Tuesday, November 19, 2013

How should I set up my Canon XS and lens for traveling?

best canon scenery lens on ... DF AutoFocus Standard Zoom Lens with Hood for Canon EOS Cameras image
best canon scenery lens image



Feilisha K


I am going to Spain this summer, and I'd love to take quality shots of scenery, landscapes, city, etc. What settings should I use on my Canon SLR to gain the most of quality? Are there things I should avoid?

I'm a novice, so any suggestions will help!

Thank you!



Answer
Learn about your camera !!!!

Read your manual !!!! Read it several times, and practice in between.

Attend a class, read some books, read/watch online tutorials.

The major camera manufacturers (like Canon, Nikon, Olympus etc) all have very useful sections on their website for learning about photography.

http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=HomePageAct

http://www1.nikonusa.com/slrlearningcenter/index.php

http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/oima_learn_center.asp

Understanding at least the basic principles of photography (as well as being familiar with your camera) will enable you to make the most of your gear, and will make a HUGE difference to your images.

What are the best canon lenses for portrait and landscape photography?




Sarah Stev


I have a canon digital rebel xt that i received as a Christmas present. I'd like to take professional looking portraits of my baby and family, whats the best lens for this? I'd also like to buy a good lens for landscape photography. Any suggestions?


Answer
If you understand the fundamentals of photography you will know the lens that best fits your needs. The fundamentals are not really rocket science, to really really use an SLR/DSLR like the XT you need to know how to get the max out of it.

For example: If by landscape you mean like a sunset or a sort of mountain/lake scenery you will need a deep depth of field (DOF) and you need to know what DOF means and how you can very easily change that on your XT (you do this by changing the aperture of your lens in the the Aperture Priority (Av) or Manual mode (M) mode). Similarly for babies you want a shallow DOF and you do this since the baby is the focus of your pic and you want the background blurred.

But by changing the aperture you also mess with the amount of light thats entering the camera and that affects the shutter speed etc.

Its not that hard, once you understand the fundamentals you will know EXACTLY what kind of lens you need. For starter I suggest:

1) Get a good photography teacher or a good easy to read photography book. I recommend "Understanding Exposure" it has lots of pics that explains what the terms means visually. IMO its the BEST $15 you will ever spend in your photography hobby. You will understanding what makes up an Exposure-Aperture, Shutter and ISO.

2) Once you know that, when you read your Camera manual it will make a lot of sense.

3) For beginner portraits the best lens is the $75 EF 50mm f/1.8. This is a prime lens (it does not zoom you zoom in and out with your feet) and it a fast lens (any lens with an aperture more than f/2.8 is called fast, since it usually yields fast shutter speeds) and bigger the aperture f/1.4, f/1.8, f/2.0, f/2.8 even f/4 the shallower the DOF and the more blurred the background is.

Note: In photography f/2.8 is smaller than f/2, which is smaller than f/1.8. This is because it is a ratio, so f/1.8 is large coz it lets in MORE light than say f/2.8. It's confusing now but will make a lot of sense once you get the fundamentals.

I am assuming your camera came with a EF-S 18-55mm kit lens. This is a moderately Wide Angle Zoom lens and its really good for landscapes and close people shots. If you do 1-3 as listed above you will figure out what your favorite focal length is for shooting and what you really need.

I could easily tell you to get a $640 EF-S 10-22 mm lens for wide angle landscapes or a $300 EF 50mm f/1.4 for portraits but you need to know WHY they cost that much and how to use them first to justify the cost. There is a reason why good lens cost a LOT of money and you need to understand photography to understand their cost and how to get the most from them.




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