Originally Posted by methd

hey dan

yes, a larger aperture of f/2.8 and bigger will allow you take photos when there's a lot less light. You can always use a flash for portraits but there's no way of lighting up the landscape with a flash so a really fast lens or a tripod is required.

if you're getting a zoom lens, just make sure it's f/2.8 for entire focal length zoom as some cheaper lenses are at 2.8 on only some focal lengths and not others.

large apertures are also handy for more background blur as well as desirable for fast shots (tennis etc) when u need a really fast shutter speed - and corresponding [large] aperture.

here's a picture i took with no flash. i jacked up the iso to 1600 and maxed out aperture and shutter to 1/30 (point at which it might start blurring if i go any slower). using a flash would destroy the atmosphere and mood of the photo, so a non-flash shot is essential.