So fricken' frustrated!! Help!

[Edsport]

I know, I know, i;m a total noob... but when I change it to f/4 it drastically increases the exposure time ( I mean to like 4 seconds!!). How do I change it to f/4 but have a short exposure?

Turn up the ISO and it will speed up the exposure time...

 

[Drake]

Yes it is an af 50mm 1.8

Camera Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure 0.125 sec (1/8)
Aperture f/1.8
Focal Length 50 mm
ISO Speed 800
Exposure Bias +2 EV
Flash Off, Did not fire

Too slow, way too slow for the 50mm. About 1/80 should be enough to get a sharp photo.

 

[ann]

you have also engage your exposure compensation dial for two stops.

 

[FranDaMan]

I dont think so....although not in the photo of the screen

 

[Zrock]

What helped me the most when i got my camera is i left it on auto for a few weeks to see what auto was using for settings. Then i went into manual mode and started playing around. It was a big help then i just started adjusting settings. I had the same issue you are having and was getting quite frustrated

 

[lyonsroar]

you have also engage your exposure compensation dial for two stops.

This is the #1 thing that sticks out to me in that picture of the back of his camera.

 

[ann]

the metadata posted says exposure biases +2 EV

 

[FranDaMan]

maybe in the EXIF, but in the picture of the screen, the white stripe is underneath the 0, which indicates no exposure bias

 

[o hey tyler]

What no one else has really mentioned is that your shutter speed is 1/8s and that simply can't be if you're using a 50mm focal length. The shutter speed you use has to be at a minimum 1/focal length. So if you were shooting on a film camera with a 50mm lens, your shutter speed would need to be at least 1/50s to not introduce camera shake. Same goes for shooting at 100mm, your shutter speed would need to be AT LEAST 1/100s unless you have an IS lens.

 

[jay125]

just one other suggestion. take it out of AI focus and switch it to one shot. i have never gotten a decent shot out of AI focus, and never use it. i either keep it in one shot or AI servo, if i'm taking shots of things in movement. and like it was stated earlier, kick the ISO up as well.

 

[vtf]

Try f5.6, iso 100 and shutter at 100. Use your on board flash if off camera is not available. You should see improvement with the clarity. Minor adjustments may be needed but that will get you started. lighting, lighting, lighting is whats its all about. Good luck. :thumbup:

 

[ann]

if you have engaged the exposure compensation dial, you can move the needle to "o" (or normal) the camera will take the photo but the exposure compensation function will apply the directions, in this case +2 and that does appear in the metadata while the lcd show "O"

 

[LaFoto]

...The shutter speed you use has to be at a minimum 1/focal length. So if you were shooting on a film camera with a 50mm lens, your shutter speed would need to be at least 1/50s to not introduce camera shake...

If you have a very quiet hand, this need not be the case. I know I can handhold 1/13 when I'm really quiet and position myself firmly, but 1/8 is really hard, harder at that shallow DOF, and anyway ... yes, to handhold slow speeds such as the one used for the photo above is so difficult, it's next to impossible. So the rough rule of thumb that o hey tyler is giving is valid!

 

[FranDaMan]

if you have engaged the exposure compensation dial, you can move the needle to "o" (or normal) the camera will take the photo but the exposure compensation function will apply the directions, in this case +2 and that does appear in the metadata while the lcd show "O"

Sorry, but I have no idea what you are talking about. When I move the AE dial, it will always show the amount that I moved the dial. So if I dial in +1, the needle will never go back to zero.

 

[Kmiller]

Wow, thanks for all the amazing advice everyone!! Sorry I didn't get on here earlier, I woke up and my 2 year old is sick

The photo that I posted of the back of the camera is not the settings I used to take the first picture of my daughter. It was an example of what I was seeing.