Lenses / flash help please?

[merlin]

Hello all

I am new to the forum and relativley new to photography and i must say DPS seems to be exactley the place for a complete novice like me
I have taken the plunge and bought my self a cannon 400d i have the kit lense 18-55mm and also got a tamaron 70-300mm

I have a wedding coming up and it will be the first real shooting opportunity i have had i would like to follow the pro round and steel a few shots Could anyone suggest a good lense to use as a main not just for the wedding but for future use i have been looking at a 18-200 or 28-200

Or would i be better to use the lenses i have and invest in a speedlite 430 instead ?

and finnally one more question ( i know i have loads)

which is the best way to shoot low level light without the flash i have noticed with kit lens even at high iso the pictures are dark and i do not want to use the flash as i am taking pictures of my nephew and friends playing the xbox 360 game with the guitar but want to shoot the tv in the backround without the bright flash reflection

Many thanks in advance

[Tiberius]

The Canon 50mm f1.8 lens is a good lens for low light work. it opens up wide and lets in lots in lots of light. A good lens if you don't want to use flash. However, flash is also a valuable technique, even if it can be a little tricky.

Regarding the use of flash in Canon cameras, have a read of THIS (http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/) article, it's the BEST resource for flash in Canon dSLR cameras.

[merlin]

Thanks Lots of info there i will get to reading it all in detail think i will print off far easier to study

With regard to the 50mm lense i have seen in many places this is considered a must will this lense be able to delliver the blur effect on portrait backgrounds or would i be better with the telephoto?

Thank you

[Jargon]

With regard to the 50mm lense i have seen in many places this is considered a must will this lense be able to delliver the blur effect on portrait backgrounds or would i be better with the telephoto?

That blurred background effect is the result of a narrow depth of field, which is the result of a large aperture, which is indicated by a low f-number. So the lower the f-number, the narrower the depth of field. The 50mm lens Tiberius recommended has an f-number of f/1.8, which means that it has a large aperture, which means that it will produce the blurred background effect that you want.

[Tiberius]

I've written a tutorial on Deviant Art which covers the use of Depth of Field. You can find it HERE (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/52556187/). it not only covers the DoF trick Jargon explained, but it also has a few other things about lighting, focussing and photoshopping portraits. Scroll down to the section on Portraits.

[merlin]

This is great so much to get your head round though but i guess practice makes better (doubt ever perfect)

I have been trying to take the indoor pictures today using the 18-55 kit lense if i have no flash im getting very orange pictures if i use the flash they are to white what would you suggest i have set iso 400 should it be higher or is this down to the fstop on the lense it will only go down to f5.6 will the lower f number improve

Sorry for all the questions

Thanks in advance

[mdwsta4]

if you're getting 'orange' pictures, check your white balance.

if you're shooting a wedding, i'd say at minimum pick up the 50 f1.8 because the kit lens is nowhere near as fast as you'll need if it's in a dimly lit location. if you're allowed to use a flash then pick up a flash as an alternative.
also, before you follow the pro around and 'steal' his shots, if you don't know him, be sure to talk to him and ASK him if it's okay for you to follow him. some wedding photographers find it extremely annoying when other people 'steal' their shots, especially if they're firing off their own flash which can mess up his shots.

in regards to your last question, if it's that low light, it's going to be hard, if not nearly impossible to balance out the two subjects. unless you're using a secondary light source to light the person, the tv will always be brighter so you'll be left with two choices: blow out the tv, or expose for the person. this is why you'd need to learn different lighting techniques.

if your subject is getting washed out by the flash, try two things.... one, dial down the flash exposure so it doesn't fire as bright. two, diffuse the light so it's not as harsh on the subject.

[merlin]

Thanks for the advice

Yes i intend to stay well out of the pros way and i will be sure to talk to him im sure the pros get sick of people juming in and stealing their shots after all that's why there paid the money to make it look good im hoping even if i just watch i may pick up some ideas etc for composition and people placement

I will check the white balance next time i try the indoor shots. i have taken on all the advice and have purchased a speedlite 430 and the 50mm wonder lens so just need to get the practice in now think a diffuser may be a good idea as well by the sounds of it.



Once again thank you to all this is such a good forum im glad to have found people so willing to share there experience with the beginners :)

[mdwsta4]

take a quick look through the archives. there's a DIY thread somewhere on there with some pics and i think a link to a diffuser i made. works well in may situations and cost me all of $2 to make.

i have taken on all the advice and have purchased a speedlite 430 and the 50mm wonder lens so just need to get the practice in now think a diffuser may be a good idea as well by the sounds of it.

[Saralonde]

take a quick look through the archives. there's a DIY thread somewhere on there with some pics and i think a link to a diffuser i made. works well in may situations and cost me all of $2 to make.

Is this it, mdwsta4?
http://digital-photography-school.com/forum/showthread.php?t=550&highlight=diffuser+diy

[Dan Rowe]

You'll really get some great shots with the 50mm you'll find yourself not using flash much at all.

[mdwsta4]

yup, that's the one.

Is this it, mdwsta4?
http://digital-photography-school.com/forum/showthread.php?t=550&highlight=diffuser+diy