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19
2009
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Aperture is one of the three pillars of photography, the other two being ISO and Shutter Speed. Without a doubt, it is the most talked about subject, because aperture either adds a dimension to a photograph by blurring the background, or magically brings everything in focus. In this article, I will try to explain everything I know about aperture in very simple language.
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Before reading any further, I highly recommend reading about what a DSLR camera consists of.
1) What is Aperture?
Simply put, aperture is a hole within a lens, through which light travels into the camera body. It is easier to understand the concept if you just think about our eyes. Every camera that we know of today is designed like human eyes. The cornea in our eyes is like the front element of a lens it gathers all external light, then bends it and passes it to the iris. Depending on the amount of light, the iris can either expand or shrink, controlling the size of the pupil, which is a hole that lets the light pass further into the eye. The pupil is essentially what we refer to as aperture in photography. The amount of light that enters the retina (which works just like the camera sensor), is limited to the size of the pupil the larger the pupil, the more light enters the retina. So, the easiest way to remember aperture, is by associating it with your pupil. Large pupil size equals large aperture, while small pupil size equals small aperture.
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The size of the circle represents the size of the lens aperture the larger the f-number, the smaller the aperture.
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As you can see, just changing the aperture from f/2.8 to f/8.0 has a big effect on how much of WALL-E is in focus and how visible the background gets. If I had used a much smaller aperture such as f/32 in this shot, the background would be as visible as WALL-E. Another example:
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In the above example, due to the shallow depth of field, only the word Cougar appears sharp, while everything else in the front and behind of that word is blurred. If I had used a larger aperture such as f/1.4 and focused on one of the letters, probably only that letter would have been sharp, while everything else would have been blurred out. The larger the aperture, the smaller the area in focus (depth of field).
There are two types of lenses: fixed (also known as prime) and zoom. While zoom lenses give you the flexibility to zoom in and out (most point and shoot cameras have zoom lenses) without having to move closer or away from the subject, fixed or prime lenses only have one focal length. Due to the complexity of optical design for zoom lenses, many of the consumer lenses have variable apertures. What it means, is that when you are fully zoomed out, the aperture is one number, while zooming in will increase the f-number to a
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Related posts: 1. How to Change Aperture on Nikon D80 and D90 2. Understanding ISO A Beginners Guide 3. How to Change Aperture on Nikon D40, D40x and D60 4. What is Bokeh? 5. How to buy a DSLR camera DSLR Purchase Guide
FILED UNDER: PHOTOGRAPHY TUTORIALS BEGINNERS TAGGED WITH: APERTURE, DSLR CAMERA, PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS, TIPS FOR
About Nasim Mansurov is a professional photographer based out of Denver, Colorado. He is the author and founder of Photography Life, along with a number of other online resources. Read more about Nasim here.
Comments
1) deana@lostpastremembered
December 20, 2009 at 5:33 am
I am getting my new Nikon slr this week after using a good point and shoot, I was wondering about getting that 55 lens since it is obviously part of the 18-200. I guess I wonder if I can do the macro closeup with blurred backround with this lens or it is best to get the 55 so I can have more choices?
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2) Nasim Mansurov
December 20, 2009 at 10:55 am
Deana, Could you let me know what Nikon camera you are getting so that I could recommend the lenses for it? If you are getting any of the entry-level DSLRs, they typically come with a Nikon 18-55mm VR lens, which is an excellent lens for everyday use. For food photography though, I would recommend a different lens with a much larger maximum aperture. Take a look at this Nikon 50mm f/1.4 we use it for our food photography and couldnt be happier. When you take pictures of food, having a small area of the food in focus while having the rest blurred makes pictures and the food look much more pleasant to the eyes. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
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Nasim, thanks for taking the time to write all the newbie tips for taking pictures. I have one question please. I have a Canon SX40 HS and i would like to take a great picture of my sons graduation. When he is on stage and i am about 20 30 yards away, what is the best setting so my picture does not become dark? I bought this camera as it has 35x zoom. Any of your great input would be very much appreciated. Thanks Jose Santiago
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104) polly
November 2, 2012 at 4:15 am
Hi Nasim, I am a beginner at food photography and I have done a couple of assignments with my 50mm 1.8 lens. Would you rather that I trade my lens for the faster 1.4? Just curious. I have mostly shot in natural light and I have not felt the need to use a tripod (it restricts my angles, surely). But sometimes my focus goes awry.I mean I noticed a portion of the food would be in focus while the other not quite. Frustrates me. I feel I am not focussing right! Any tips for that? I also was wondering if there is a anywhere I could read about using light for food photography. That would be great. Asking for your recommendation cause I feel then I just cant go wrong. Thanks a bunch. Cheers.
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137) Mohamed
May 22, 2013 at 10:51 pm
Nasim, I am new to photography and have found your site extremely helpful. My interests are in Landscape and Wildlife photography, which I believe both require very different lenses.which lenses do you recommend? I currently own a Nikon D3200, do you think I would be better off with an FX format camera like the D600? Greatly appreciate the effort you guys put into this site, Many thanks Mohamed
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184) jay vargus
January 22, 2014 at 9:34 pm
Nasim, I am doing clothing photography. I am using a white seemless background as all picture need to be in a total white background. I need the entire shirt to be in focus. This will be done sometimes on a model and other times using a mannequin. I am completely lost to get the best crispest pictures. I am using a Nikon D7000 camera.
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84) Gracie
July 9, 2012 at 8:23 am
Very helpful! I just bought a Nikon D5100 and I am a beginner so your article was great! It came with the standard 18-55mm lens. I am on somewhat of a budget, what would you recommend for lens that takes good portraits and I would like to know what lens would be good for shooting landscape/wildlife. Thanks! Gracie
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153) MITRA
September 4, 2013 at 1:34 am
THNKS A LOT FOR GIVING VALUABLE OPINION AGAINST APERTURE . I AM A BEGINNER AND BUY A CANNON 550D. IF U GIVING MORE ADVISE TO ME ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY ITS VERY HELPFUL TO ME.
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3) shams
December 21, 2009 at 4:19 am
Very helpful. Thanks a lot. Just a question, when do we need smaller than 14..15.. etc f numbers ? Average f nos in my photos are between 6 and 10. (apart from some macros)
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4) Nasim Mansurov
December 21, 2009 at 10:05 am
Shams, you are welcome. When not using flash, smaller f-numbers are needed for two reasons: a) to decrease the depth of field (i.e. isolate subject from the background) b) to allow more light into the lens in low-light situations
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5) Alisher
December 22, 2009 at 12:00 am
Nasim, after reading the article I was playing around with my Lumix FZ 35. I was trying to get a blurry background using Apperture priority mode but was not able to get one. Everything is in focus. I was using f2.8 and zoomed out all the way. What am I doing wrong?
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6) Nasim Mansurov
December 22, 2009 at 4:02 am
Alisher, keep your aperture at f/2.8, get physically closer to your subject, then zoom in. Take a picture and your background should be blurred. The distance between you and your subject, along with the focal length of your lens are both important to be able to blur the background. The closer you are to the subject and the more zoomed in
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7) Alisher
December 22, 2009 at 5:41 am
Actually, I was shooting from realy small distance. I thought that in order to get a blurry background the lenses should be zoomed out all the way. I will try with zoom-in. Will let you know results. Thanks
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8) Nasim Mansurov
December 22, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Alisher, sounds good. Since you are doing this with a point and shoot, the background might not appear completely blurred, because the lens aperture will increase to a higher number as you zoom in. This is normal, since the only way to completely blur the background is to use fast aperture prime lenses on DSLRs
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9) Alisher
December 23, 2009 at 7:57 am
Yeah, Ive noticed that aperture is increasing with zoom-in. The thing is that on specialized forums dedicated to this particular model Ive seen a lot of pictures taken by FZ-35/38 with blurry background. I was just wondering what I am doing wrong. Last night I was able to get the background somewhat blurry, but as you said it was not complete blurry. Will keep playing around with aperture, may be need to go outside to shot same pictures will see how it goes. You said that you mostly shoot in aperture priority mode. What principle do you use to change the aperture number? Thanks for all comments. PS. Ive seen Tesha akani ogli today, vspominali armiyu:)
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Alisher, since the depth of field on point and shoot cameras is typically larger due to lens design, you need to make sure that there is nothing close in proximity to the object you are taking a picture of. The further the background, the more blurry it will appear. Thats probably why the background is not blurred because it is very close to your depth of field. Can you post any of the samples from your camera with the best and worst case scenario? In terms of aperture priority mode, if your camera has that mode, set it to aperture priority, then set the aperture to the lowest number. That way the shutter speed will automatically be computed by the camera metering system. Once set to aperture priority mode, try pressing up/down buttons on the camera back to change aperture. Im not sure how it is changed on your camera, but if those buttons dont do anything, I would look at the manual and see how to change aperture of the lens. Muminovu ogromniy privet! :) I miss him dearly!
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11) Alisher
December 24, 2009 at 2:03 am
Background WAS very close to the object indeed, since I was shooting indoors at home. I will try to shoot some pictures outdoors. I already know what apperture priority mode means and how it works and I do have this mode on my camera. It is very handy to switch aperture using joystick. What I was asking for is what kind of situation or shooting object would be reason for you to change aperture, for example to increase it? Do I need to increase aperture only if I want larger depth of field? I will pass your regards to Sher when I see him next time.
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Aha! Thats the reason why it didnt get that blurred :) Definitely give it a try outside, but keep the aperture at the lowest number. In terms of increasing aperture yes, you are right. You should increase the aperture to get a larger depth of field (when taking pictures of landscapes, etc).
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13) Alisher
December 25, 2009 at 2:00 am
Ok, got it. Thank you for all your advices. Will be waiting for new articles! Happy holidays to you and your family, bro!
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Alisher, you are welcome! Happy holidays to you too! Domashnim ogromniy privet!
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15) Hardjono
January 1, 2010 at 9:30 pm
Alisher, you mentioned about the specialized forums dedicated to FZ-35 model. May I know the address to that forum? I also own the FZ-35 and would like to learn more about all the features it has. Thanks!
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17) Hardjono
January 2, 2010 at 1:51 am
You are most welcome! Let me know if you have any questions :) Happy New Year!
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Hi Mr. Mansurov, Ive read ur article since I was confused what type of dslr I have to bought. Now I had D90 for my first camera, & so happy to have it :p I want to ask about apperture priority that ure using mostly to take a picture. Im learning to use A-mode too in my D90, what i need to ask is when I want to take a picture in a room that have less light, which stop do u usually use?
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Steven, the above article should work for any DSLR, including your D90. When you photograph indoors or in a low-light environment, always decrease your aperture to the smallest number. That way, your aperture opens up and lets more light into the camera sensor and increases your shutter speed. For your 18-105mm lens, the aperture varies between f/3.5 and f/5.6, so try to keep it in that range. If you are still getting blurry images, try increasing your ISO to a larger number such as ISO 800 or 1600. You will get some noise in the pictures, but the images should not be blurry, depending on the amount of light in the room. Hope this helps.
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21) gnohz
May 22, 2010 at 1:00 am
Hi Nasim, Thanks for the article. I need some advice on using macro lenses if you dont mind :) Im thinking of getting a Micro-Nikkor AFS 60mm for food photography. As the pictures Im thinking of taking are unplanned (restaurants etc) and might be low light, Im planning on taking the photos at f2.8 or at most f3.5 to maximise ambient light. I understand that for real macro photography, I need to stop down the aperture to get more DOF, or itll all end up looking blurry, but most probably I wont be using 1:1 magnification for food shots. Mostly I should be shooting the dishes with some background, utensils etc, so do you think f2.8~f3.5 would be enough DOF, or would it be too thin? Thanks for any advice :)
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gnohz, why are you planning to buy a macro lens for food photography? Why dont you get a fast aperture lens like the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G instead? Lola shoots all of her food with the Nikon 50mm and she loves it!
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23) gnohz
May 24, 2010 at 5:30 pm
Hi Nasim, Thanks for your reply. The reason for getting a macro lens is because sometimes I felt like taking some close up shots of the food and I find the minimum focusing distance to be somewhat limiting. And also apart from food, I also plan to take close ups of other subjects/still life :) Could you let me know what is the minimum f number you shoot for food so as not to get an overly small depth of field, but still able to shoot in slightly low light conditions (ie, indoors without flash)? Thanks so much for your advice.
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I see :) In that case, the 60mm macro seems like a good candidate. For food photography, the apertures that work the best for us are between f/2.0 and f/4.0, depending on subject distance.
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27) gnohz
June 4, 2010 at 5:15 pm
24) David
June 1, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Hi Nasim, Thank you very much for this guide. I just picked up the Nikon D5000 a couple of days back and totally lovin it ! So far as my reading goes, the Aperture mode seems to be the best way to play around with the settings than getting into pure play manual mode at least from a dslr newbie point of view. Currently i am on the 18-55 VR lens and i hope to purchase the 35mm f1.8 lens once ive learnt how to use the camera properly. Thanks again. D
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David, you are most welcome! Yes, the 35mm f/1.8 will open up brand new opportunities for you and you will immediately fall in love with it :) Congratulations with your purchase. Let me know if you have any questions.
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28) David
June 7, 2010 at 12:34 pm
Thank you for your reply Nasim. Ive been taking pictures through the weekend and have taken some good ones and some not so good ones. However, Ive been reading your site extensively and figured the first proper foothold I could get is work on the aperture mode, Auto ISO Max it to 1600 and min shutter speed to 1/100 and then take pictures. the D5000 offers many other options The scene mode , macro and so on Im trying to find what can be used for what. Another major difficulty Ive seen is taking pictures in Low Light. But after reading from your site, i guess i have quite a lot to work on. I will come back with further questions. As of now, Its A mode, ISO settings, Matrix metering and click pictures.. D
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David, yes, learn how to use Aperture priority mode and turn Auto ISO on to get started. Min shutter speed 1/100 is good for most situations, but bear in mind that if you need to freeze action, you will need to watch your shutter speed and perhaps even increase it. I wouldnt worry about other modes, since all they do is tweak your aperture, shutter speed and ISO. In some cases they might change autofocus behavior, but you should just learn how to use those yourself and make changes manually. D5000 is a great camera to get started and once you learn all the functions, you can take some beautiful pictures with it. In terms of low light situations, most photographers have challenges, not just you :) I have written a long article on low-light photography, which I recommend to read and learn from. Try taking pictures in all kinds of situations from very bright to very dark. That way you will quickly understand what works and what doesnt and your learning experience will be less
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frustrating :)
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30) David
June 8, 2010 at 11:43 am
Thanks Nasim. I did just that.. I turned on the Auto ISO setting, set it to Max 1600 and the shutter to 1/100 and I immediately started noticing the difference. Yes, I have been reading your article on low light photography and find it immensely useful. I, however, need to work on the standing posture as i have noticed the shake. I am eager to learn as riding season starts soon and I wouldnt want to take blurry pictures of the places in riding to. D
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David, one of these days I need to ask my wife to take a picture of me holding the camera, so that I can explain how to properly hold a DSLR. Maybe well do a video, well see.
32) David
June 8, 2010 at 4:19 pm
that will be absolutely fantastic. Thanks so much. D David, one of these days I need to ask my wife to take a picture of me holding the camera, so that I can explain how to properly hold a DSLR. Maybe well do a video, well see.
33) David
July 23, 2010 at 2:46 am
Nasim just thought id let you know.. Im swapping the 18-55 lens for a 35 f 1.8 d prime lens tomorrow i hope this opens a whole new world of photography.. cheers D
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David, it absolutely will! You will love the 35mm after 18-55mm for sure :)
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35) Sanny
August 7, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Hello Nasim, i just love your articles, they are so helpful. My question is related to blurry images. i bought Canon eos 550d not so long ago and when i shoot pictures, some of them are crystal clear ( that is one out of 20 ) and rest of them are just a litle bit blurry, but enough to be bad. they look like person is moving little bit in a low light with low iso, but im shooting them on sunny afternoon. im getting blur pictures even with iso 800 or 1600. im shooting in AV mode and i would like to get pictures if its possible on iso 100, 200 or 400. if i put f to 3.5 im having problem with depth of field even on small distances ( 5 to 10cm ). im geting clear focus on one person, and other one is blurry ( even though they are standing next to each other ). is it possible that my Auto focus is not doing
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Sanny, what is the shutter speed when you shoot in AV mode? Just make sure that it stays fast enough to avoid motion blur. In terms of depth of field, just dont stand too close to your wife and your son and shoot from a further distance. What lens are you shooting with?
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36) gnohz
August 8, 2010 at 8:43 pm
Hi, if Im not wrong, I think your shutter speed is a little on the low side and that causes the blur. Are you shooting indoors? Even if its bright daylight, shooting outdoors and indoors does make a difference. Generally, a prefered shutter speed is 1/n where n is the focal length. So if youre shooting at 50mm, the shutter speed should be at least 1/50 secs so as to minimise any hand shake. Hope this helps :)
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37) gnohz
August 8, 2010 at 8:44 pm
Thank you for your suggestion gnohz! I think his problem is that he is using a very small aperture like f/10 and is standing too close to his subjects, which is ultimately resulting in slower shutter speeds
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40) Trisha
August 29, 2010 at 2:30 pm
I have a question. I have the Olympus E-420 and it has an Aperture mode on it. I am taking a photography class and cant seem to get my depth of filed right. When I tried it yesterday, it worked fine, but today it just keeps taking the same picture. I have read too many articles about this until I got sick on my stomach and got a headache. Can you please tell me what I am doing wrong? I have the kit lens which is a 14-42 lens and I bought a 70-300mm lens. I wanted to use my 70-300 for close ups to show the intensity. I am stuck and at a loss. I have to turn an assignment in and I do not know what to do at this point.
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Trisha, your depth of field depends on the subject distance i.e. how far you are standing from the subject. If you are standing very close, you will get more background blur (obviously you need to shoot at your maximum aperture such as f/1.4 or f/3.5). If you have a zoom lens, zoom in all the
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42) Trisha
September 2, 2010 at 6:52 am
Thank you, Nasim. I have been reading my manual and the 1985 edition of Photography and finally figured a lot of it out. Sometimes I like things broken down to me as if I were in junior high though. This really helped and I appreciate the feedback!
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Trisha, I somehow missed your comment and never responded. Sorry about that! Thank you for your feedback!
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Hi Nasim, Im very new to DSLR world and I found your articles are very informative and what impress me a lot is not confusing. I see hundreds of article in internet but they have too much technical details which may confuse beginners. So many thanks to you for writing those great stuff. I need one help Im planning to buy one DSLR. And I see many Canon cameras. And as per my budget I like Canon Rebel T2i (550D). Please let me know which Nikon model you want to refer me as well. Thanks, Pritam
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Pritam, the T2i is a great camera and will work great as an entry-level DSLR. Go with it if you prefer Canon.
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44) VJ
November 3, 2010 at 9:24 am
In one of your posts you stated December 24, 2009 at 11:07 pm Aha! Thats the reason why it didnt get that blurred :) Definitely give it a try outside, but keep the aperture at the lowest number. In terms of increasing aperture yes, you are right. You should increase the aperture to get a larger depth of field (when taking pictures of landscapes, etc). By increasing aperture do you get a larger depth of field? ..do you mean by decreasing aperture (or increasing F-STOP) you get a larger depth of field?
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Can you clarify? I am fairly new to photography. Thanx!
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45) gnohz
November 4, 2010 at 8:45 am
Im not trying to hijack the discussion, but youre right. You need to close down the aperture (which is equal to increasing the f number) to get a larger depth of field :)
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VJ, when I said increase aperture, I meant increase f-number. Yes, to get a larger depth of field, you need to stop down to a larger f-number.
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49) Maureen
March 22, 2011 at 9:39 pm
I am preparing to shoot my first assignment for the coming Easter Day at my Church. Activities under adequate light is fine but I am not too sure how to manage the low light conditions during the start of the drama e.g. Stage light only condition. I have Nikon D80 lenses I will be using is 18-200mm and tokina 12-24mm. Appreciate some helpful pointers from u and recommended settings for white balance, and ISO. Many thanks
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50) JX
April 11, 2011 at 8:39 pm
Hello Nasim, I recently stumbled upon your website and have enjoyed reading your articles thus far. I am new to photography and recently got my D90 + 18-55mm. I have read the manual and your Beginners Guides to ISO, Aperturehowever, I am still at a loss as to where to start! Coming from a point-and-shoot, it suddenly seems like I have many variables to play with and although I can understand how each of those settings affect the photograph (from your guides), I have no idea how they should come together to make a great picture. Id like your advice on how I should actually go about getting started with my camera [apart from shooting in Auto mode ;) ]. I have tried messing within each of the modes but all my pictures turned out worse than what I got with Auto mode; I must be doing something wrong somewhere and I hope you can lead me in the right direction.
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51) Mamta
June 15, 2011 at 1:58 pm
Hi Naseem, I am very new to DSLR world and have a basic DSLR for now (18-55mm/f3.5-5.6). I want to buy 50mm/f1.8. Also, at the same time I want a zoom lens as well (18-200mm). Let me know if I can use both the lenses together? Also, is there another lens that I should go for instead of buying two seperate lenses (one for wide angle and another for zooming). Appreciate your help, Mamta
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52) Andrea M
July 21, 2011 at 11:26 am
Hi Nasim, I am really hoping you still check this! I am really trying to understand aperture, but the one thing that
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54) kulpuia
December 5, 2011 at 11:12 am
very informative :P
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55) Rose
December 8, 2011 at 12:29 am
This information is amazing. I have ordered a canon 1100D with the standard 18-55mm lense and have been reading up info on getting started in photography and have learnt more from your page than all the others put together. Thank you SO much!
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56) Tammy
December 31, 2011 at 7:29 am
Ok I have a Nikon d5000. Just got a new lens 18-105. Tried to take action shots in action modethey were blurry. I have a 55-200 and take action shots with it in same mode and they come out great. Why???
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57) pragadeesh
January 11, 2012 at 10:21 am
hello sir , Im so much interested in photography that I would like to know about aperture settings for zoom lens. There is also a setting like point focus, can it be possible to point focus on a subject by having more aperture? or achieve depth of field? Can the aperture be changed for a zoom lens the is set up to the maximum focal length?As you said that while when fully zoomed in at 200mm, the lens has an aperture of f/5.6 Just a question out of curiosity-Would this type of setting be helpful in focusing on the background rather than foreground ? And What does G refer to in f/1.4G ? Im naive in photography and someone who hasnt started eperimenting with the SLR(not owning one) Thanks !
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58) Anatoly
January 19, 2012 at 2:13 pm
Hi Nasim, Thank you very much for sharing your extensive knowledge with the rest of us. I was just wondering if you could recommend a good inexpensive lens for indoor portraits. Im trying to
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59) Anbu
February 12, 2012 at 2:14 pm
Great tutorial for Bokeh and Aperture settings..The way you explain is tooo good.. thanks a lott for eye opening:)
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60) Lisa
February 21, 2012 at 7:24 am
Hi! I have a Canon Rebel T3i EOS 600D which came with a Canon Zoom 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 IS II lense. I am wanting to increase the blurred background on my portraits of people, bugs, etc. am thinking of purchasing the EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM. Is that a good idea? the best idea? how much of an increase would I see in the blur? I dont want the camera shake so am interested in lenses that have the IS option, but am not sure if I am going to see much of a difference in the blur for the amount of money Ill be spending on the 2nd lense. please advise.
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For people portraits, if you already own the EF 50mm f/1.4, you should be fine getting blurred backgrounds. A point of note is that the subject should be quite distant from the background. For Macro Photography, I will advise you invest in a good tripod and and not rely on the IS function of the lens you purchase. I suspect you dont have the EF 50mm f/1.4 lens and you are thinking the EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM will cater to both portraits of people and bugs. On this note, I am curious as well. I hope I have helped you some.
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164) Tokunbo
September 19, 2013 at 1:17 pm
I just finished taking some pictures with my Nikon D90 on its 18 to 103mm and most of the pictures came out blurry. What could be responsible ?
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Hi Nasim Mansurov, I am going to photo shot at Holi festival(which is full of colors + water) in India. I have Canon 550D 18-55mm(1:3.5-5.6) IS II lens. Could you please tell me what will be the best camera setting to click this event. Regards, Rajkumar Mundel indokely@gmail.com
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http://photographylife.com/what-is-aperture-in-photography
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63) Mayowa Obigbesan
March 15, 2012 at 6:00 am
Nasim Mansurov, I would like to say thank you for a well written post providing clarity to my Aperture and DOF issues. Finally I have gotten rid f the confusion that has been plaguing me for a while. Heres to great photographs. Best Regards
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155) Olumide
September 12, 2013 at 2:29 am
Hi Mayowa, I am still absolutely confused about DOF ! The alternate between aperture numbers and aperture. What affects DOF? What makes a large Or small DOF ? What causes blurry background?
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Hi Olumide, Are you familiar with the Canon 50mm f/1.8 II prime lens? I would like to use it as an example in aiding me answer your questions. 1a. This lens has f/1.8 as its maximum aperture value and f/22 is its minimum aperture value; the smaller numbers apparently represent higher aperture values. 1b. At its max. aperture value (f/1.8), the aperture (lens opening) will be wide open, which allows in a lot of light. Whereas, at its min. aperture value (f/22), the aperture (lens opening) will be really small, which allows in less light. Im sure youve experienced how this affects your shutterspeed i.e. faster shutterspeeds at max. aperture value against slower shutter speeds at min. aperture value. 2. At its max. aperture (f/1.8), it will have the smallest DOF (area that is sharp and in focus) and at its min. aperture (f/22), it will have the largest DOF ( a wider area that is sharp and in focus).] 3. At its max. aperture (f/1.8), since the DOF is small, your subject will be in focus and the background will be blurry; provided that there is adequate distance between your subject and the background. At its minimum aperture (f/22), the focus area is wider and therefore your subject and his/her/its background will all be in focus. Nothing will be blurry irrespective of the distance between your subject and the background. I hope I have answered your questions adequately. If theres more youd like to know, feel free to send a reply. Best regards Mayowa
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161) Oluide
September 14, 2013 at 2:14 am
Hi Mayowa. That was a splendid explanation. I got it now. How can I connect with you personally ? Need some other assistance. Thank u
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Hi Olumide, Glad I was able to help. Im available via m4y0w4@hotmail.com Best regards, Mayowa
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http://photographylife.com/what-is-aperture-in-photography
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64) Shibu
April 6, 2012 at 5:21 am
so how to improve light in a 55-200 mm when zoomed in at 200 mm? Would appreciate it! Ta
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65) Gan
April 21, 2012 at 3:22 pm
Great article and a great job! keep it going. Im upgrading from a point and shoot to my first DSLR. I would fit in between the amateur and semi pro category. I have to decide between nikon D5100 Vs D7000. What would u suggest and what lens would u suggest for taking pics of my toddler and landscapes. Best Regards
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66) anya
April 24, 2012 at 2:00 pm
Hi. Thank you so much for sharing all this information and being available to answer questions! I am working with a Nikon D90 and a 18-105 lens (f-3.5-f29). My problem is that I am trying to take pictures with a large aperture but I cant seem to get close enough to the subject. When I try to get close everything is blurry and my camera wont focus. When I pull back however, I lose the whole effect I am going for. Any suggestions? Much appreciated. ~Anya
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Thanks Nasim for your great tutorials. I have a Nikon D5100 with the 18-55mm f/3.5-f/5.6 lens, and a 55-200mm f/1.4-f/5.6 lens. However, I am not able to set the aperture to less than f/4. What might be the cause of this issue? I am new to DSLRs. -Aharon
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68) Shibu
April 28, 2012 at 7:03 pm
Ta Nasim! Very informative,in fact sometimes we need someone to reiterate points we have learnt before but tend to forget! Thanx again! Cheers Shibu Sydney
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69) Shibu
April 28, 2012 at 7:07 pm
Asking again.. so how to improve light in a 55-200 mm when zoomed in at 200 mm? Would appreciate it! Ta Shibu, Sydney
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70) sushil
April 30, 2012 at 2:33 am
hi nasimthanks for articles i read them n i like it so much. here is my condition i like photography and planning to enter in this field.I will join commercial
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71) cyndi
April 30, 2012 at 12:14 pm
does the iso increases (gets faster) does the aperture increase or decrease in size
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72) cyndi
April 30, 2012 at 12:15 pm
as the iso increases (gets faster) does the aperture increase or decrease in size
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Hi Nasim. I am Tarun from India, a beginner in the field of DSLRs. Your blog is just amazing for people such as I to understand the basics in the most understandable and hassle free explanations. Keep it up. Thanks. :) Tarun
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Hi, I have a Nikon D2Xs and doing a wedding next month for a friend. What kind of lenses are best for this camera.I have a 70 300mm . 50mm 1.4 . But I need to by a good lens, any ideas please? thank you so much
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and another question please? Dont have the book, do you know anythink about the settings?
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76) Hillary
May 17, 2012 at 3:25 pm
So I have a canon sx40 and Im tring to figure out how to focus on one image and blur the backround I put it on av and they say to put it on f2.8 but it wont let me do that I can see that but I cant scroll to it any advice? I really want these types of pictures and I hoping my camer that I spend a good deal of money on can achieve this.
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77) Alberto
May 25, 2012 at 4:08 am
I still have an old D40x but Ive equipped with 16-85Vr and a 70-300Vr. Im pretty satisfied by the results although I would buy a brand new camera. Do you think that my lens are fine?
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78) Joy
May 25, 2012 at 7:23 am
http://photographylife.com/what-is-aperture-in-photography
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79) Siva
May 29, 2012 at 7:01 pm
Hi, excellent article. Very easy to understand in a simple language. Very usefull. Thanks a lot. Siva Visveswaran
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Hi there First I would like to say thank you soo much for this article it was very easy to understand for someone who is trying to teach themselves! I look forward to reading your other articles as well! I have a problem with my Nikon D5000 and I am having such a hard time trying to find any answers online as I dont know exactly what to ask :(I shoot with my camera daily including today and when i went out to take some pictures this evening of the kiddos I realized my camera wasnt working right. What I mean is that my flash was up but doesnt seem to be working even thou it is on. I also am having a problem with I guess it would be my shutter speed. When I take a picture no matter where I am at or what setting (I really like the child setting right now) It clicks to take the picture then its about 7-10sec before it actually takes the picI am not sure if this has something to do with the flash or not! The pictures come out blurry and infocusedi am so frustrated b/c I dont know how to fix it let alone where to begin! I reset the camera just on a whim and that did nothing. Also even though the flsh is up it clicks everytime I am getting ready to take a pic like it is popping up? I am sorry I may not be making much sence but this is the best way I can describe it! Please let me know if you can help point me in the right direction! I am open to any suggestions! Thank you so much for your time and I look forward to your reply!
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Dear Mr. Mansurov, First of all, I am so grateful to you for the much valuable information about digital photography shared on this website. Its really wonderful! I am a doctor from India, working in the state of Rajasthan. I used to shot with my Kodak Easyshare compact camera till now. Also posted my images on TrekEarth (http://www.trekearth.com/members/vishaal/ ). Now, I want to upgrade to a DSLR. And I like the Canon Eos. Please tell me if I am right in my decision. I planned for Caon Eos 550 D. Is it going to fulfill my needs to get better quality pictures? Please also tell me about the best lenses which can be used with 550 D to get a bluured background with my camera. Is the blurred background is same with Bokeh ? Is Canon Eos 550 D compatible with all interchangeable lenses ? Please help me to get a right DSLR. I will be so thankful to you ! Best regards, Vishal.
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82) Anand
June 29, 2012 at 5:34 am
Hi Nasim, I own a Nikon D5100 for over 6 months now. I have 18-55 VR kit lens and Tamron 70-300 macro lens. I am planning to add 50 F1.8 lens to my arsenal. But things start getting confusing from here on. There are 2 versions of the same lens available from Nikon, G and D. With the G version costing almost
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83) Mandy
July 5, 2012 at 3:02 am
I just got a Nikon p130 which has a f/1.8 lens but I cant get my backgrounds to blur. When I bring it as low as 1.8 everything is still really sharp. Its set to single autofocus. Is there anything else I need to change?
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85) Alexsandra
July 10, 2012 at 8:25 am
Tenho que comprar uma lente, mais estou na dvida se compro: nikon 105mm 2.8 nikon 85mm 1.8 nikon 85mm 1.4 A finalidade para mim fazer ensaios de noivos durante o dia, gosto muito de fotos abertas com o fundo desfocado, qual lente vai me atender melhor Desde j agradeo
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86) Alexsandra
July 10, 2012 at 8:28 am
That Tenho Buy UMA lens, NA estou Mais Dvida if I buy: Nikon 105mm 2.8 Nikon 85 mm 1.8 Nikon 85 mm 1.4 A MIM paragraph Finalidade and Fazer Ensaios of Noivos During or day photo Muito gosto Abertas com or desfocado Fundo, qua lens vai meet me Melhor FROM J agradeo
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87) Hamza
July 24, 2012 at 9:48 am
Respected Sir, Ive bought the Nikon D7000, and am trying to get get any results with the DoF button below the lens. I havent been able to figure out how to get the expected blur results from my 18-105VR Kit lens. I try pressing the DoF button. It produces a loud click sound but i dont get any different results. Is this because the camera wont support it, of does this have to do something with the capability of the lens ? And what lens should I invest in, in order to get the desired blur results, like the ones youve demonstrated with the WALL-E picture ? Waiting for your response ! Thank You. Hamza
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88) Naveen
July 25, 2012 at 1:04 am
Hello Everyone verry useful article..thanks for that.. Now my question..in day light we need to have aperture setting closer to f/8 and in night closer to f/2.8 Agreed..but what is the concept of having f/2.8 in day light for dept of fieldpls explain
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thanks in advance
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101) Fraidy
October 4, 2012 at 5:37 pm
Hi Naveen.. Its explained before, that bigger aperture also means more bokeh.. with f/2.8, it can warp your subject with blurry background
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90) Allen
August 1, 2012 at 7:42 pm
Hi. I am a bit puzzled. Yesterday I entered a question here believing I had followed all the prompts and done all the right things, this morning it came up blank. I will re ask my question. Is there a step by step guide for raw beginners on how to learn Photoshop and Photoshop Light Room on a Windows 7 platform. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
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91) Virginia
August 2, 2012 at 4:34 pm
Thank you for your tips..I am really enjoying the simple way in which you explain everything for a beginner such as I! I am using a Canon 400D while my husband who is far more experienced than I but doesnt explain things as simply as you, bless him :o) uses a Nikon D 7000. I cant wait to try out the moon photos just as soon as I figure out how to change all the settings, as I usually just used Automatic! Sort of PHD (push here dummy!) usually works best for me.up until now!
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Greetings, I just stumbled across your web site and have to say that for the first time I can understand the three important settings on the camera, (ISO, SHUTTER, APERTURE) I shoot with a D700 and love the camera, dont know why I have a mental block about the three things above. So glad that I found you. Ciao Jeannette
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93) ravs
August 4, 2012 at 12:51 am
How to calculate subject distance based on lens , or f ,ISO and shutter speed for better crisp shots. Most of the modern canon lens is not having distance meter , can you help me to explain. Kind regards, Ravs
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http://photographylife.com/what-is-aperture-in-photography
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100) Fraidy
October 4, 2012 at 5:29 pm
94) mgmjtech
August 26, 2012 at 10:49 am
Hi, the site is very helpful. I have less than 1 week to decide if I should keep the Canon 60D with 18-200MM lens or Nikon D7000 with 18-105mm lens. I have been readying and alot of expert indicated the nikon body has a better camera but 18-105mm on the D60 is a better lens. Any thoughts from the Pros.
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95) Shriram
September 4, 2012 at 11:54 pm
96) Kim
September 18, 2012 at 1:33 pm
Hi, I have a Canon sx40. I have been taking pictures at my sons Varsity football games. We are playing at night under the lights. Almost all of my actions shots are blurry. When I take these pictures during a day game they come out crystal clear. I usually set the camera to the burst mode. I have tried sports, night time, just reg automatic. None of them are giving me clear pictures. I am not familiar with the programmable settings with the ISO, aperture, shutter speed and all that yet. But I do want to learn how to utilize the camera to get the most out of it I can. Thanks for any help you can offer. Kim
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97) Sundar
September 27, 2012 at 7:57 pm
Hi, I really liked the way you clearly explained about the aperture, depth field. Im a newbie to DSLR camera. My interests include our day to day general photography and video. I would like to buy a DSLR, and thinking to buy Canon EOS T4i 18 MP camera. Can you recommend me a single good lens that serve purpose of long shots, in motion shots, focusing shots like the Wall-E in your pictures, and video purpose ? I dont know if im asking too much for a single lens to perform, the thing is im not a professional photographer and dont like to carry bulky lenses along with me. If you suggest a complete new body all together ( Alternative to EOS T4i, please let me know). One more question about the raw images DSLR captures, do we need to process all the images in some Adobe photoshop kind of software ? Any suggestion will be highly appreciated.
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98) Sundar
September 27, 2012 at 7:58 pm
One more additional requirement for the lens.I like wide shots as well. Please suggest me a lens than can serve my interests. Thank you
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99) ruchi
September 27, 2012 at 10:21 pm
i have a nikon d3100 and i want a zoom lens for this camera for landscape photogarphy.is nikkor 55-300 ed vr a good lens for my purpose?can u please suggest me.thnak u
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102) Fraidy
October 4, 2012 at 5:40 pm
Hi Ruchi.. 55-300 is a zoom lens.. you should go to the wide lens one for landscape..
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103) irenalana
October 22, 2012 at 7:00 am
Hi i just got canon 550d with kit lens and i want to take food pictures with blurred background. What setting should i chose. I am totally beginner in photography so i need detail instructions
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105) Pankaj
November 11, 2012 at 10:09 pm
Hi, First of all this article helped me a lot, being totally layman to these technical terms of photography, you simply written article helped me to understand a lot about aperture. I have a doubt, when you say low aperture setting say f/1.2 allows more light to come inside the camera on the other hand it focus more at object on the foreground and blur the background. When it allows more light inside then how does it blur the foreground object, ultimately it allows all light including background or foreground object. Please clarify :) thanks again
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107) Fraidy
November 20, 2012 at 12:57 am
Hi, allows more light inside then how does it blur the foreground object? Light and the blurry object were not stand together.. you can also blurring the images in low light condition the aperture condition can change the depth of field of the images, that depth of field can make your background sharp or blurry f/1.2 can blurry your images nicely, but more than f/11 your background images will sharp. with f/1.2 you can blurring your images even in low light condition, but f/11 couldnt do that. thats why panorama or landscape images use f/10 or more to get the sharp background hope you can understand
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106) Nadine
November 14, 2012 at 12:30 am
Hello I live in the Yukon in Canada, and I am getting a new lens soon, which I would like to use for landscape photography, as there are vast and very beautiful scenery up here. I am wondering about photographing Aurora Borealis, Northern Lights? Might the SIGMA 8-16mm 4-5.6 EX DC HSM be a good lens for me to buy? Thanks for the easy to understand language!
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http://photographylife.com/what-is-aperture-in-photography
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108) zeeshan
November 26, 2012 at 6:56 am
respected naseem, thanx for giving informative replies, i want to buy a canon camera,but i m low in budget,i want the camera which take blurred pictures of people,scene,flowers and so on,what about canon EOS 1100D, and tell me is this DSLR camera,can i change its lenses prime or zoom,and tell like 16 mega pixels are important or like 8X zoom,what should be prefferd while buying a camera.pixels or x zoom, thanx.
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109) Mo
December 2, 2012 at 8:47 pm
Hello Nasim, First I must thank you for your tutorials. They are truly helpful and your photos are truly amazing and beautiful. I have only recently been getting into the more technical side of photography and I was lucky enough to come by this wonderful website by chance. At present, I have just 1 question that has been puzzling me: I realize that a smaller aperture results in a greater depth of field. However, I have come across many landscape photos that display their EXIF metadata showing larger apertures of f4 & 5.6 and yet the whole photo is sharp and in focus from the foreground to the horizon. I would truly appreciate and be grateful if you could explain how this is possible, when I thought only apertures of f16 or so could achieve such DoF. Thankyou greatly
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Hello Mr. Mansurov, I have a simple Nikon coolpix s2600, and Ive been wondering if its possible to even change the aperture settings on it as to render an image with a blurred background? All my images are sharp, however at times I wish to focus so as to remove background distractions. I believe the widest aperture it has is f/3.2, and from some internet research it seems thats wide enough to decrease the clarity of the background. Im not sure, though. Im quite clueless about cameras and am just wondering whether I can manipulate the settings on my camera, and if so, how. Thanks in advance
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111) amey
January 9, 2013 at 11:14 pm
Hi ,I am using canon 550d with default lens 18-55mm ,how to take foreground subject blur and background in focus..
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I recently received a Nikon D3200 as a gift from my husband to start pursueing my photography passion. It only goes down to f/5.6 and to create the blurred background from everything that I have read I need a lense that goes to at least f/1.4. I just wanted to make sure this is correct before I purchase the lense. Thanks for the help:)
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113) Renee E.
January 13, 2013 at 9:26 pm
First time writing and reading your blog. Thank you for so much information very helpful. I have a Nikon d5100. My 55-200mm lens says: 1:4-5.6G. Does this mean my highest f-stop is only 4-5.6? Very disappointed if so. I just got my camera a few months ago and the lens at Christmas. Do i need to buy ANOTHER lens in order to get the lens foreground crisp and background blurred? Im a newly professed professional photographer picking up new tips here and there.
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Thank you so much.
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114) SS
January 14, 2013 at 7:02 am
Thank you so much for the information you provided, it was really very helpful! It helped me a lot understanding my new dslr camera. Thanks again!
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I am new to the DSLR world just purchased a Cannon Rebel T3. I took some pictures a few days ago out side making changes to the apature from f4-f22 trying to get used to the different settings. Today I went to take some more pictures again outside and all of the pictures are coming out white. I dont know what I did to cause this. If I put the settings an auto it does not do this. I have the ISO set at 100 as I was outside on a sunny day. WB was set to AWB. What am I doing wrong.
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116) Raju
January 22, 2013 at 9:11 pm
Hi Nasim, I just came across your article regarding the basics terms used in photography and these are very helpful to me, as I am a novice in the field of photography. Moreover, I bought myself a Canon 600D with 18-55 Is lens recently and trying my hands in taking some nighttime photography (esp. low-light condition), but the pictures taken in low light are not as not clear as I have desired with enhanced ISO value and faster shutter speed with aperture fully open preferably in AV mode, TV mode (for moving vehicle, etc.), and manual mode..I used all these modes while taking the pics but something is going wrong and i dont know where it is. Could you help me solving these issues and explain me the protocol at length for lowlight photography with 18-55 mm IS lens..Thanks and would be expecting a good input on thisTake care.
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118) hannah
January 28, 2013 at 9:47 am
hi. i enjoyed reding this and understand a little more about apeture. i just wanted to ask you a little more. im planning on going to iceland in december, and im hoping to be lucky enough to get a glimpse of the northern lights. everywhere i have read tells me i need an apeture of f1.4 or f2.8. i already own a fujifilm camera and its apeture is f3.1-5.6. when i eventually track down a lens to fit my camera, how would i go about setting the apeture to the right lenght. is it a case of zooming in and out or will i have to go through a menu settings.
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I am setting my aperture and it is at its lowest and i am trying to get my middle object focus and the rest blurry but everything seems to be blurry. Am i doing something wrong?
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120) Devaney
February 14, 2013 at 4:21 am
Could i still use aperture priority mode without blurrying it out all the time? sometimes,i just love how crisp and in focus it makes my photos. sometimes,i just dont care about a photo being blurry
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Hey.. Love your articles and Ive been hooked on to them since quite a few days now. I have a Nikon D40 with 18-55mm lens. Ive been trying to achieve these image results but havent reached there yet. I keep my camera on Aperture Priority and accordingly select different apertures as you mentioned. But i end up getting very bright and blurry image. Could you help me out with this? And could you also tell me that if i try this on Manual Mode then what should the aperture and shutter be? Thanks =)
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122) anoop k
March 5, 2013 at 10:51 am
hi, I am new to the photographic field, and i have greater interest in that. I bought a new SLR last week canon 60D with 18-55mm IS lens .. I got a few ideas regarding aperture, ISO and shutter speed from various blogs and all. From that tips i got many awesome snaps. But i dont have any idea about manual settings regarding an object that moves continuously in low light . i tried many times. but it fails. All the images i got are scattered .. can you help me in that.. Thanks
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123) jemma
March 28, 2013 at 2:39 pm
Hi, Im wondering if you could help, I am new to photography but will soon be purchasing the Nikon D600. I will be using it mainly for portrait photography and I hoping you could recommend a few lenses, possibly a cheap one, a medioka priced one and an expensive one? I was thinking the 85mm f/1.8 or the 85mm f/1.4 but wondering why the it seems the f/1.8 is more expensive when sure the f/1.4 is the better lens for background blur? Also the Nikon AF DC Nikkor 135mm f/2D but would appreciate any advice, I guess there would be the odd occasion where I might like to do just head and shoulders but as I will mainly be doing children and familys it will be mainly sit down or stand up poses or any pose with half body or full body in the photo so Id assume anything 85mm or above lense wise would be best?
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124) Pappu
April 18, 2013 at 8:42 pm
Hi Naseem, Thank you for the excellent tips you have shared. It is wealth for us trying to learn on our own. I am currently using a point and shoot Cannon SX30IS. I am trying to experiment with the aperture mode. I used the Av mode and started playing with the lower f number , the max it makes me go below is 2.7, but i dont get the depth i want. Am i trying to do much with my simple point and shoot or am approaching it in a wrong way. Will the light factor during the time i was experimenting it affect how much low I can go ( since it was cloudy and quite dark outside)
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http://photographylife.com/what-is-aperture-in-photography
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125) Sandeep Prasad
April 21, 2013 at 1:57 am
Hi Nasim Your articles are simply amazing , for the fact that you have explained the details in such a easy to understand manner . I have purchased a Nikon D5100 and currently thinking about the type of lens which I need to buy . Will be shooting portraits /landscape and interest in low light photography .. Can you suggest ?? Regards Sandeep
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Sandeep, for low light photography, check out my response below to Janet the 35mm is a great lens for the D5100. For landscapes, the 18-55mm kit lens will do just great.
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126) Janet
April 21, 2013 at 4:51 pm
Hi Nasim, I just bought the Nikon D5100. I am a beginner. I want to buy a new lens, I currently have the 18-55mm .I have children who play sports and would like to take pictures from far and get a clear phone of their funny face expressions. LOL. I am also looking for something to use an everyday basis but also looking for good sharpness. I was comparing and debating in between the 35mm and 50mm. Which one would you recommend, also is there any other one you like and recommend for beginner? Thank You, Janet
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Janet, get the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G lens it is a superb all around lens for your camera.
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130) Janet
April 23, 2013 at 10:13 pm
Hello Nasim, Thank you for your time. I will buy the Nikon 35mm. A friend suggested to also buy the 55-200mm or 55-300mm, she said either one with the 35mm will be the best kit for me as a starter. What do you recommend?. Will any of those two lens help zoom and take good photos of my kids while playing soccer? I also like to take pictures of close flowers and making the background blurry (like you did on the mailboxes and wall-e), what lens do I need to take a photo like that?. I am new at this :) I will appreciate any information or suggestions you might have. Thanks, Janet
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129) Vrushali
April 23, 2013 at 1:43 pm
Hello Nasim, I have a nikon d5000 camera and the basic lens 18-55mm. i want to know that how much larger aparture can i set for this lens? also if you can advice me on how to take portraits of kids. i have a 2 year old daughter who is very active and keeps moving all the time. so if you could give me some guidlines on how can i take very good pictures of her with the basic lens i have, it would be very helpful for me.
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131) Janet
April 24, 2013 at 11:05 pm
Hello Nasim, Thank you for your time. I will buy the Nikon 35mm. A friend suggested to also buy the 55-200mm or 55300mm, she said either one with the 35mm will be the best kit for me as a starter. What do you recommend?. Will any of those two lens help zoom and take good photos of my kids while playing soccer? I also like to take pictures of close flowers and making the background blurry (like you did on the mailboxes and wall-e), what lens do I need to take a photo like that?. I am new at this :) I will appreciate any information or suggestions you might have. Thanks, Janet
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132) Sarah
May 8, 2013 at 8:27 am
Hi Nasim, Thank you for being so generous with your knowledge. =D I am a beginner and Im trying to understand the language of photography. I have a Nikon D40 with a 1855mm 1:3.5-5.6 lens. I have been practicing with friends and family for portrait shooting, but my photos are not as sharp and clear as I would like. I do most of my shooting outdoors and would really like to see better results. What is your advice? What settings should I have or must I purchase another lens? Thank you, Sarah
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136) Yvon
May 22, 2013 at 1:15 pm
I have the same camera with the 18-55 and the 55-200 and i get the same problem. I am still trying to align the back ground and foreground on the same level. I get the foreground right and the background blurry. I am a landscape photographer but not professionally. The D40 is a great camera; Ive had it for about 6 years.
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133) aperture
May 14, 2013 at 1:33 am
thanks for sharing your knowledge about aperture. hope to read more about photography in this blog in the future :) kaycee mcnally
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134) kim
May 14, 2013 at 1:35 am
135) Yvon
May 22, 2013 at 1:09 pm
I understand aperture a lot better after reading this article but when i practice it, i still get a blurry picture. I have a Nikon D40 with both Nikkor lenses 18-55mm and 55-200mm and when i try to take a picture on A mode, it takes a long time to process it and it comes out blurry. Do I have to have the camera on a tripod when i am taking the picutre on A mode? or is there something else that i have to do or put the camera on different features? I have always taken pictures on automatic mode and now, I am trying to learn the features of the camera.
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138) Manmohan Deep Singh
June 19, 2013 at 8:04 am
Ultimate knowledge
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139) Joe
July 5, 2013 at 7:46 am
Dear Nasim, I had a wonderful time reading above article, it is indeed helpful and makes it very motivated in improving photo skills especially for beginners. I myself very new in photo-shooting field and honestly, I have learned so much from what you have elicited using simple and easy to understand language. Since you are professional photo-shooting guru, I would like to ask you a question if thats not a problem. I appreciate your time and effort. My question is, I bought a Nikon Camera to take product photos as I am about to start an online business. I came across few articles in regards to different lenses used for various purpose such as for weddings and so forth. I was wondering if there is any lens exist for taking product photos that you know and can recommend me? As I am extremely new in this photography voyage I would also appreciate if you could recommend me useful links, equipment that a beginner would need, software and so forth. Thank you. :)
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140) RAHUL
July 22, 2013 at 11:18 am
HI NASIM, IM A BEGINER TO THE DSLR, PLANNING TO BUY NIKON D5200 . CAN U SUGGEST ME SOME GOOD LENS? FOR: WEDDINGS,POTRAITS,LANDSCAPE AND DAILY USAGE. NIKON D5200 USUALLY COMES WITH 18-55MM LENS,SHOULD I GO WITH IT OR PLAN FOR 18-105 MM LENS.
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Dear Nasim, Having taking photographs for more than a decade on point & shoot I finally got my canon 700D with basic kit lense 18-55 & also got a 55-250. The main reason for me in getting the camera is to capture my kids. From reading your materials I can say that the quality of pictures have improved very much. At this point I want to know how to take good portrait shots of my kids who are 6 months and 3 years old. Any advise please
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142) ebru
August 2, 2013 at 9:09 am
Hi is Nikon D3200 (basic lens kit 18-55mm) a good camera to do this effect?
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143) Casey
August 7, 2013 at 12:12 am
My question is for anyone who can answer. I consider myself intermediate. I know alot and feel like I am beyond the basics. My question is when I am shooting indoors on my canon t3i in low to moderate light I have the ISO at 3200 shutter 1/60 and I am shooting with a canon 17-55 2.8 with the aperture wide open at 2.8. Now the exposure is spot on and my center focus point is crisp sharp but the rest of the image is not clear, not really blurry or motion just doesnt look as clear as the center. The subject for these pictures is the entire room for a real estate shot, so I want everything in sharp focus, I
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I found the post very informative. Heres my take on aperture: http://blog.pedromendes.com/aperture/ All the best, Pedro
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Hi , I have recently picked up my first proper camera, a Lumix-G3 with the standard lens. The reason is I have started following the Ladies football, and really enjoy taking pictures of the action. My first two weeks are here ; http://www.flickr.com/photos/38400952@N02/ I used the sport mode for anything <50yrds, and a cheat for extra zoom on far shots from this site ; http://johnmorganphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/users-guide-to-lumix-g3.html I am fairly happy with most results, and very happy with a couple. I have defo got the bug now. I believe that I need to work on improving the focus, and reduce the white. Any tips and tricks for a beginner in nailing action shots would be greatly appreciated. Happy snapping
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146) nagi
August 29, 2013 at 1:45 am
hi, this article is very helpful specially for beginners like me. I just bought a Nikon D7100 a few days ago. Can you give an advice on what lens is suitable for micro and portrait photography. thanks a lot
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Hello Nagi, for macro photography Id say a 100mm lens wound be good. For portrait you can get a 50mm 1.8 very cheaply, and that should get you started. 50mm is considered a normal lense, tha one that photographs like the eye sees.
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149) nagi
August 29, 2013 at 4:58 am
thanks alo Pedro..as of now i am practicing with the 18-105mm kit lens..
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148) nagi
August 29, 2013 at 4:56 am
*macro
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150) Louie
August 31, 2013 at 2:15 pm
I have never read an article/blog like this as simple as easy to understand! I have been trying & keep searching about photography as a begginer but yours made me understand what it is for! I have a Nikon D3100 & been a self taught reading online since my husband bought me one. I think I have found the one that I would stick to it till I master the beginning phase. Can you give any tips on camera setting? My sister in law are due to have a beach wedding & Im trying search a good tips on manual setting with my camera to get good ones online. Its an outdoor ceremony & so am trying my best to make most of the image as possible.
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151) Louie
August 31, 2013 at 2:17 pm
Wow! I have never read an article/blog like this as simple as easy to understand! I have been trying & keep searching about photography as a begginer but yours made me understand what it is for! I have a Nikon D3100 & been a self taught reading online since my husband bought me one. I think I have found the one that I would stick to it till I master the beginning phase. Can you give any tips on camera setting? My sister in law are due to have a beach wedding & Im trying search a good tips on manual setting with my camera to get good ones online. Its an outdoor ceremony & so am trying my best to make most of the image as possible. thanks.
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152) sajeer
September 4, 2013 at 12:42 am
hi nazim, your article reallyinteresting & helpfull. im a beginner im having nikon D90 with 500mm-1.4D & 70-300 lenses. which one i should use for outdoor portraits ? and sould i use extra flash light light for the outdoor portrait ?and which mode i should use for the same ? your supprot will be more helpfull. thanks
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Hi Nasim, Thanks a lot for such a nice explanation. I just got a Canon 600D and dint know anything on photography.. your post helped for using the camera and clicking awesome shots. It created intrest in me.. thanks again.
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156) Olumide
September 12, 2013 at 2:40 am
Hello Nasir, I notice you have not responded to most post yet and wondering if this will be attended to. First let me thank you for this articles. They are really very good. I am not a beginner though but I dropped out for a while! I am trying to get back full time. I am into events and stuff ( weddings etc). I also do studio fotography too. Now my question, most times I have to use external flash as one cant rely on internal flash of the camera so am wondering what settings will be appropriate for outdoor shoots when its sunny and when it isnt. Also, general advise on taking excellent shots will be appreciate. I have Nikon D90 , D60 and canon 600D. Looking forward to hearing from u. BTW my flash is a canon430 EX and works fine wt all cameras
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Hello Olumide,
Do you mean using flash outdoors when its sunny? The main thing is using a flash strong enough to overpower the sun. A simple speedlight may not be able to do it. Also, flash or no flash, keep your subject out of direct sunlight, especially in the midday sun. Get them in the shade so the light isnt so harsh. If youd like, take a look at my blog, where I share photography tips (http://blog.pedromendes.com). All the best!
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158) Olumide
September 12, 2013 at 3:29 am
Well, yes. Are u saying the 430 EX isny strong enough ? There is a way flash light makes the picture extra sharp. And talking about sunglight, does the subject face the sun or otherwise ? I notice when they back the sunlight the picture becomes dull but when the face the sunlight and I back it it becomes clearer but they all have a squint in their faces !
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It will depend on how strong the sunlight is. You will have to experiment. As youve said, if the subject faces the sun they will probably squint, and thats not a good look :) If the sun is to their back, you may have flare (direct sun entering the lens). Flare can be a nice creative effect if you want it. Maybe the easier option is for the sun to be at their side. But you can try having the sun to their back, using fill flash if you need it, and using a lens hood to prevent flare.
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163) Salvador
September 18, 2013 at 4:02 am
Hey man, very nice, but, i would like to know why the aperture is affected when zooming? i think this is not like that on all cameras but at least on my Sony RX100 it is, but why? why would the lens not be able to get all the way open when zooming? How thoes it affects?
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Hey awesome i finally understand the meaning of aperture And its really nice tute for like beginners
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166) Bahar
October 21, 2013 at 11:21 pm
167) Chandana
October 23, 2013 at 8:44 am
great explanation
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Hey, thanks for the information. But your picture at the top (white man with black men surrounding in awe) is quite offensive to many. A camera isnt so foreign to Africa as you may think. Many African cities are cosmopolitan and the people deserve more respect/dignity. They are not children.
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Looking to buy a canon t3 or t3i. I want a regular lens and a zoom lens that creates good bokah (for personal use not professional). Best I can get for $500 budget. Any lens suggestions? Looks like a lot of packages come with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II Zoom Lens Not sure if I should get the camera with or without that as regular lens? Plus an extra telephoto zoom lens that creates good bokah.
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170) Arijit
November 24, 2013 at 2:00 am
I am using a Canon 1100D and am a beginner in photgraphy. Currently i am having a 18-55 and a 55-250 lens. can you please some good tips for daylight photography and also landscape. Thanks, Arijit
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171) sandy
November 26, 2013 at 7:03 pm
Hi Nasim, I read maximum of your posts.. its very much helpful. I bought a Nikon D5200, I am a beginner to photography. Will post some good pics soon. Thank you
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Hi Nasim, I enjoy reading your article a lot. The information you posted is clear and helpful. Thank you so much! Ming
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173) Mischelle
December 11, 2013 at 4:44 am
174) jon
December 13, 2013 at 5:39 pm
175) sam
December 17, 2013 at 11:30 pm
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176) Nupur
December 19, 2013 at 7:05 am
Hi, Im using canon 55mm-250mm lens. Im not able to make it 3.5 or less then that. Its got fixed at f/4 not going below that.
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Hi Nasim thank you so much for explaining with such simple clarity. Understood the basic like never before, :) Regards Masud
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HOW CAN I APERTURE SIZE LEVEL FIXING MANUALLY IN CANON IXUS 510 HS. PLEASE TELL ME BOSS.
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179) Aslan
January 8, 2014 at 9:01 am
Thanks for the nice informations. I just have one small questions you didnt answer or more probable you did and I just didnt get it The first one is: If a lens has 15-55mm and f/3.5-f/5.6 how can I get a f/18 (as you stated almost all modern lenses can provide at least f/16? Probably I totally misunderstood something? Thanks a lot in advance.
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180) Ben
January 8, 2014 at 11:34 pm
Hi Everybody, I have a Nikon D3100 with 18-55mm lens 1:3.5-5.6G. I need to photograph original paintings. I will be using a tripod and lighting. The paintings will be from 20cm square to 2 metres square. Can anybody tell me if this camera is suitable and if so what settings to use, or should I get a different lens and if so which one. I am not a photographer so dumb it down for me please. Many thanks. Ben.
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Hi Nasim, All that information above helped me a lot. But one thing I couldnt understand, i.e., the use of prime lenses. I have often heard of them but I dont actually understand why, how and on what purpose they are used. I would very obliged if you could explain it to me. Thanking you, Swarnava Ghosh
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183) Alison
January 22, 2014 at 9:25 pm
Hello, I am a beginner, I own a canon 600D. Ive had it for 2 years and feel comfortable with using the lens it comes with and am now looking to buy a new lens one with lower appature. My question is are there any you recommend for a beginner to improve my skills? I am looking to take some photos with the blurry background that is quite popular these days. Thanks in advance! Alison
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185) Charles
February 5, 2014 at 6:18 am
Good morning Nasim I am new to the photography world and love taking professional shots of my wife and children so that I dont have to pay high prices for such I am starting to get the hang of things and am being asked to do shots for others Many of my shots are of children and families Which lens would you recommend for my next purchase as I am using the Nikon D3200 and have an 1855mm lens and a 55-200mm lens? Thanks again for all you do
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186) Martyn
February 6, 2014 at 9:16 am
Hello Nasim, I have a Canon Eos 1100. I understand F-stops and how they work with shutter speed for exposure, however I have bought an OEM 650mm-1300mm zoom with a T2 Canon adaptor. The lens is fixed aperture F8-F16, depending on degree of zoom. When I switch to Aperture Priority, the F-stop reading on the screen is 1.6, and I cannot change it. I would like to make use of the TTL metering to automatically set the shutter speed (I have been using manual with the correct F-stop and then taking several shots with a variety of shutter speeds, hoping that one of them is right. The results are fine, but it wastes a lot of time, and Im using the lens for wildlife, so the framing often changes whilst I am doing this) Do you have any suggestions on how I can get auto shutter speed setting? Many thanks
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187) Abby
February 9, 2014 at 11:58 am
hello, I am in a fix between Canon 1100D, Canon 600D and Nikon D90 cameras. Can you suggest me whihc one is the best one among these three ?
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Great article ! You can find some more information about Aperture and other pillars of photography at domainnameistaken.com
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189) Aruj
February 17, 2014 at 10:40 am
Hi Sir, Firstly i would like to tell you that i really do like your hard work and i follow it carefully..I am new to photography and i do want to know that which camera would you recommend me in the budget of Rs15000/- or 250$.DO sensors Cmos and CCd have any difference between them?? Please do answer my question
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Thanks..
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190) Carina
February 28, 2014 at 2:57 pm
Hello! If I had a camera 1 with f/2 and max ISO of 6400 in comparison to camera 2 with f/2.8 and max ISO of 12800, which will be the camera that will perform better in low light scenarios without flash? Would they cancel out as I am slightly confused..
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