The F 2.8 ( love it or hate it)

When I started with photography a year ago, wide aperture lens ( f 2.8, f1.4) were all that I desired as I wanted to shoot in low light situations and also get the pleasing bokeh in almost all my shots by using the widest aperture. I enjoyed it very much.

Then I joined dreamstime and these images with my aperture wide open were rejected as the depth of field (DOF) was too shallow and much of the images were out of focus. Thus I started to shoot with smaller apertures to get that DOF. Moreover the images shot with the wide open apertures were also soft I noted

I don't know but maybe I will refrain from buying lenses with wide apertures although I have already invested in three of them. Would be nice if you could share your thoughts in this regard.

Palace room

Little children

Floating candles

Some shots with wide open apertures

Photo credits: Nike Sh.
  • Nikmd
  • Brooklyn, United States
A moment in time captured forever

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Kschua

May 31, 2011

Got to agree with Brad. Most of my dt accepted images were taken at f/8 to f/11. I once rented a 50mm f/1.4 and did street photography for the entire day. I love the images, but all my pictures from that day's shooting were rejected by dt! lol..

Voytekj

May 30, 2011

Well done!.

Keki

May 20, 2011

stunning pics! Well Done!

lzf

May 19, 2011

nice pics

Eric1513

May 19, 2011

I love fast apertures. Always have and always will. Images pop as you are looking through the camera. Also, typically, faster aperture lenses are built better and produce better results.

Egomezta

May 19, 2011

The best thing of all of this is learning how to take great images in every kind of situation by knowing what results you want...

BCritchley

May 19, 2011

Totally agree with Brad. I recently bought a 50mm Prime that starts at f/1.4. Now on my 5DMKII I soon realised I certainly could not expect to shoot at f/1.4 for stock but as Bra say by the time your at f/2.8 you can get great results in low light. I love the very narrow DOF for portraits or shooting indoors without a flash.

I have had some success with getting a shot on here recently shot indoors with low light at f/1.4    Girl holding flower   
so it can be done.

Bradcalkins

May 19, 2011

It is one of my arguments against going full frame for stock. You end up having to stop down anyways, so the thinner depth of field makes things worse. I tend to shoot at f/4 - f/8 for stock. I still love the f/2-f/2.8 for portraits of my kids, though :) What I like about my fast lenses, is that while they are a little soft wide open, they are very sharp already at f/2.8 or f/4.