I want to take pictures of people from 5-20 feet away. I attend lots of group events and am free to walk around and snap photos.
I just purchased a Canon t3i and it comes with a 18-55mm kit lens. The aperture can go down to f/3.5 at the largest. However, I have a friend with a Canon 5D with 50mm f/1.8 lens and I noticed that his photos always come out nice when shooting up close. The background is always blurred.
I find that I get the shallowest depth of field when I zoom in (even if the aperture goes up), which is a problem. I don't want to have to back up from the subject to get a nice photo. If I really try, I can sometimes get the subject with a blurred background if I move in close (3ft) with a f/3.5.
So do I just need to learn how to use this lens, or would a getting a 50mm f/1.8 lens really help with taking pictures of people?
Answer
Yes, a lens with a larger aperture (numerically smaller f/number) will produce a shallower depth-of-field, and a more blurred background. However, there's another factor working in the 5D's favor: It has a "full frame" sensor, the same size as 35mm film, while your camera has a smaller "APS-C" sensor. The larger sensor results in a shallower depth of field, for the same composition and aperture setting. See Matt Grum's comparison in this thread. So the 50/1.8 will be an improvement, but may not reach what you're seeing from your friend's 5D.
Also, you said you don't like zooming in with your 18-55 lens, because you prefer to work closer. Keep in mind that a 50mm lens will be similar to the long end of your zoom, so it may not mesh with your preferences.
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