Beginner cannon lens 18-55ml

kam1

kam1

Messages
26
Name
kamran
Edit My Images
Yes
I have a cannon 1100d with a 18-55 ml lens. I'm new to photography and maybe I'm being naïve thinking there is only so much I can do with my simple lens. I tried to take picture of water being poured from glass into another and make the back ground blurry. I didn't quite pull it off. I had a low F stop number and shutter speed of 1/30 IS0 100. The conditions were in my living room under bulb lighting in the evening. I manage to get a good exposure but the effect of a blurry back ground. I feel its because of my lens. Dunno if anyone can advice any better.
 
Hello Kam and welcome to TP. It is difficult to advise without seeing the photograph. If you post it here I'm sure someone will offer some suggestions.

Dave
 
it was taken in the living room so the back will have been only a few feet away.
 
Is this the sort of effect you're looking for??

blue%20wood%20balls%20focus%20depth%20of%20field%20deck%20reflections%20marble%201920x1080%20wallpaper_www.wall321.com_84.jpg


But with your subject matter?
 
kam1 said:
I have a cannon 1100d with a 18-55 ml lens. I'm new to photography and maybe I'm being naïve thinking there is only so much I can do with my simple lens. I tried to take picture of water being poured from glass into another and make the back ground blurry. I didn't quite pull it off. I had a low F stop number and shutter speed of 1/30 IS0 100. The conditions were in my living room under bulb lighting in the evening. I manage to get a good exposure but the effect of a blurry back ground. I feel its because of my lens. Dunno if anyone can advice any better.
Click to expand...

There are plenty of things you can capture with a 'simple' lens.

https://www.flickr.com/search/?q=canon 18-55mm
 
kam1 said:
it was taken in the living room so the back will have been only a few feet away.
Click to expand...

The lens you have will struggle to isolate the subject and throw the background out of focus as much as you want, it do a better job if you can get the background much further away.
 
When I had my 1000D I had that kit lens. When I got a 60D body I sold the 18-55 with the 1000D as a kit. I started a thread asking fro recommendations as to what lens to replace the Canon 18-55 with and I ended up with the Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 (non VC). I am very happy with it. I will see if I can find the thread for you.
 
basically you need a wider apperture than the kit len can easily achieve.

However to make the best of what you've got make sure you are shooting at the wide (18mm) end as this allows i think F3.5 , rather than the max F5.6 you get at the long end.

In the long term you mayu want to look at swapping to an f2,8 lens like the one mike linked ( I use the same though mine is non VC model) , or picking up a 50mm f1.8 which can iusually be had for only a few pounds (generally 50 or so) second hand
 
Put the background as far away as you can, move the glasses as close the camera as the lens will focus, keep it at the 18mm end. I'd nudge the ISO up a bit if you want to 'freeze' the water. By placing the water pour nearer the camera, you reduce the depth of field (the 18-55 has a minimum focus of about 25cm, and at that distance and f3.5, you'll get a depth of field of about 3cm - half in front and half behind the point of focus), but it will require a steady hand or perhaps a tripod to get the shot. You can certainly get a decent enough shot with the kit lens, but you have to be realistic about the quality you will achieve.
 
Hello Kamran,
1st, have you a tripod?
2nd is have you got a flash?
3rd have you got a remote release?
If not use the self timer & mirror lock up (custom function).
(You can use the mirror lock up with the remote release or normal shutter as well.)

If you haven't got a tripod don't worry just yet as being indoors you should be able to modify your surroundings to cope to your needs.
You'll need to get your subject & camera on the same level & preferably the camera slightly higher most likely.
Use a table with the subject at one end & away from the wall as far as possible.
Being at one end should help with the table not in shot & put the bokeh to better effect.

You can always use a tape measure to align you focus point first.

Maybe even put some interesting matting under the subject, say with lines to draw the eye in to the subject.
Next position the camera on books to elevate it to the preferred height & use a small towel under it so you can tilt it downward but retain its stability.
Use the remote release or self timer plus mirror lock up if you want no chance of movement whatsoever.

Now either put the camera into Auto ISO which it does have & then set the speed to whatever you feel needed,
(shutter priority AV) & try a few shot & see how they come out.
Or, with a flash the cameras sync is 1/200sec which should be okay & ISO 100, but, you'll need a lot of luck or some kind of infrared / beam breaker system
to detect when the water droplet passes the point of focus to automatically fire the shutter.
 
I have a tripod but no flash the problem I had was using room lighting. it was late in the evening an I had the light on so I had to increase the ISO to 200 and shutter speed to one second. The second problem I think was the background was too close to the object I was taking a picture of.
 
Without flash you'll have to try & introduce as much light as you can via extra lamps or reposition the subject into a window area.
Shooting directly at the subject with the window behind unless exposed for the subject is likely to under expose the shot.
Plus high contrast between subject & external light might be too much!
Try positioning side on to window, ie. say subject & camera inline but with window to the left of both (or right).
This will give a possible shadow which may give a pleasing depth of field, light from the side often does!

Anyhooo, with a much higher ISO either set yourself & then using AP aperture priority of f/3.5 at the 18mm end the shutter speed will auto set to the highest available.
So start at your camera's highest ISO; 6400 & see if the noise is too much, & come down a step at a time until you're happy(ish).

What I am trying to help out here with is by using what you have as I as anyone else can suggest buy this & that.
To that end the purchase list would look like this;
A camera which has higher ISO to allow for more light sensitivity & thus a quicker shutter speed.
However, some cameras I have noticed do have higher than ISO 6400 but still don't go above 1/4000 sec which is the 1100d's limit.
And 6400 is pretty much the limit for most cameras before noise start to creep in & above 1/4000 sec is only one more speed for most cameras, 1/8000 sec.

So your camera is pretty much as you need to capture the image if the noise at ISO 6400 is acceptable & the shutter speed at this or a lower ISO can get to say 1/1000 sec with the available light (non flash). Then you should get a blur free subject. Or save up & get a flash, but also get an off hot shoe adapter so you can position the flash off camera to help define the depth of the subject not least stop the photo coming out too harsh most likely.

However, to blur the background as has already been suggested, either get a faster lens, the 50mm f/1.8 has been suggested & I agree this would be a useful lens seeing has you present lens goes up to 55mm f/5.6 this 50mm f/1.8 gives a little more than 3 stops quicker availability.
The full f numbers without the intermediate figures are f/1.0 f/1.4 f/2.0 f/2.8 f/4.0 f/5.6 f/8.0 f/11 f/16 f/22 & so on it goes.
Figures like the 50mm f/1.8 are to do with the ratio of the len's focal length to the diameter of the entrance pupil, ie the shutter blades.
So from f/5.6 to f/2.0 you have gone 3 full stops but the f/1.8 means you've gained a tad bit more.

So if say ISO 6400 wasn't really giving low enough noise at the 18mm f/3.5 end of your lens, but the speed was okay, then the f/1.8 lens would allow (assuming the same light availability) almost two stops advantage meaning the same speed could be achieved at ISO 1600 nearly.
Which should give reasonably acceptable noise.

So either save up for a flash & off hot shoe adapter or spend probably the same amount on a 50mm f/1.8 lens.
The f/1.8 lens will also definitely give you much better bokeh (background blur) almost regardless of the distance behind the subject at f/1.8.

So here you have a few options with you existing set up of save up £70 & get either one of the suggested accessories.
I have seen the lens new for £70 so mind what you pay if buying second hand.
And I have seen stacks of Canon suitable flashes for £50 so with a off shoe adapter £70 is realistic as well.
Good luck & post you next attempts or any other photos of things you're having a go at.
 
for my cannon 1100D what flash would you recommend. Obviously these can cost allot of money so ill be looking to buy one of Ebay.
 
Hello Kamran, there are many to choose from & I am sure others here will advise you differently & I say check out all reccommendations should any more follow.
But to try & stay in your budget of which you haven't suggested as it hasn't been asked, but let's stick with the £70 of the lens & a cheap flash I put forward & the same cost as Big Soft Moose did at £50 for the lens.
These flash units go for £250 when they first came out, they have been superseeded by a newer version but this one does have a service upgrade port,
http://www.nissindigital.com/Di622.html

However, the mkII is already firmware upgraded for your camera the 1100d,
http://www.nissindigital.com/compatibilitychart.html

As to price try here,
http://www.microglobe.co.uk/advance...igital+di622&gclid=CMvNiKO1oMMCFTHMtAod4zQA9w
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NISSIN-Di...ories_CameraFlashUnits_JN&hash=item259e038463
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nissin-Di...ories_CameraFlashUnits_JN&hash=item2edc5b1583

The 3rd price option has only 1 day 5 hours left & at the moment is dirt cheap, don't bid until the last 20 seconds if you can & the price isn't to high.
I have seen some old new stock around for £120-50, remember this was £250 when it first came out.
Also there are better flashes but for the money you won't get much if any more features etc.

Find your own reviews of course but of those I have checked this unit seems very capable certainly for the price, especially if you can get it for that cheap (at the moment) 2nd eBay offer.

Also it has a slave function so can be used later when/if you upgrade the flash so don't throw it away if you buy one.

On another note, when money allows, buy the 50mm f/1.8 lens, you won't be disapointed. It may seem like a waste given you have the 18-55mm so the 50mm range is covered, but it's the f/1.8 you need to experience.
Having said that if when you come to think about one you may have funds enough for the 50mm f/1.4 or even the f/1.2 version, then again I saw the f/1.0 go for a tad over £2000 over this past weekend.

Happy hunting for the next purchase....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top