Help..Canon T3i

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dremic

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Dec 9, 2011
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i just bought this camera on craigslist it wasnt new


doing what i can to learn on my own but i am looking for lens suggestions for shooting portraits of people, from head to toe though. also maybe some close ups for shoes etc.

it came with a 1.5 50mm lens or from what i understand the (standard)

also general guidance is welcome.
 
The 50mm lens is probably one of the better choices on your crop sensor body for doing portrait work. I know you won't know some of the terms I'm using, so I'll try to explain on the way, but forgive me if I miss something.

The T3i is known as a "crop sensor" body. It means that the size of the sensor is smaller than 35mm film (yes that same 35mm film that used to go into film cameras) this means that the "apparent" field of view is narrower than it would be on a "full frame sensor".

What does that mean for you and your 50mm?
The crop sensor on the T3i is 1.6 which is multiplied against the mm of your lens (in this case 50mm) to give 80mm effective field of view.

80mm (or traditionally the 85mm lens) is probably the most used (and arguably best) lens for portrait work. The face and features are compressed, it's more flattering than a wide angle (especially close up, eek!) and because then lens you are using is prime, it will be sharper, faster (a photographic term referring to how much light it can take in), and much more simple. Because you're on a crop frame, I wouldn't go as far as to say the 50mm is the standard. On a full frame that terminology makes more sense, 80mm is a bit more narrow than what most people want or like for general purpose shooting. That isn't to say that the 50mm lens isn't good for what you're trying to do, quite the opposite. Like I said, for portrait work the 85mm (or in your case 80mm) IS the standard. It's a killer focal length for that application.

Of course you mention taking full body shots, which is a fairly uncommon practice in the photo world with the notable exception of fashion. The 80mm focal length is probably going to be a bit too narrow in order to do that. You'll probably need some sort of wide angle lens, and there are quite a few options available.

A 24mm prime (like the f2.8) multiplied against your crop sensor nets a focal length of 38.4, which is an odd size to be sure, but it's close/similar to 35mm which would be okay for full body shot type work. Lenses that are wider than the Canon 24mm f/2.8 are probably going to be a bit more expensive than you want to pay for at this time (like the Canon 14mm f/2.8L, or the 10-20mm Wide Angle Zoom).

For the close ups of shoes, the 50mm you have will be fine, unless you're talking about trying to shoot them "from a distance". If not then simply get closer. If you are then it just comes down to buying a telephoto lens and what you can afford. The 70-200mm f/4.0L is a nice place to start, but it might be priced out of your price range. There are less expensive variants, but because I am not familiar with them, I don't want to suggest them. Someone else might be able to give relevant information.


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General tips would be to learn your camera inside and out. Try to shoot as often as you can, and try to learn as much about photography as you can. Photography has a technical aspect of it, which people tend to focus on, and those fundamentals are important. But you learn that stuff so that eventually you can focus on the artistic portion of it. You could liken that to needing to know proportions of the human face in order to sketch it or understanding how to use "the wheel" in pottery... sure there is a technical skill, but you learn that skill so eventually you can "forget it".

So with that, I would try to learn things like the "Exposure Triangle" which includes Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO, and how those three things interact with one another and how to prioritize each one to get the look you're trying to get. Shoot in full manual all the time until you understand those things. Read information about f-stops (what they are, why they are important) and how that relates to "depth of field" and when how to get more or less "depth of field". I believe there are resources at the top of this forum (stickies) that have links to relevant info... there is a photography website sticky and a glossary of terms sticky, both are a decent place to start.
 
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dremic said:
im gonna by a book on the t3i as well and hopefully that will help me move along
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Scott Kelby has a series of digital photography books you might find useful. I think he's up to volume 4, and they're like 12 bucks a piece.
 
dremic said:
thanks for all the great information, some of those lenses arent for sale or are 700+

i am looking for something a little more in like the 500$ range


what do you think of this?

http://www.amazon.com/Tamron-28-75mm-Aspherical-Canon-Digital/dp/B0000A1G05


im gonna by a book on the t3i as well and hopefully that will help me move along
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A lot of it depends on if you want to shoot primes or use a zoom. I would personally go for primes if you have the patience. The 24mm I listed can be found for a bit over $300 used easily. http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00006I53R/ref=dp_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=all KEH is a well known used lens manufacturer. You can look them up, they are reliable and honest, and have been around a long time before Amazon's third party retailer stuff.

As for the Tamron, I generally stay away from off brand lenses, but I don't want to really comment on that any further. If you're dying to know why, I can dive into that further.

The only other thing is that you may find that 28mm still is too narrow at 44.8mm on your crop frame. You may find that to be fine, but if you're trying to get full body shots with it, you will have to be some distance away (which is okay, provided you're in a location that has the space). The 24mm will still be tricky in some spaces, but every mm on the wide end counts for a lot more than on the narrow end.

I should also note that the 17-40mm f/4.0L can be found for around $600-$700 used, although personally I think f/4.0 is too slow for general purpose usage.
 
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I'd like to know why, I have heard the Image Quality between Canon and Sigma/Tamron is very small and not easily noticed. In fact I have seen people getting Sigma Prime lens in certain mm because they performed better than the matching canon lens.
 
ComputerGeek said:
I'd like to know why, I have heard the Image Quality between Canon and Sigma/Tamron is very small and not easily noticed. In fact I have seen people getting Sigma Prime lens in certain mm because they performed better than the matching canon lens.
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In order to not thread hijack, you have been PM'ed.
 
My honest opinion..... 24-105L f/4 used..... The Canon 15-85 is not that bad either. I know that you wanted under $500.. but I would save that and purchase something when you have a little more $$.. The 50 f/1.8 while limited.. is a great lens..

I have had mixed reviews/luck with Sigma and Tamron Lenses over the years.... there are some hit and misses... but I learned that I usually spend more money buying a cheap lens to save $$ then selling it to buy a/the lens I really want/was eyeing in the first place...
 
Also UnknownSouljer mentioned the 70-200L f/4... that is a great lens too.. you can find bargains on the used market...
 
i found this lens on craiglist as i still havent purchased a lens :X


http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/pho/3884719451.html


what do you guys think?


i am willing to increase my price range.. anywhere between 200-500$ preferably a used as that seems to be the way to go with these.


again I am taking pictures of people wearing clothing toe to head also taking shots of individual products like a shirt or a pair of shoes etc.


sorry for the necro and thank you for any continued help
 
You want a Canon 50/1.4, should run about $350 new. That's what I used for my 60D (same sensor as the T3i).

That Sigma is a decent lens from what I've read, but it will be too wide. Filling the frame with one person will get you closer than what most people are comfortable with, and even if you can get them to pose, they won't thank you for the way a wide lens distorts people (anything, but it makes all the stuff people don't want blown up bigger, like noses).

For tight portraits, like waist up and closer, get Canon's 85/1.8, slightly more, and one of Canon's better lenses.

Just remember to not shoot the 50/1.4 with an aperture wider (a smaller F/number) than F/2.5. At wide open (F/1.4), the lens isn't as sharp, and the depth of field (what's actually in focus, which is parallel to the sensor) is so thin that you might get a blurry nose with in focus eyes.
 
IdiotInCharge said:
You want a Canon 50/1.4, should run about $350 new. That's what I used for my 60D (same sensor as the T3i).

That Sigma is a decent lens from what I've read, but it will be too wide. Filling the frame with one person will get you closer than what most people are comfortable with, and even if you can get them to pose, they won't thank you for the way a wide lens distorts people (anything, but it makes all the stuff people don't want blown up bigger, like noses).

For tight portraits, like waist up and closer, get Canon's 85/1.8, slightly more, and one of Canon's better lenses.

Just remember to not shoot the 50/1.4 with an aperture wider (a smaller F/number) than F/2.5. At wide open (F/1.4), the lens isn't as sharp, and the depth of field (what's actually in focus, which is parallel to the sensor) is so thin that you might get a blurry nose with in focus eyes.
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i have the canon 50/1.5 and it seems incredibly zoomed for a top to bottom picture of a person
 
dremic said:
i have the canon 50/1.5 and it seems incredibly zoomed for a top to bottom picture of a person
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It is, and that's actually the point; first, to get you away from them (you have to step back) for their comfort, but also to compress the background. Less stuff in the background means less distracting stuff in your portraits, and the longer the lens (and the wider the aperture) the more the background is blurred, giving you better focus isolation.

It's better to talk about this in terms of 35mm equivalency; the cropped sensor in the T3i (and 60D and 7D and all Rebels) is ~22mm across, making it 1.6x smaller, so you multiply the focal length of your lens by 1.6 to get the 35mm equivalent focal length.

Next, individual portraits (where your focus is on the individual, not setting up a scene with other stuff in it) are done at 85mm-135mm, which is ~50mm-85mm on your T3i (whether you use EF or EF-S lenses). So your 50mm is actually perfect for a whole body portrait.
 
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IdiotInCharge said:
It is, and that's actually the point; first, to get you away from them (you have to step back) for their comfort, but also to compress the background. Less stuff in the background means less distracting stuff in your portraits, and the longer the lens (and the wider the aperture) the more the background is blurred, giving you better focus isolation.

It's better to talk about this in terms of 35mm equivalency; the cropped sensor in the T3i (and 60D and 7D and all Rebels) is ~22mm across, making it 1.6x smaller, so you multiply the focal length of your lens by 1.6 to get the 35mm equivalent focal length.

Next, individual portraits (where your focus is on the individual, not setting up a scene with other stuff in it) are done at 85mm-135mm, which is ~50mm-85mm on your T3i (whether you use EF or EF-S lenses). So your 50mm is actually perfect for a whole body portrait.
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okay interesting


anyway to tell what lens was used here ?


NYFW_SS2012_JKissi-4246w.jpg
 
Are you guys talking 50mm 1.4 or 1.8? I've never seen a F/1.5. They also make 1.2s but those would be crazy expensive and not likely to be thrown in as a kit, especially with a crop lens.
 
dvsman said:
Are you guys talking 50mm 1.4 or 1.8? I've never seen a F/1.5. They also make 1.2s but those would be crazy expensive and not likely to be thrown in as a kit, especially with a crop lens.
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i have a 1.4
 
dremic said:
anyway to tell what lens was used here ?
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There's no way for me to do that, honestly. What matters is how much you like the photos and how much your clients like the photos. What I've given you is the theory.
 
dremic said:
anyway to tell what lens was used here ?


NYFW_SS2012_JKissi-4246w.jpg
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If using Windows: Save the image onto your PC, right click and look at "Properties". Hit the "Details" tab.

That'll get you the general info about what lens might have been used. Or at the very least, the settings.
 
Danny Bui said:
If using Windows: Save the image onto your PC, right click and look at "Properties". Hit the "Details" tab.

That'll get you the general info about what lens might have been used. Or at the very least, the settings.
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Sure, but as I expected, that part of the EXIF data was stripped. It could be any one of at least a dozen lenses (doesn't have to be a Canon lens). It was also resized and could have been cropped; I'm pretty sure he threw that picture up there just to mess with us. Crap like that makes me want to ask an admin to lock the thread as trolling.
 
northrop said:
FWIW, it's a 50mm on a 5DII, but that really is beside the point.
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Yup; but at F/2.8, that's possible with every prime and all the fast zooms that cover that range. And that's all assuming that the EXIF hasn't been doctored. Where'd the OP go?
 
IdiotInCharge said:
Sure, but as I expected, that part of the EXIF data was stripped. It could be any one of at least a dozen lenses (doesn't have to be a Canon lens). It was also resized and could have been cropped;
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I wouldn't say that data has been stripped: None of the pics I've taken with my T3i have the exact lens model number either listed in the EXIF data.
 
IdiotInCharge said:
Sure, but as I expected, that part of the EXIF data was stripped. It could be any one of at least a dozen lenses (doesn't have to be a Canon lens). It was also resized and could have been cropped; I'm pretty sure he threw that picture up there just to mess with us. Crap like that makes me want to ask an admin to lock the thread as trolling.
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wait you think I am trolling? :X


my bad dude I am just new to photography in general. I appreciate your help of course dude.

IdiotInCharge said:
Yup; but at F/2.8, that's possible with every prime and all the fast zooms that cover that range. And that's all assuming that the EXIF hasn't been doctored. Where'd the OP go?
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sorry I dont frequent hard unless I am at work. usually when I get home I'm on some other stuff.



So I should just keep using this 50mm lens I have for now. what are good applications for a wide angle lens?
 
IdiotInCharge said:
Sure, but as I expected, that part of the EXIF data was stripped. It could be any one of at least a dozen lenses (doesn't have to be a Canon lens). It was also resized and could have been cropped; I'm pretty sure he threw that picture up there just to mess with us. Crap like that makes me want to ask an admin to lock the thread as trolling.
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The EXIF data is not stripped. It's still there. It also says in the EXIF data that it's f/stop is 2.8 and that it's focal length is 50mm.
 
dremic said:
wait you think I am trolling? :X


my bad dude I am just new to photography in general. I appreciate your help of course dude.



sorry I dont frequent hard unless I am at work. usually when I get home I'm on some other stuff.



So I should just keep using this 50mm lens I have for now. what are good applications for a wide angle lens?
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It's alright; the thing that annoyed me is that you're talking about a T3i, and the shot was with a 5D II (which is around four or five times the camera). I'd expected the shot to be one of your own, with the camera we're discussing.

So yeah; keep your lens. You can spend more money, and it will be worth it for some situations, but it's not worth it if you haven't exhausted the capabilities of the one you already have.

On a T3i, 50mm is a telephoto lens; it's ~85mm equivalent 35mm field of view, so it's good for taking pictures of people and things. Canon's Shorty Forty 40mm F/2.8 STM falls into the same category and is an optically excellent lens, as well as being very small, making it a bit of a 'stealth' lens. You can use it without attracting much attention.

Wide angle for the T3i starts at about 24mm (what would be ~35mm on a full frame like the 5D II) and goes down to 10mm. 24mm is good for small groups of people and landscapes; 10mm is good for wider shots like architecture and wide landscapes.

Just remember not to use anything wide on people, unless you want them to look weird, and they want to look weird :).
 
IdiotInCharge said:
On a T3i, 50mm is a telephoto lens; it's ~85mm equivalent 35mm field of view, so it's good for taking pictures of people and things. Canon's Shorty Forty 40mm F/2.8 STM falls into the same category and is an optically excellent lens, as well as being very small, making it a bit of a 'stealth' lens. You can use it without attracting much attention.
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I'm actually looking at the Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Lens for my next lens purchase due to its small size, price, and the fact that I really want some a little more "wide angle" for shots from a moving car/boat. I already have the Nifty Fifty.
 
IdiotInCharge said:
It's alright; the thing that annoyed me is that you're talking about a T3i, and the shot was with a 5D II (which is around four or five times the camera). I'd expected the shot to be one of your own, with the camera we're discussing.

So yeah; keep your lens. You can spend more money, and it will be worth it for some situations, but it's not worth it if you haven't exhausted the capabilities of the one you already have.

On a T3i, 50mm is a telephoto lens; it's ~85mm equivalent 35mm field of view, so it's good for taking pictures of people and things. Canon's Shorty Forty 40mm F/2.8 STM falls into the same category and is an optically excellent lens, as well as being very small, making it a bit of a 'stealth' lens. You can use it without attracting much attention.

Wide angle for the T3i starts at about 24mm (what would be ~35mm on a full frame like the 5D II) and goes down to 10mm. 24mm is good for small groups of people and landscapes; 10mm is good for wider shots like architecture and wide landscapes.

Just remember not to use anything wide on people, unless you want them to look weird, and they want to look weird :).
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the picture was taken from williamyan.com this blog i follow and thats why the info doesnt match my camera. the picture was a perfect representation of the shots I am going for and just wanted to nail the same type of photo with my camera.


thanks for your help man, I'll keep the 50mm for now and keep practicing :)
 
You can get shots like that with your 50mm and your crop camera. Just shoot at 1.4 or 1.8 instead of 2.8. You'll also have to stand back further to get the same framing, but it should look close.

Pay attention to how some of the background is quite a ways back. That helps it to be blurred more.

Go out and try it.:D
 
Check out Understanding Exposure. Great book for when I first picked up a DSLR - although I think mine was the 2nd edition.
 
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If you're just learning, 50mm on a crop can be a little hard to work with because it's effectively a short telephoto. If you want to stick with a prime, the Canon 35 f/2 is a better general purpose focal length and relatively cheap. 35mm on a 1.6x crop gives you an effective length close to the 50mm focal length you saw on the 5D. Moving up in price there's the Sigma 30 f/1.4. I used that as my primary indoor lens for a long time and really liked it.

If you're interested in a zoom, Tamron makes a 17-50 f/2.8 that a lot of people like, and Canon's 15-85 is supposed to be pretty sharp. The 24-105 IS that darktiger mentioned is also a good choice in terms of optics, price, and range. It's not especially wide at the wide end, and it's not super fast, but you'll probably have an easier time using it, and the IS is nice to have.
 
I just want to say here that on a T3i, 50mm is a telephoto lens; it's ~85mm relative Disadvantages place of viewpoint, so it's outstanding for catching pictures of people and aspects. The cannon eos Shorty 40 40mm F/2.8 STM falls into the same category and is an optically outstanding lens, as well as being very little, developing it a bit of a 'stealth' lens. You can use it without getting much attention.






Modeling Photographers | Gold Coast Photographers
 
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