Camera settings...
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Mainly to do with SLRs but will also apply to P&S that allow you to change exposure settings:
Aperture: In most situations, you will want a small aperture (bigger number). This will allow you to get a wider depth of field. This is especially important if you are taking pictures of small, small things. The higher the magnification the shallower the depth of field thus you will need a small aperture to get that front-to-back sharpness. I generally try to get maximum depth of field so I get sharp pictures all around - anything from F8 upwards.
Sometimes, using a small F number (larger aperture) is preferred – when you want to have the subject (or part of it) in sharp focus with the background blurred out for effect.
Shutter speed: For fish, I have found that you need to go with as high a shutter speed as possible. Fish move fast! And you have to have a high shutter speed to freeze the movement. Otherwise, you will end up with at best, a soft (unsharp) picture...and very often just the tail end of your subject!
ISO: I generally shoot with as low an
ISO as possible (200 on my cam, wished it could be lower...). This is kind of a throwback to film days - lower
ISO = less grainy pictures. However, I believe this is not longer that true with digital photography - you can get away with possibly up to
ISO 400 with some cameras and still have very little noise. With the newer DSLR, the sensors have improved so much that even
ISO 800 is very usable. All the same, it’s always better to use as low an
ISO value as possible