I’m new to photography and use a Canon T2i. I currently have the 18-55mm kit lens and a telephoto zoom. I mostly shoot travel, buildings, landscapes, some sports, and portraits of friends and family. My main problems are: - Night photos of buildings are difficult, especially with street lights and other low-light situations. - I want more background blur, but I’m struggling to get that look with the 18-55mm lens. Do I actually need another lens, or should I keep using what I have? If I do need one, what type of lens would be a good next step for everyday use and occasional portraits/low-light shooting?

I would pick up the Canon 50mm f/1.8. This has already been covered at length by multiple other threads here, so take a look at some of these great questions/answers: Is it worth it to have the 50mm f/1.8 Canon lens? Do I really need a fast 50mm lens? Why do people recommend 50mm or other prime lenses as starting lenses for learning photography? 50mm tag - https://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/50mm The biggest advantage(opinion) that this lens has over your current equipment is the extremely wide aperture of f/1.8. This will allow you to shoot in much lower light, freeze subjects in low light better, and also allow a more shallow depth of field for a "blurry" background.

What lens should I add to a Canon T2i for low light and blurred backgrounds?

Asked 5/14/2013

79 views

2 answers

I’m new to photography and use a Canon T2i. I currently have the 18-55mm kit lens and a telephoto zoom. I mostly shoot travel, buildings, landscapes, some sports, and portraits of friends and family.

My main problems are:

Night photos of buildings are difficult, especially with street lights and other low-light situations.
I want more background blur, but I’m struggling to get that look with the 18-55mm lens.

Do I actually need another lens, or should I keep using what I have? If I do need one, what type of lens would be a good next step for everyday use and occasional portraits/low-light shooting?

canon-t2i canon lenses low-light portraits

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

13y ago

2 Answers

I would pick up the Canon 50mm f/1.8. This has already been covered at length by multiple other threads here, so take a look at some of these great questions/answers:

The biggest advantage(opinion) that this lens has over your current equipment is the extremely wide aperture of f/1.8. This will allow you to shoot in much lower light, freeze subjects in low light better, and also allow a more shallow depth of field for a "blurry" background.

Originally by user4892. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user4892

13y ago

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Your 18-55mm is already the normal everyday range on a Canon T2i, and it’s also useful for buildings and landscapes. The main limitation you’re feeling is likely speed: the kit lens has a relatively narrow maximum aperture, so it’s weaker in low light and gives less background blur.

A good next lens is a fast prime, especially the Canon 50mm f/1.8. Its much wider aperture lets in more light for night and indoor shots, helps freeze motion better in dim light, and makes shallow depth of field easier for blurred backgrounds.

Your current lenses still cover a lot:

18-55mm: everyday use, buildings, landscapes
telephoto zoom: sports and some portraits

So you probably don’t need to replace them right away. Instead, add a faster lens for the situations where the kit lens struggles. Just note that on a crop-sensor T2i, 50mm behaves more like a short portrait lens than a wide everyday lens.

If your priority is low light and background blur, a fast lens is the most useful upgrade.

What lens should I add to a Canon T2i for low light and blurred backgrounds?

2 Answers

Your Answer

Related Questions