I use a Canon Xsi 12.2mp What is the best lens for taking photos within 10feet or portraits that give great quality without costing arm/leg ?
I tried 50mm 1.8 but i just didn't like the quality and all i hear is you must find the right lens.
I use a Canon Xsi 12.2mp What is the best lens for taking photos within 10feet or portraits that give great quality without costing arm/leg ?
I tried 50mm 1.8 but i just didn't like the quality and all i hear is you must find the right lens.
the stock lens or the 50mm would are OK for that IMO.
Instead of changing lenses, try messing with a tripod,lighting, and photoshop/lightroom.
The stock lens gives me grain and distortion id like to get some shots like this....
On crop sensors, I like the 85mm f/1.4 and the 200 f/2.
They are expensive.
Alternatives are the 85mm f/1.8 and the 70-200 f/2.8. I prefer the 85mm f/1.8 for what you are asking. Just step a little further back with it.
"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting." - Steve McQueen
If you do consider the 85 f/1.4, be sure to look into the Canon 60mm 2.8. You can buy it new for $419 from B&H or you may be able to find it cheaper. If you plan on taking mostly portraits and cars, then you wouldn't need a faster lens IMO.
Good times! I bought my camera for the same reason. My 60mm does wonders when it comes to my baby girl. But it has worked for many other things as well. Here are some examples:
All Aboard by pbman13, on Flickr
Chris1 by pbman13, on Flickr
They were edited a little bit with photoshop (clarity, exposure, sharpness) but only because I couldn't get perfect shots. Distortion was not a problem.
Now the next question would be, are you shooting in Manual mode or Automatic? Also, if you haven't already, check out this forum for primarily Canon camera's: Canon Digital Photography Forums - Powered by vBulletin Tons of information! There are sections for just about anything you can think of when it comes to photography, and most of the people are happy to help out and answer question. You can even post up pictures (if you choose) to be critiqued so that people that has been doing this longer that you and I can give you advice.
If you can't get quality out of a canon 50mm 1.8 and an XSi, no amount of lens purchases is gonna fix that. It's time to think about your technique.
I just have a T3i with a few lenses. But I kinda agree with what .blank_cd is saying. I asked about the modes that you are shooting with because some of the modes adjusts your setting (ISO, Aperture, Shutter Speed, White Balance, etc) that might give you horrible looking shots. If you are not already, I would recommended shooting in manual most of the time and figuring out the settings. That's what I (and many others) had to do and my shots went from garbage to what you see today and I'm still learning new stuff from reading and going on that forum!
Don't mean to thread jack but I just bought a Canon rebel xsi also and I was playing around with some lenses and stuff that I had, and I put this "fisheye" wide lense on the end of the lens and I tried messing with it flipped around on both sides of the fisheye lens.
Now my camera can't focus on anything! The red dot's don't show up, and everything close up and far away is blurry as hell. HELP PLEASE!!! I'm a nubix cube with Camera's/
1994 Nissan Skyline BNR32- Currently being built for 1000+awhp (the works)
2003 Subaru Wrx (jdm sti ext.conv)- 6.0 LSx , T56, Fast 92 TB,IM,MS4 cam,+++
1995 Nissan S14.5- Sr20det, built motor, full race 3071r turbo kit, z32 tranny+++
1997 Honda Civic Ek Hatch- In process: K24/20 BC stroker, custom turbo kit, tubbed +++
Last edited by Manny Naber; 02-28-2013 at 08:17 PM.
1994 Nissan Skyline BNR32- Currently being built for 1000+awhp (the works)
2003 Subaru Wrx (jdm sti ext.conv)- 6.0 LSx , T56, Fast 92 TB,IM,MS4 cam,+++
1995 Nissan S14.5- Sr20det, built motor, full race 3071r turbo kit, z32 tranny+++
1997 Honda Civic Ek Hatch- In process: K24/20 BC stroker, custom turbo kit, tubbed +++
The pop up flash sucks. I don't even know why they put those on DSLRs. Cut your ISO value down and start practicing in natural daylight without the flash. Shoot in aperture priority and cut your exposure value up a smidge. Ambient light and stability will give you a sharper image.
Thats why you get your practice outside, and when theres more light, it'll be easier. Then progress inside, and in darker places. It'll help you learn where you need to be as far as exposure value and shutter speed and aperture value. When you're inside, flip a light on or shoot close to a window
Those pictures don't really look that bad, just looks like the pop up flash is blowing them out.
Not all flashes. Just that pop up flash. Lol
Those help a lot. Around $200ish to start but good investment. I would practice more without it first though
This is a shot I did with a 50 1.8 in a shitty lit room with no flash, wide open
My camera has the lil flash button but whatever setting I am on it says "this function cant be performed in these settings" the only time I can shoot with no flash is if I put the mode to "no flash" mode. Is it impossible to shoot with no flash in Auto?
1994 Nissan Skyline BNR32- Currently being built for 1000+awhp (the works)
2003 Subaru Wrx (jdm sti ext.conv)- 6.0 LSx , T56, Fast 92 TB,IM,MS4 cam,+++
1995 Nissan S14.5- Sr20det, built motor, full race 3071r turbo kit, z32 tranny+++
1997 Honda Civic Ek Hatch- In process: K24/20 BC stroker, custom turbo kit, tubbed +++
I think so. But I don't know canon cameras too well. Most of the time the no flash mode is just auto with no flash. It'll crank up your ISO, open your aperture and slow down your shutter speed. You don't always wanna do that, but sometimes it's better than shooting with the pop up flash.
Got my new 50mm lens today and playing with setting inside with little light source. I feel proud of myself learning 3 new things tonight.
The first problem with your pics is you are using a pop-up flash. If you're going to use a DSLR, pop-up flash, and auto settings you could have saved several hundred and just got a Point & Shoot to get the exact same image.
With that said, if you took a Canon Speedlite 430 and pointed it toward a 8'-10' ceiling or sideways to a wall and put it on "Portrait" setting you could produce a shot that looks magazine quality compared to the pop-up flash. You could also try using a white envelope or anything reflective to bounce the light from the pop-up flash off the ceiling - it will produce a completely different image.
Second problem is the images aren't distorted, they're blurry from being such a low aperture and slow shutter. When the settings are on Auto it will sometimes reduce the shutter to a speed that can't possibly produce crisp images [in order to expose the image properly]. There's nothing wrong however with shooting in Portrait mode when bouncing an on-camera flash (Speedlite) but your best bet is to invest in a strobe, or two, and learn manual settings.
I challenge you to take a shot using the pop-up flash direct then using an envelope reflect the light towards the ceiling and post up both shots. This won't be nearly as effective as a Canon Speedlite pointed toward the ceiling but still far better than direct light...
I am not looking to do photo-shoots for a living just take good clean photos....What is the cheapest but still good flash to use with my Canon Xsi ?
Cheapest decent option: Yongnuo YN-467 II - You want an e-TTL flash.
YONGNUO YN 467 II ETTL Flash Speedlite for Canon 450D 400D 500D 550D 1000D 847977039851 | eBay
The step up from the YN-467 II: Yongnuo YN-565
Multi Function YONGNUO YN565EX Flash Speedlight TTL Speedlite GN 58 6947110910406 | eBay
I think that they have a new one out also, that I didn't bother to look for.
Canon's Speedlite 430EX II Flash is more expensive, but it is Canon.
"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting." - Steve McQueen
can someone explain ttl and ettl ?
TTL = Through the lens - for flash exposure metering
e-TTL is Canon's evaluative-TTL
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_EOS_flash_system
"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting." - Steve McQueen
E-TTL is just the naming convention that Canon uses. I-TTL is the name that Nikon uses.
The camera determines the exposure settings and communicates the amount of light that it needs to the flash, and the flash follows the setting - that's a simplified way of stating it.
"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting." - Steve McQueen