Canon SX40 – Understanding Aperture and Background Blur

Posted on June 24, 2014 by ShutterBug

I hope this video can clear up the confusion people are having when they try to achieve the background blur with the SX40. I didn’t go technical but I wanted…
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25 Responses to Canon SX40 – Understanding Aperture and Background Blur

  1. Natasha Abela says:
    June 24, 2014 at 1:37 pm

    Hi i have the sx50, how can i make a blurry background? i been
    searching online all kinds of stuff even for different settings and
    honestly every setting i try i see it the same pictures. i tried the micro,
    i tried different settings for different pictures just experimenting from
    what i find informations online and i see every picture and every setting
    taking the same thing. why is this?

  2. Axomite says:
    June 24, 2014 at 1:56 pm

    Do you know how i could stream the SX40 on a computer? I want to be able to
    use the camera as if it were a webcam.

  3. Adan Isais says:
    June 24, 2014 at 2:38 pm

    Hi, I’m not sure if you already explain this in another video but te reason
    why the sx40 doesn’t get the same blur that a DSLR, is not only for the
    lens but the fact that the sensor it’s smaller, somehow it’s like having a
    large f number just because of the sensor. The sensor size is another
    reason why you can have a telephoto zoom in such a short focal lenght,
    150.5mm real equivalent to 840mm for a Full frame thanks to a small sensor.
    BTW I love your videos as a proud user of a SX40HS, I’m using lately for
    astrophotography and the results are quite impressive

  4. eisen murillo says:
    June 24, 2014 at 2:54 pm

    thank you very much. i would really love to produce bokeh images but i only
    got sx50hs. oh well. :)

  5. FatDragon100 says:
    June 24, 2014 at 3:01 pm

    Check out my video on Bokeh 🙂

  6. samacochan says:
    June 24, 2014 at 3:12 pm

    Open the aperture to F2.8. Aim at the near object closely and you should
    have a far background. In that way, you will have a relatively more blurry
    effect in the background. FatDradon100 is putting the 2 objects too close
    together. It’s a simple theory of DOF. Obviously, th DSLR has a much
    thinner DOF in this comparation. With disreard to different equipment used,
    a blurry background could easily be achieved in the Photoshop – Blur
    filters.

  7. Nanao Meitei says:
    June 24, 2014 at 3:26 pm

    this video is so helpful. Nw I knw some more diffrnc betwn a Compact camera
    and a slr .

  8. xcharmaineee says:
    June 24, 2014 at 4:01 pm

    So there is no lens to blur the background?

  9. AzSaidEarlier says:
    June 24, 2014 at 4:08 pm

    Is it possible to get any background blur out of the SX40?

  10. FatDragon100 says:
    June 24, 2014 at 5:03 pm

    The reason I put them closer together was to help people understand the
    difference between the two cameras when using the same settings. I have
    explained the easiest way to get Bokeh or BG blur in a different video,
    this was to demonstrate how the two cameras deal with the same situation,
    not teaching how to not get background blur 😛

  11. daniel lewis says:
    June 24, 2014 at 5:40 pm

    Thanks for explaining that for me. I did wonder why I couldn’t get much
    difference with my sx40

  12. FatDragon100 says:
    June 24, 2014 at 5:54 pm

    Yep, I did cover that in the Bokeh video, the purpose of this is to explain
    why it doesn’t do background blur normally like an SLR would, you have to
    have a “trick” to do it with the SX40.

  13. Ahmed Pianky says:
    June 24, 2014 at 6:23 pm

    actually i figure out that u need to leave a distance between you and the
    target you shooting , and zoom as much as u can to get the blur in the
    background with the SX40 cause even the manual focus is not helpful …

  14. Hellrazor Wright says:
    June 24, 2014 at 6:24 pm

    Do you know anything similar to a lens baby or anything else that I could
    use on sx40 ?

  15. Juan Carlos Rodriguez Silva says:
    June 24, 2014 at 6:53 pm

    I’ve noticed that if I use a very pronounced Zoom, let’s say almost 35x, I
    can get the background blur. But of course, I have to be far from the
    object that I wanna blur and, since I’m zooming in, it’s a lot harder to
    get a steady image. Still, I can’t explain why this happens, why zooming in
    gives me the blurring effect. If u know, I’d be thankful if u explained it
    to me (us, your viewers ^_^)

  16. Creative Me says:
    June 24, 2014 at 7:41 pm

    Thank you so much for another awesome video tutorial. I’m have been
    struggling understanding Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO now that I
    purchased a Canon Rebel Ti4. I still love my Canon SX40 and will continue
    to use it; thank G-d with your help. Since I’m a visual learner, your
    explanation makes it easier for me to understand. Thanks again!!!

  17. Mikael Öberg says:
    June 24, 2014 at 8:23 pm

    Yes. Keep some distance between you and the motive and zoom in. You will
    get an even better effect if you keep a long distance between the motive
    and the background.

  18. FatDragon100 says:
    June 24, 2014 at 8:28 pm

    The lens baby works with cameras that you can take the lens off of so it
    won’t work with the SX40 but if you have an SLR you wish to try it with you
    should be able to get the lens baby online I’m sure!

  19. samacochan says:
    June 24, 2014 at 9:17 pm

    I know that there are always limits to set up a venue for a tutorial like
    this. I have gone through all your videos and they are awesome and I have
    subscribed you channel quite a while. BTW just a suggestion, for the
    comfort of our eyes, please set up up the recording cam on a tripod if you
    have one – Dollar store have some small table top ones if your cam is not
    heavy. Cheers.

  20. Ronaldo Cerqueira Glahn says:
    June 24, 2014 at 9:55 pm

    Thanks! your videos help a lot

  21. xcharmaineee says:
    June 24, 2014 at 10:47 pm

    I’m confused. When u were taking the pictures, did the canon sx40 have the
    lens on?

  22. FatDragon100 says:
    June 24, 2014 at 11:27 pm

    @samacochan hey Sam, yeah I do try. I was sneakily making this video at
    work which is why I had no tripod and I am talking quite slowly and quietly
    hehe 😉

  23. stulinnell75 says:
    June 24, 2014 at 11:39 pm

    I’ve been following your great tutorials for a month or so since getting my
    sx40 and wondered why my back ground blur wasn’t working. Thank you for
    demonstrating and explaining. I’ve had fun discovering photography and even
    tried a few shots at frensham ponds too which I have put on Flickr. Happy
    boxing day.. .and keep up good work. Stuart

  24. Hellrazor Wright says:
    June 25, 2014 at 12:12 am

    hi i wanted to ask where can i get a baby lens from? i’ve got a sx40 too so
    im just looking to buy some accessories and as u probabily know that
    jessops have closed down so i haven’t got an idea thanks -Samar

  25. iFilmmak3r says:
    June 25, 2014 at 12:14 am

    So is there any way to increase background blur in the SX40 without zooming
    in?

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