Fuji S3500 ... Naff pictures

[y2daz]

I recently purchased a s3500 after seeing someones pictures from a s3100 which is a lower model , I thought I would be able to get some cracking pictures ... I was wrong.

Outside pictures and pictures using the flash don't seem too bad , but the most important thing I want to take pictures of are things in my aquariums ... the pictures from the s3100 were aquarium pics and they were absolutely brilliant compared with what I can get from mine.

I've used a tripod and I've tried all the settings I can think of on this camera , if I use the flash I get a lot of reflection from the glass which is obvious ... I've tried as much external light as I can muster but without the flash I keep getting the shake symbol and the incorrect AF indicator , the pictures I take are not too bad light and colour wise but they are not what I would call crisp at all ... I don't know what else to try ... does anybody have any suggestions or have I purchased a naff camera for what I want to do?

Many thanks in advance

Daz

[brightspark]

Try using Fluorescent lighting ONLY. Place your camera on a fixed surface. For example a chair, box or something similar. If these tips don,t work, use the "aperture priority" settings. If your manual is the same as mine, try page 42. Hope this helps,

Regards,
Brightspark. :)