Tutorial on dSLR lenses? f-stop, aperture, etc?

Question

I'm relatively new to the digital photography dSLR world and I want to know more about f-stop, aperture, etc and how I can choose the right lenses and make the most of my new Rebel. Any online tutorials for a not entirely new beginner?

Answer 1

Here's a good website to learn:
http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/Glossary/Optical/

Answer 2

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Answer 3

A few basics:
Shutter Speed: this controls how fast or slow a shutter opens to allow light onto the sensor. Faster the shutter speed, ex. 1/2000, the less light is allowed in and freezes a subject in an imagine. Slow the shutter speed, 1/4, the more light is allowed in but it also will cause either a camera blur or a subject blur. However this may be a good touch to your imagine if you so desire it. Use a tripod for anything slower than 1/8.
ISO: This boosts the sensitivty of the sensor which enables the photographer to take brighter pictures at a higher shutter speed. This is great for sport shots in low light conditions so that you do not have to sacrifice subject and camera blur on your imagine. But this creates noise on the picture and the higher you go the more noise there will be on the picture. Some cameras handle ISO better than others.
Exposure: How bright or how dim the camera makes the picture
Ampature: This is how big or small the hole is in the lens is. The lower the ampature, the faster the lens is and the smaller the hole is (ex. f/1-2.8) this give a narrower field of vision, this blurs the back round. The larger the amapture the larger the hole is and the deeper the field of vision it is. (3-infinity just how large the lens can get)


Now to I guess define photography. Photography is the art of capturing a moment and preserving it in a picture. Photography can be as basic as just getting a camera and taking a picture of a rock. There are really no such thing as a good picture, thats based on opinion. As a photographer myself I take pictures of different objects and try to present a mood, feeling, story. I take pictures that only I may think is beautiful and sometimes I take things that other people like as well. As you become more advance with photography you can take pictures of a plant and give it life by changing different settings on your camera and other things. As you become more advance you can use photoshop but I like sticking with "natural" shots (striaght for the camera, maybe just increase the brightness or contrast but nothign else)

Another thing photography does cost you money. How much? As little as $150. You do not need a fancy camera to be in photography. But if you are looking to be a serious photographer you may want to look into an SLR, Single Lens Reflex.

Why? SLRs have larger sensor. The larger the sensor the better. The larger sensors take in more light or data. Which allows better picture quality. But if the sensor sucks, thats a different story. Canon & Nikon are very popular because they have been very reliable cameras.

MP mean NOTHING. Do NOT buy a camera based on megapixels (MP). No matter how many MP it has doesnt mean its better. For example, a P&S camera vs a SLR. The P&S has 10MP while the SLR has 8MP. This doesnt make the P&S better than the SLR because the SLR has a better sensor than the P&S which results in better picture quality.

Lens. Lens are almost as or even equal to the quality of the cameras sensors. If the lens suck then the picture quality is going to suck no matter how superior the sensor is. Invest money in lens.

External Flash Units. Invest money in that for indoor and portrait shots. Flash units reach a lot farther than the bulit in flash of any camera. Also they provide more custom shots by bouncing the light off the ceiling or a wall this will give you not as harsh of a glare on your subjects imagine. This is not required however.

Get a large memory card if you are a serious photographer. I easily take 400+ pictures when I go out to like Disneyland or to a family party. Professionals take over 1000 for one project.

There are many different types of styles, Wildlife, land scape, sports, portrait, studio, marco, etc. Get a camera that will best suit your needs. Wildlife will require at least a telescope lens which is extremely expensive. landscape you will need a wide-angle len which are relatively cheap but still over $200+. Sports you will need a lens that are extremely fast, you need a lens that goes lower than f/3. Usually a prime len only goes below f/3 but those are usually at the height of a companies lens. 50mm prime len will be good for basketball style games. Also a camera that takes pictures at a high FPS (Frames Per Second) and an AI Servo (Canon's Name for it) this changes exposure, ampeture as you move the camera. Portrait you do not need a camera that has a high FPS rate or extremely expensive lens. Usually portrait shots have a "glow" like in some wedding pictures. But you can have sharp portiat shots too but its depending on how you feel on it. Macro is taking a close up on a subject like a bug or a flower. You will need a marco len 100mm or smaller or you can be cheap like me an just use any lens for it =).

Most importantly... The picture is usually YOUR fault on an SLR. Do not blame the camera for bad pictures. Read reviews on a camera before you buy. Canon is known for have a bit of a a problem with low light situations but once you learn how to use the camera you dont have that problem any more. Go to dpreview.com and research different cameras. They are exteremly reliable. Like most anything, practice, practice, practice. You will never learn your camera if you never practice. And please... Read your manuel front and back... Itll save you a lot of trouble on the field if you dont like how something is going.

Answer 4

There are dozens of good photography webpages available. The links below are just a few of the better ones, which should help you to learn everything you want to know..

Choosing a lens is a little more difficult, but buying a lens with a good focal range would probably be the best way to go.
And then later, you might want to buy a wide angle and a longer lens, according to your needs.
A good lens will cost you more than the camera itself, but a quality lens is an investment.
The Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L USM is a very good general purpose zoom lens.
And the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM is an excellent wide angle lens.
A faster lens (f/2.8 or wider) is a good option if you can afford it.
The last three links are lens review pages.
good luck...

Answer 5

3 easy steps:
ISO - use a low iso, like 100 or 200, to get the best quality picture. High iso is very grainy.

F-Stop/Aperture - is the size of the diapham opening during the shot. A small aperture (like 16) aids in focus giving the most area in focus (depth of field). A large aperture (like 1.4) lets in the most light for a faster photograph, but less is in focus, just where the lens focuses and little else.

Shutter speed - fast for stop action, slow for motion effects.

The 3 are balanced for a correct photo.

My camera is almost always in aperture priority, where I set the depth of field. I always use iso 100 for the best image quality, and adjust the shutter as needed.

That simple. 3 paragraphs or 300 pages, it's still the same.

Answer 6

From photography and DSLR camera basics right through to advanced techniques used by the professionals, this course will quickly and easily get your photography skills focused! Go here https://tr.im/PhotographyMasterclass
By the end of this course you will have developed an instinctive skill-for-life that will enable you to capture truly stunning photos that not only amaze your friends and family... but could also open the doors to a brand new career.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

There is a really good photography section at BabyDev.com and you should get a fast reply.

Web Development & Photography Forum
http://www.babydev.com

Answer 9

very helpfull to understand lenses and to find the best DSLR lens that meets ur needs .......take a look :

http://www.digital-slr-guide.com/best-digital-slr-lens.html

good luck

Answer 10

try cnet.com