Macro Nano camera advice

[Hanzel]

Hello All
I was to get into taking very close pics of my aquarium animals.
I'm totally new to photography and was looking for advice on a 2nd hand camera and lens that would allow me to take precise and clear photos of exotic shrimp.

Any advice about a beginner camera would be great thanks

[ricktas]

Welcome to AP.

Camera body...that really is personal choice. Stick to one of the major brands and you cannot go wrong. What you need for capturing shrimp and other aquarium species is a good macro lens. Look for one that is f2.8 or better. (ie a lower number is better in this instance. So f2 is better than f2.8). But also be wary of ones that say something like f2.8-4.5

Camera wise, once you choose a brand you like, then us know and we can offer some advice on which camera body.

A good lens can last a lifetime, the camera body is the 'disposable' part. There is always a better camera model coming out soon. Whereas some of the best lenses are years or decades old.

So work out which brand you like (just like Mac/PC or Ford vs.. what used to be Holden (hehe) brand choice is simply a personal prefence, and then come back for model/lens advice

[Dazz1]

From my experience, taking photos of critters in aquariums requires a macro lens with the best working distance (from front of lens to object) you can get. The problem is that a macro lens achieves it's aims by letting you focus up very close to an object. In an aquarium, the critters are seldom up near the front glass. They could be 300mm away or more depending on aquarium size.