Question about Lens (LOW LIGHT)

Hey guys so I finally got my adapter in today which means I can use my AF-S 18-55 DX Lens.. I noticed that when I record in video mode it's really really dark. Is this the lens because they are not made for the camera, or are there other better Nikon lens I can use with this adapter? I've noticed too that when I try to take pictures up close it's ends up turning out blurry, is there no image stabilization? My other question which is related, the 16mm sony lens, they work good in low light if I'm correct? Would it be better to bite the bullet and get those for low light videos or shots. Finally I just got this camera, lens and adapter, anybody mind explaining some basics on how to use this, it's my first DSLR, I took a few pictures but they don't look fantastic or anything.

actually about that macro question.. in fact even when I take pictures from a far it's blurry..

A nikon adapter wouldn't have AF (autofocus) and I believe unless you have the electronic one it won't control aperture, so the lens is closed and you get dark pictures.

The 16mm is decent if you're starting out. For video you probably want AF, which means getting various lenses and adapters according to your budget. The 16mm is definitely the cheapest way to go.

There are some excellent videos (about 1m30s each) on Youtube from Tamron that explain various topics in photography, and will help you get started.

http://www.youtube.com/user/TamronVids/videos

So wait there are lens and adapters that will autofocus with my nex? Which ones.. I didn't think they could so thats why i bought the nikon lens and adapter. So is this 18-55mm lens worthless?

You can get AF on all Alpha lenses (A-mount for Sony/Minolta) using the LAEA2 adapter ($300-315). The buy-in is expensive, but the lenses are much cheaper. You also get phase-detection AF (PDAF), which is a bit quicker.

You can get AF on some SAM/SSM Sony Alpha lenses (Sony A-mounts) using the LAEA1 adapter ($100ish). The adapter is cheap, but the lenses aren't. This keeps CDAF, which is more efficient with light compared to PDAF.

Regarding the aperture control I mentioned, it's not for Nikon - sorry, I was confused. Anyway, aperture control alone is not really worth it for the price.

I gather from the fact that you bought a Nikon lens for a NEX, that you're concerned about cost. Since I knew A-mount lenses' AF would be supported with the LAEA2, I started buying those to play with them. None were over $80. When Sony supported A-mount on the NEX-3, I could always drop the cash for the adapter, and get AF - that's exactly what I did.

For low-light, I finally have AF since I bought the SAL35F18 as a Christmas present for myself ($165ish). I used to use a manual lens, which was fine, but at 45mm it was a bit too zoomed-in to get lots of useful shots.

yeah im kinda asking was it a waste to get this adapter and lens i dont see now where the 18-55mm lens will even come in handy.. the video recording is so dark, is there anything i can do about that, will the 16mm pancake lens work the best in the dark?

18-55 nikon? Yes, pretty much a waste.

18-55 kit lens (Sony E mount) is a good buy, which is why all the advice on here says to get it in your situation.

The 16mm does do well with less light, however nothing beats knowing how to use a camera.

See:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TamronVids/videos

The Sony E 18-55mm OSS kit lens works very well for video, and everything will work automatically with that lens if you want the camera to do everything automatically (which makes a lot of sense for video if you're just starting out). It does image stabilization in the lens.

Any manual lenses you buy for use on the NEX with an adapter will not have image stabilization. The NEX cameras don't have image stabilization in the camera, so you have to find lenses that have it built in. Image stabilization will only work on lenses that the camera can use in automatic mode, such as the Sony E lenses, the Sony A lenses (this requires a special Sony adapter, the LA-EA1 or LA-EA2... the only company that makes Sony A lenses with image stabilization is Sigma, and they have already stopped including image stabilization in their newest lenses), and Canon EF lenses (there is a company called Conurus that makes an adapter that makes image stabilization and automatic exposure possible, though autofocus doesn't work).

When you are using a manual focus lens to take still images, you can use aperture priority mode and the camera will automatically adjust the shutter speed to make sure that the camera takes a perfectly-exposed image. That means you don't have to worry too much about the "f-stop" setting the lens is on when you take pictures. With video you don't have this option, because the camera absolutely has to get enough light every 1/60th (1080p60) to 1/24th (1080p30 or 720p30) of a second to record a frame, otherwise the video will be too dark. The only way to make the video brighter is to either turn the lights in the room up, or open the aperture up. You should adjust the f-stop on the lens until the video's brightness is at a comfortable level. Again, using a lens that supports automatic controls makes this much easier, because it can adjust the brightness of the video on the fly using the aperture. I use the Sony E 18-55mm OSS kit lens with my NEX-5N when I'm shooting video, because the camera does a great job of handling autofocus and exposure control, which is way more than I can say for myself!