I am FINALLY (so excited!!!) purchasing my first SLR!!! I'm looking into the Canon Rebel XS or XSi.... I really LOVE the blurred background effect that I have seen as a result of being taken with other SLR's.... but, I've always used a point-and-shoot and know absolutely NOTHING about various lenses! PLEASE HELP ME! I know that it's not very appealing to sit and explain lenses, aperture, depth of field, etc. to an amateur - but we're all here to help each other, right?! :) I get some really great shots with my point-and-shoot, but just know nothing about lenses. I understand that the larger aperture the better chance of blur, but I don't understand what depth of field is or how to change the shutter speed. What's the best lens I can get for taking "regular" pictures (nothing macro) with the most blur in the background? Any help is appreciated. Thanks so much!!!!
Most any lens will give you that blur or bokeh if you open up the aperture to the max. If you're going to buy a SLR you can set your dial on P and never think about shutter speed or aperture, but if you want to experiment with depth of field, you'll want to learn to use your aperture priority setting. Just set the dial to A and choose the lowest number aperture which actually allows for the largest amount of light to pass through your lens. The shutter speed will be set automatically to make the right exposure for the aperture you have chosen.
For my everyday, walk around lens, I use a Nikon 18-200mm zoom and I get plenty of blur with it when I open up the aperture. Even the Canon and Nikon kit lenses will do the job - it's all in how much you want to spend.
On the other hand, there are times when you want more of your shot in focus. For those kind of situations you'll want to set your aperture up to f11 or higher to allow for more depth of field.
Setting your dial on S will allow you to change your shutter speed. Set it to a faster speed when you're shooting moving objects to freeze the action, but remember that when you decrease the shutter speed your camera will be increasing the aperture to compensate on the exposure, so you'll get less depth of field. It take practice to get the right combination of stop action and the desired depth of field.
Thank you so much, Colleen. I have a FujiFilm FinePix S1500 right now. It's not an SLR, but "looks" like one and has those settings as well. "P" and "A". On "A" though, the lowest number it allows is 2.8 some times and 3.1 other times. I understand that this will take some time to understand everything, but I am just trying to get the basics down.. I really appreciate you taking the time to explain everything - it can get a little confusing. :)
Hi Nicole. Congratulations on your impending purchase.
While I can't speak for everyone here, I like to discuss gear, techniques and technical photography stuff. I had to ask all those questions myself when I was starting (not that I'm anything close to being an expert or professional myself!) so it only makes sense to pass on that knowledge to others.
Depth of field (dof) relates to how much of the photo is in focus. If just the subject is in focus then that is a shallow or small dof. If pretty much the whole thing is in focus then that is a deep or large dof. Relating this back to aperture, a small aperture will result in a large dof while a large aperture results in a shallow dof. A shallow dof also quite often results in an effect called bokeh in the background. The way the city lights in the background of my pic here make circles of colour is an example of bokeh.
The best lenses to use for shallow dof are (as Andrea mentioned) prime or fixed focal length lenses. Probably the most commonly owned prime lens is the 50mm. Having looked at your current photos I think you'd get a lot of enjoyment out of this particular lens. The f/1.8 50mm is quite affordable but if you have the cash try getting a 1.4/f or even 1.2/f 50mm. the /f number refers to how wide the aperture will open and a small number means a larger (wider) aperture.
Prime lenses also give you a much sharper photo than zooms as the glass elements inside the lens that focus the light don't have to deal with the challenge of multiple focal lengths that zooms lenses have. Of course, as prime lenses do not zoom in you have to position yourself properly for the photo, which can mean getting up close an personal with your subject matter, rather than taking the shot from 10 metres back.
Finally, I'd suggest starting to shoot with your SLR in Aperture Priority mode. This way the camera will automatically set the shutter speed and all you need to worry about is changing the aperture to get the dof you want. Also, experiment. That is the best way to learn. I find that I can read all the theory I want but it doesn't really sink in until I go out and start shooting. I often take several shot of the same subject at different aperture and/or shutter speed setting to see what happens.
I hope that all helps and I haven't left you more confused!
No... You helped a lot. All of you have. Lisa, I actually got paper and a pen and "took notes". Of course, I'm sure all of this will make more sense once I have my own SLR to get my hands on and "fidget with", but I'm happy you can help me learn a little about WHAT I should be fidgeting with. I really wanted to get the Rebel XSi because it is newer, but I think I am going to go with the Rebel XS instead & spend the difference in cash on a lens. I'm so happy you guys have explained this so much better than any articles or other discussion boards I have found. I was hesitant to ask because I have read numerous posts that still left me confused - but you've really helped! Thanks again!!!
I have to agree with Lisa and Andrea that a prime lens is probably best, but if you're short on cash and want a little more versatility, a good zoom lens could still be an option.
My bee photo on April 11 that you commented on was taken with a 60mm prime Macro lens. But my April 5 bird photo was with my 80-400mm zoom and you can see it has great bokeh. My daffodils on March 26 and apple blossoms on April 23 were taken with my 18-200mm, and again a good blurry background. So most any lens will do it as long as you're setting a large aperture.
Primes are great and I do own several, but I find I'm using my zooms more often because of their versatility.
you will have to buy either Canon lenses or off brand lenses that are compatible with canon lens mounts. Companies like Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina sell lenses for the big DSLR companies like Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, and Panasonic. If you decide to buy an off brand lens you must make sure the lens will fit your camera.
for instance: i own 3 Canon lenses and 1 Tokina lens. Tokina makes the same lens for Nikon so i had to make sure i bought the one that fit my Rebel.
*hope that helps... its late and i seem to be losing my train of thought haha
What Mark said. Also, be wary of non brand lenses. While Sigma, Tamron and Tonika are all generally good quality, other brands can be dodgy. If you want to do a bit more research (either on lenses or cameras), the DP Review website is a good resource
hi nicole , ( woohoo ur going to love ur new toy )
i was told a very handy tip of a professional photographer which workes a treat . Hopefully when u get ur new canon it comes with the twin lens kit . Because the tip is to have the bigger lens on ( 55-250 or there abouts ) and zoom to 135 and shoot ur subject . Dont move the lens , u walk to or from ur subject if needed. You will love this result for the kit lens, works a real treat . Or yes the 50mm prime lens is the go , very cheap and lightweight . Takes brillant portraits !!
good luck with it and will be looking forward to some shot with ur new camera !!
50mm 1.8 from Canon. Almost every portrait I shoot is with that lens. Pin sharp and reliable.
You don't need the 1.4 or 1.2 - those would only be for the most demanding of professional shoots, and the 1.2 would have such a ridiculously shallow DOF that you'd have to be shooting something relatively flat or else it would be weird. 1.4 gives you one more stop of light but is $400 or so compared to $90 for the 1.8
The other useful tip for achieving soft backgrounds is to pay attention to your camera to subject and subject to backdrop distances. The camera should be relatively a lot closer to your subject than the backdrop.
Generally, the range for any given DOF is split about 1/3 in front of the focus point and 2/3 behind the focus point. The further the backdrop is away from that rear imaginary point the more blurred the effect will be. The closer the camera is to the subject and the wider the aperture the narrower this range is.
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For my everyday, walk around lens, I use a Nikon 18-200mm zoom and I get plenty of blur with it when I open up the aperture. Even the Canon and Nikon kit lenses will do the job - it's all in how much you want to spend.
On the other hand, there are times when you want more of your shot in focus. For those kind of situations you'll want to set your aperture up to f11 or higher to allow for more depth of field.
Setting your dial on S will allow you to change your shutter speed. Set it to a faster speed when you're shooting moving objects to freeze the action, but remember that when you decrease the shutter speed your camera will be increasing the aperture to compensate on the exposure, so you'll get less depth of field. It take practice to get the right combination of stop action and the desired depth of field.
While I can't speak for everyone here, I like to discuss gear, techniques and technical photography stuff. I had to ask all those questions myself when I was starting (not that I'm anything close to being an expert or professional myself!) so it only makes sense to pass on that knowledge to others.
Depth of field (dof) relates to how much of the photo is in focus. If just the subject is in focus then that is a shallow or small dof. If pretty much the whole thing is in focus then that is a deep or large dof. Relating this back to aperture, a small aperture will result in a large dof while a large aperture results in a shallow dof. A shallow dof also quite often results in an effect called bokeh in the background. The way the city lights in the background of my pic here make circles of colour is an example of bokeh.
The best lenses to use for shallow dof are (as Andrea mentioned) prime or fixed focal length lenses. Probably the most commonly owned prime lens is the 50mm. Having looked at your current photos I think you'd get a lot of enjoyment out of this particular lens. The f/1.8 50mm is quite affordable but if you have the cash try getting a 1.4/f or even 1.2/f 50mm. the /f number refers to how wide the aperture will open and a small number means a larger (wider) aperture.
Prime lenses also give you a much sharper photo than zooms as the glass elements inside the lens that focus the light don't have to deal with the challenge of multiple focal lengths that zooms lenses have. Of course, as prime lenses do not zoom in you have to position yourself properly for the photo, which can mean getting up close an personal with your subject matter, rather than taking the shot from 10 metres back.
Finally, I'd suggest starting to shoot with your SLR in Aperture Priority mode. This way the camera will automatically set the shutter speed and all you need to worry about is changing the aperture to get the dof you want. Also, experiment. That is the best way to learn. I find that I can read all the theory I want but it doesn't really sink in until I go out and start shooting. I often take several shot of the same subject at different aperture and/or shutter speed setting to see what happens.
I hope that all helps and I haven't left you more confused!
Lisa
My bee photo on April 11 that you commented on was taken with a 60mm prime Macro lens. But my April 5 bird photo was with my 80-400mm zoom and you can see it has great bokeh. My daffodils on March 26 and apple blossoms on April 23 were taken with my 18-200mm, and again a good blurry background. So most any lens will do it as long as you're setting a large aperture.
Primes are great and I do own several, but I find I'm using my zooms more often because of their versatility.
for instance: i own 3 Canon lenses and 1 Tokina lens. Tokina makes the same lens for Nikon so i had to make sure i bought the one that fit my Rebel.
*hope that helps... its late and i seem to be losing my train of thought haha
i was told a very handy tip of a professional photographer which workes a treat . Hopefully when u get ur new canon it comes with the twin lens kit . Because the tip is to have the bigger lens on ( 55-250 or there abouts ) and zoom to 135 and shoot ur subject . Dont move the lens , u walk to or from ur subject if needed. You will love this result for the kit lens, works a real treat . Or yes the 50mm prime lens is the go , very cheap and lightweight . Takes brillant portraits !!
good luck with it and will be looking forward to some shot with ur new camera !!
You don't need the 1.4 or 1.2 - those would only be for the most demanding of professional shoots, and the 1.2 would have such a ridiculously shallow DOF that you'd have to be shooting something relatively flat or else it would be weird. 1.4 gives you one more stop of light but is $400 or so compared to $90 for the 1.8
Generally, the range for any given DOF is split about 1/3 in front of the focus point and 2/3 behind the focus point. The further the backdrop is away from that rear imaginary point the more blurred the effect will be. The closer the camera is to the subject and the wider the aperture the narrower this range is.
My photo ( http://365project.org/rovingmedic/365/2010-05-07 ) shows that you can get this effect even at F11 (camera to subject was about 30cm, subject to background was about 5m)