reading before you start saying "i cant make it look good" read understanding exposure.. we cannot tell you what settings to use, as we dont know what atmosphere you are in..

 

the camera is used but it is in great condition. i'm trying to take macro shots of my coral it looks great under my 10,000k and actinic lighting but when it's under just the actinic it looks too bright and everything is blochy

 

where are good placees to look on figuering out my camera?

 

well the manual for one..

 

Uh oh, Chris. Get ready. Last time I gave that, "Read the manual" line, I got blasted for it. LoL.

 

Well it is a silly line. Manual isn't going to explain what to look for as much as a dedicated book to photography will. All a manual can do is tell someone where to look, after seeing it in a photography book or online.

If you can find it in your local library - get Understanding Exposure. Start there.

 

Actual entry to mid-level SLR manuals tend to have info on depth of field and aperture, ISO, etc. ANDS. I can't comment on a "DSC" or other pointnshoot manual but it's actually quite a good resource. And I suppose that if you were dropping for a 1ds mkIII you'd already know how to operate it.

 

actually my cameras manual has very valuable info in it in regards to the manual functions, aperture and shutter speed...

obvisouly it doesnt have as much as a book whose main topic is aperture, but for a manual, it has a LOT of great stuff that got me started...

 

Frankly manuals are all well and good but are rather dry and a bit perplexing for the total noob. I'm a bit dyslexic and impatient when it comes to manuals (you should see me trying to assemble a flat pack wardrobe). I learned more from trial and error and coming here than I ever gleamed from the manual and I'm by no means stupid.

As a starting point nate if you can post an image with the exif data intact or can at least tell us what the shutter speed, aperture and ISO are we might be able to point you in the general direction.

 

actinic lighting is like black lighting where should i look in my manual? Taking pictures under black lights?

 

first off welcome to the forum. second most manuals tell you the cameras functions but not how to apply them. for specifics look for the book understanding exsposure it will help a lot more than your cameras manual.