Not too impressed with Canon 50mm 1.8 lens

[PJL]

May I ask why you use manual focus instead of auto?

I was just trying to play with it. A lot of the auto focused seemed to focus in diff areas that I wanted focus. Should I shoot more in auto focus??

If you want to focus on a particular spot that the camera isn't choosing automatically, just manually set a specific AF point.

 

[Neiby]

As far as under exposing goes. The ways to fix that is to adjust my aperture and iso correct? I know it sounds like a stupid question but Id figure I'd ask Ive been reading the book understanding exposure.

Slowly but surely getting better.

Don't forget shutter speed. Exposure is all about controlling ISO, aperture and shutter speed to get the desired, creatively "correct" exposure. I very highly recommend the book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. It's fantastic.

 

[RebeccaAPhotography]

yea Im actually reading that book right now!! Photography is harder then I thought! So im going back to my college and school days and going at it like I was in school again. busted out my highlighter, a note pad and have been doing the examples it tells u to (or at least I'm doing them today and tomorrow since they're my days off). I'm gonna keep some key notes in my camera bag too. Since i related this to riding and over thinking things and forgeting key things. I'll have it right there!

 

[Neiby]

yea Im actually reading that book right now!! Photography is harder then I thought! So im going back to my college and school days and going at it like I was in school again. busted out my highlighter, a note pad and have been doing the examples it tells u to (or at least I'm doing them today and tomorrow since they're my days off). I'm gonna keep some key notes in my camera bag too. Since i related this to riding and over thinking things and forgeting key things. I'll have it right there!

I've only been serious about learning this stuff for a little over a month now and I agree wholeheartedly that photography is far more difficult than I realized. But it sure is a lot of fun learning from my mistakes and seeing my work improve.

 

[tirediron]

...A lot of the auto focused seemed to focus in diff areas that I wanted focus. Should I shoot more in auto focus??

Yes! A critical point that has been missed in this thread is the fact that today's cameras and lenses were designed to auto-focus. Auto-focus works very well, but like any other tool or function, you have to learn how to control it. As mentioned, ESPECIALLY with shallow DoF shots, always use just a single focusing point and ensure that is placed directly over the point of most critical focus in the image.

 

[shortpants]

I haven't read all of the replies, and I can't really tell anything with your pictures, but I will say I felt the same when I first got mine. My 35mm f2 blows it out of the water as far as sharpness. You'll get used to it though and find what it's capable of. Maybe practice on some stationary objects and take a pic at each f stop and note the differences.

 

[tirediron]

...Photography is harder then I thought! So im going back to my college and school days and going at it like I was in school again. busted out my highlighter, a note pad and have been doing the examples it tells u to (or at least I'm doing them today and tomorrow since they're my days off). I'm gonna keep some key notes in my camera bag too. Since i related this to riding and over thinking things and forgeting key things. I'll have it right there!

Thank-you! If more people understood this, and took on your positive attitude, there would be a lot less angst on the forum, and many fewer disapointed victims of Facebook 'Faux'tographers (Note: I am not suggesting you are one of those in any way, shape, or form).

 

[RebeccaAPhotography]

I actually just looked into some classes at a local community college. Its only a 4 week course for 3hrs every wednesday. I think classroom work with a teacher will help me a lot. I know how I learn and I think a classroom with a one on one atmosphere and beable to sit there and tinker with things there will help....

I know I have a lot to learn and I said that from day one.... honestly being on here has REALLY opened my eyes to how little I do know and I can't believe how much I have learned in just a little less then a month!! I can say that my photography has improved so far. But its no where up to par of where I would want it to be.

 

[Neiby]

I actually just looked into some classes at a local community college. Its only a 4 week course for 3hrs every wednesday. I think classroom work with a teacher will help me a lot. I know how I learn and I think a classroom with a one on one atmosphere and beable to sit there and tinker with things there will help....

I know I have a lot to learn and I said that from day one.... honestly being on here has REALLY opened my eyes to how little I do know and I can't believe how much I have learned in just a little less then a month!! I can say that my photography has improved so far. But its no where up to par of where I would want it to be.

Great idea! There is also a lot of stuff online. I've been watching videos from Steele Training and Kelby Training. They've been very helpful. I would also recommend reading the manual for your camera a couple of times. It's amazing what cool features you can find that you didn't realize were there. Or sometimes you realize you've been running into a particular problem and the solution is right there in the instruction manual.

 

[RebeccaAPhotography]

I actually just looked into some classes at a local community college. Its only a 4 week course for 3hrs every wednesday. I think classroom work with a teacher will help me a lot. I know how I learn and I think a classroom with a one on one atmosphere and beable to sit there and tinker with things there will help....

I know I have a lot to learn and I said that from day one.... honestly being on here has REALLY opened my eyes to how little I do know and I can't believe how much I have learned in just a little less then a month!! I can say that my photography has improved so far. But its no where up to par of where I would want it to be.

Great idea! There is also a lot of stuff online. I've been watching videos from Steele Training and Kelby Training. They've been very helpful. I would also recommend reading the manual for your camera a couple of times. It's amazing what cool features you can find that you didn't realize were there. Or sometimes you realize you've been running into a particular problem and the solution is right there in the instruction manual.

hahaha so i work for the gov't and we have down time inbetween flights etc etc. I always have my manual and some type of photography book with me!! My coworkers pick on me for it, they're like don't u know that damn manual yet! Yet i'm always reading a specific section never front to back.

 

[Josh66]

Also, when you shoot, do you place a focus point directly over the spot you want to focus on, or do you focus with the center point, and then recompose before finishing pressing the shutter? That might be adding to your problems as well.

Especially using wide open apertures...

Why Focus-Recompose Sucks

Thanks for that link! I'm a noob and a big focus-and-recompose guy. I'll just start using my other AF points instead.

Sometimes you can focus-recompose without issues (check near the bottom of the article). You just need to be aware of when it's going to cause problems.

He mentions that the smaller the subject-to-camera distance is, the worse the focus errors will be... If you've ever used a macro lens, you probably know pretty well how bad it can get, even stopped down.