I've just about everything I can on photography (melev's reef and other links) and I can work all the settings on my digital except the auto-focus. If I try to get any close up the AF wont focus in on it and I can switch it to manual. Its a Kodak Z650 and take great pics otherwise. I been manipulating the lighting and other settings and getting decent pics (with exception to color). I just cant do any closeups. KUDOS to TulsaReefer you have some amazing pics! I dont have to go out and buy a $400.00 Cam to get these kind of pics do I? Any suggestions?

All cameras (or lenses actually) have a minimum focusing distance. It is different depending on the lens. Looking up some specs on the camera is looks like there is a close up mode:

(From Kodak web site)
Focus system - TTL-AF; auto, multi-zone, center-spot. (Center-weighted available in PASM modes.) Working range:

24 in. (60 cm)–infinity @ wide

6.6 ft (2 m)–infinity @ telephoto

4.7–27.6 in. (12–70 cm) @ wide close-up

3.9–6.9 ft (1.2–2.1 m) @ telephoto close-up

So, looks like we need to get it into close up mode. I'd recommend wide close-up, as it's easier to be steady on a wide angle lens than a telephoto (a telephoto magnifies your shaking).

Looks like from the manual, there is a close up mode here:

(From Kodak web site)
Close-up pictures
Use the Close-up setting to gain sharpness and detail in pictures at close range. Use available light instead of flash if possible. The camera automatically sets the focus distance depending on the zoom position:

Zoom position Close-up focus distance
Wide angle
4.7–27.6 in. (12–70 cm)

Telephoto
3.9–6.9 ft (1.2–2.1 m)

Looks like there is a little flower symbol on the top of the camera that puts it into close up mode. Kodak Z650 Close Up is the link to the page what has the instructions.

Also, make sure to take your pictures straight on into the glass, with the lens as close as possible to the glass. Clean the glass, inside and out first, as the auto focus can sometimes get fooled by some little bits on the glass and then it won't lock onto the actual subject. Also glass bends the light and will cause blue halo's around things if you aren't straight on (and still will sometimes).

And also remember this, I often take pictures that aren't really that close up, then I use software to crop it down to just what I want. My camera won't always focus as close as I want either, but since I often don't need the entire picture I'll crop out most of what I don't need. I use a couple programs, one that is free for Windows is called Paint.NET. It's not bad for free, though it can take a little time to learn your way around. Any editing program will work for basic cropping though, so don't worry if you already have one you like, use it.

If anyone is interested I can do another photography session at OMAS in the future. This time I'll drop out the underwater "vacation photos" and just focus on taking photos of tanks.

Another tip, don't give up. I just looked, over the past couple months I've taken almost 1200 photos, the majority aren't worth keeping. Take a lot, throw away any you don't like, that's the best part of digital photography, it doesn't really cost anything but time to shoot thousands of pictures.

So, in your opinion, this camera has the cabability of taking good close up pics. I just need to experiment some more with it?

It's hard to say what capabilities a camera actually has until you use it, as it's hard to know how close the "close up" capabilities are from the specs alone. But I wouldn't give up yet.

If your wondering about the camera, try taking some close ups in a brightly lit area (outside in the shade or on an overcast day isn't bad) of something like a newspaper, or something else with detail you can easily make out easily. Something with some pattern to it makes it easy for the focusing system to lock onto, and see how close and sharp you can get the pictures. It's harder to judge when you add in an aquarium since you have the glass, water, and everything else in the way, so some test shots sometimes help. If the camera takes good photos of a regular object in good light, then you know it's possible, we just need to look at what else an aquarium adds to the mix.

And if you do get to the next meeting, bring your camera and maybe we can take a few minutes and play around and see if we can figure something out.