50mm 1.8 lens

[PeterJJLey]

Hi, How do you blur the background when taking a portrait on the Canon EF 50mm 1.8 lens?
Thankyou in advance for any replies

 

[dan_d]

On the 50mm f1.8 you would control this with aperture.

The lower the aperture, the more shallow the depth of field (i.e. focus depth). If you set your ap low (lets say 1.8 - 2.8) and focus on an object, the background should be blurry (the degree of blur will depend on how far the background is from the subject).

For the opposite effect, when you want a very large focus depth (i.e. mas much in focus as possible), you would increase your aperature.

 

[dan_d]

that you would control your aperture in Ap priority mode or M manual mode.

 

[PeterJJLey]

Thankyou very much for your prompt reply

 

[JimFZ15]

Also, try to get your subject close to the lens - not to close or the subject will be distorted. Try to keep the background objects as far as possible form the subject for a trully amazing blurred and "bokeh" background.

You can do this with a good zoom lens as well. Open the aperture as far as possible (this means lowering the aperture value - ie. 2.8 is larger than F4.0).

Zoom into the subject as much as possible and keep the background objects are far as possilbe from the subject. You will get a decent blurred background.

Good luck,

Jim

 

[Mike Sandler]

The most Bokeh (Blur) you would get is at f/1.8, but at least my copy of the lens is soft at f/1.8. I get tack sharp images however at f/2.8, and great Bokeh.