Newbie questions about lenses

[MLeeK]

And just why are you arguing the point? You are correct that you can drop low, but it's not something you just do any old time and you can't disregard the basics. You have to learn the basic stuff first.
It drives me nuts that things like this are out there just to confuse the hell out of someone trying to learn. We recently had someone get so damn confused with all of this that they left. Education is built in layers. You learned first how to count. Then you learned to add and subtract by way of counting. Then you learned how to myltiply and divide by way of adding and subtracting (and memorization). Then you move on to more complicated things. It's the layers you have to build first

I am not saying you are WRONG in what you are doing and saying, you're not-the point is that you FIRST teach the basics and why. Then you have to learn to break the rules. Telling someone new who is just learning that it doesn't matter what shutter speed you use is just more confusing crap. You have to learn the guidelines first and how and why they work the way they do. Then you learn to break them and what is needed in order to break them. You also have to learn what YOUR limits are for breaking them. Some can go as low as you did. Some cannot go that low by any means.

Consider the OP and what THEY are working at first-not what you or someone else can do. You have to help them build all of those layers.


AND... Your camera has built in IS and a translucent mirror that isn't an issue for shake. Canon does not. You have to purchase IS lenses in order to have that added benefit.

 

[ConradM]

And just why are you arguing the point? You are correct that you can drop low, but it's not something you just do any old time and you can't disregard the basics. You have to learn the basic stuff first.
It drives me nuts that things like this are out there just to confuse the hell out of someone trying to learn. We recently had someone get so damn confused with all of this that they left. Education is built in layers. You learned first how to count. Then you learned to add and subtract by way of counting. Then you learned how to myltiply and divide by way of adding and subtracting (and memorization). Then you move on to more complicated things. It's the layers you have to build first

I am not saying you are WRONG in what you are doing and saying, you're not-the point is that you FIRST teach the basics and why. Then you have to learn to break the rules. Telling someone new who is just learning that it doesn't matter what shutter speed you use is just more confusing crap. You have to learn the guidelines first and how and why they work the way they do. Then you learn to break them and what is needed in order to break them. You also have to learn what YOUR limits are for breaking them. Some can go as low as you did. Some cannot go that low by any means.

Consider the OP and what THEY are working at first-not what you or someone else can do. You have to help them build all of those layers.


AND... Your camera has built in IS and a translucent mirror that isn't an issue for shake. Canon does not. You have to purchase IS lenses in order to have that added benefit.

I thought canons came with a lens with IS. Regardless, I get what you're saying. My wife tries to tell me all the time that not everyone dives into learning something head first like others.

So, I apologize. :mrgreen: That being said, what's the better solution for the OP? Or should I go back and read through the thread?

 

[MLeeK]

The answers are throughout the post, but in short... The op said some things that have some real bearing here:

Hello everyone!

I am a newbie, shooting with a Canon T3i. I haven't had it for very long so I am still learning how to use this awesome camera.

I only have the lens that came with the camera (18-55mm).
I have noticed that I cannot get below an aperture of 3.5.

When I try to take shots in my living room which is small but poorly lit at night time when the natural light is gone, my pictures come out very dark. I have my ISO: 3200 (have tried at 6400 as well and is still dark) and aperture 3.5. I have read online to not go below a shutter speed of 1/250 without using a tripod. If I use a shutter speed of 1/250 with the settings I mentioned, the pictures are very dark. I have to take my shutter speed down to 1/60 to make it bright enough but then the picture just doesn't look good.

Have I maxed out my lens capability to take a good picture in this situation? Do I need a lens with a lower aperture? I was looking at the 50mm f/1.8 lens but I wanted a professional opinion before I went purchasing lens that I may not need. Also, I have a small dog that I enjoy taking pictures of so a lens that would accommodate that as well would be fantastic.

Thank you so much for your recommendations.

She's maxed HER capabilities at this time and is telling us that an even slower shutter speed isn't an option for her (at this point.) So then what are the options?
She can go up to ISO 12800 but is going to have to learn about how to use an ISO that high and process it. And even then she's going to hit the ceiling at some point.
So, what is the only other option? We can't drop her shutter, we can't go higher in ISO. The only thing left to us is to go with a lower aperture to gain more light.
Which is why I replied the way I did to her

1/250 is a little bit fast for hand held.
Here are the rules for shutter I used to teach:
If your subject is still life no slower than 1/80 (some teachers say 1/50)
If your subject is alive but not moving around no slower than 1/125
If your subject is a live and moves no slower than 1/250 (toddlers playing)
If your subject runs like the wind no slower than 1/500 (football and faster for other sports)

Otherweise yes, you have maxed out the ability of the lens. The 50mm f/1.8 is one much loved for beginners for many reasons.
1. it's cheap as hell.
2. it's an incredibly sharp lens for how cheap it is
3. it will allow you to shoot in much lower light than the kit lens
4. the aperture won't change on you as you zoom-there is no zoom, there is no change.
5. it is easier to learn the exposure triangle when you have a fixed aperture
6. it gives you a taste of what shooting with a prime is like. Primes are the sharpest of lenses as they do not have to work throughout the zoom so there is no compromise.
There are probably even more reasons, but those are the basic ones!