Hi David,

The key to getting the very best shell shots is a good flash system.
Most onboard flashes produce acceptable results, but I've found that a
separate flash unit, fired as a "bounce" off a piece of cardboard
produces the best results. There are also flashes that accept "soft
boxes," which are diffusers that spread the light out more evenly,
thus reducing harsh shadows. Why don't you send me a couple of photos
and I should be able to tell you what you can do to improve them. Are
you using a manual f-stop? Most digitals tend to use larger f-stops
(like f2.4 for instance) in everyday use. I shoot all my shells using
a manual f-stop of around f6.5-7.3. Keep in mind that f-stops on
digitals are roughly half of a standard 35mm, so f8 in 35mm terms
would be around f4 or so on most digitals. This varies according to
the size of the internal sensor, but you can use it as a rough formula
for conversions. Also, while tripods are critical for tiny shells, I
rarely use one for larger specimens (anything over, say, one inch).

Best regards,
Jim

On Feb 22, 2010, at 11:30 PM, David Kirsh wrote:

> Interesting discussion and I appreciate the input I've gotten on
> scanners.
>
> Jim, I've got a Canon SD 1200 with 10 megapixels. As a handheld
> camera for micros, it hasn't had results to rival my former
> scanning. But that might be for lack of a tripod or possibly a
> higher resolution setting. I'd appreciate if someone can advise me
> on it. I suspect I'll need to contact Canon's support, which I
> haven't gotten around to yet.
>
> A few years ago, owner's manuals started to be written on an ultra-
> simplistic level and today the owners of devices with lots of
> features must piece together instructions by contacting the
> manufacturer. Not coincidentally, I contacted Lexmark about the lack
> of resolution (which turned out to be lack of depth of field) and
> eventually shared via online chat with the tech support person that
> I was creating images of micro shells. She said that she was
> inspired to look for shells the next time she went to the beach.
> "Oh, are you close to the beach?" "Maybe a half-hour or an hour from
> the beach." "What state are you in? (I thought: maybe she's in
> Florida or California). "Actually, I'm in the Philippines." I almost
> fell off my chair. What happened out of this is that I got an
> invitation to be shown around the island of Cebu, when I visit.
>
> David Kirsh
> Durham, NC
>
>
>
> "When you're chewing on life's gristle, DON'T grumble. Give a
> whistle!" --from Life of Brian
>
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