Wide angle photos

[kuzushi]

Hello all. I just purchased a Canon EOS Rebel SL 1. I do plan to slowly learn how this camera works, but my immediate purpose is to take wide angle indoor photos of my rental property so I can post awesome pictures to Craig's List and Zillow! I usually sit in a corner of the room to show off how large the rooms are. I also want to pick up the beautiful wood flooring.

I attached the lens that came with it and zoomed out but the pictures are blurry. Please tell me the step by step process to make this work. What setting do I use? Do I use flash? Do I have to do anything else? What about the f stop? Obviously I know nothing except how to turn on the camera and put on a lens. Please set me up to do this so I get this house rented soon. Thank you in advance.

[kvbarkley]

What lens?

You will probably need one of the EF-S wide angle lenses, the 10-18 or the 10-22.

[wheeble]

18 mm is not the widest lens, but its what your camera probably has.  To get wider pics for the interior using that lens, you need to mount on a tripod and take two overlapping panning shots and then use the photostitch program that came with your camera to join the images into a wider shot. (it is an easy program to use). 

As a new user of this camera, set it to the green box on the dial and make sure the lens AF switch is set on.

[Waddizzle]

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@wheeble wrote:

18 mm is not the widest lens, but its what your camera probably has.  To get wider pics for the interior using that lens, you need to mount on a tripod and take two overlapping panning shots and then use the photostitch program that came with your camera to join the images into a wider shot. (it is an easy program to use). 

As a new user of this camera, set it to the green box on the dial and make sure the lens AF switch is set on.

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Buying a decent tripod to implement the above suggestion is cheaper than buying a new lens.  Roll the camera to portrait mode when you take a series of shots.  Make the shots overlap by 1/3 for best results.

[EDIT]. You will get the best results taking a series of panoramic shots if you use the same exposure for all shots, which means shooting, which means shooting in Manual mode.  Take a shot in Green [A] mode, write down the settings if you like exposure.  Use those settings in manual mode to take a series of shots as you pan the camera across the room.

[StanNH]

This may be a case where, especially given the inexperience of the OP, a smartphone camera might be the better choice.

[ebiggs1]

An iphone will have less AOV than a DSLR.

In this case a tripod is the best solution.  Set the SL-1 to Av as suggested and f11 or f16.  ISO at 100 to 400.  SS will be done by the camera.  AF on something about half way through the room.  This is not hard to do, it just needs some adjustment in technique.

The addition of the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens would also make better shots possible.  

[StanNH]

The advantage of a smartphone in the OP's situation, where he is looking for a simple solution, would be that all smartphones have a panoramic option built in to the camera.  Select Pano mode, take a few shots, and you have your panorama without using external software.  There is virtually no learning curve, and given the OP's lack of any experience with a DSLR or software, this just seems like the path of least resistance.  Since these are going online, there is also no need for very high resolution images.

[ebiggs1]

There is no way in this old dog's world I will ever recommend anybody use a smartphone to take anything but a snapshot for viewing on the smartphone.  iphones are just gadgets.  They are no way a real deal DSLR in any manner of the word.  If the 10mm lens is not wide enough and I can't believe it isn't, how hard is a few mouse clicks in LR to create the same but far better pano? It is totally automated.  That's just me!

[kuzushi]

The lens that came with the camera is am 18-55mm. I would be happy if I could get wider shots than my small Nikon Coolpix camera. That just had a small lens that barely expanded.

[kuzushi]

If I widen the lens out what settings should I use. Based on my efforts so far I am doing something wrong.