What is a 1.2 lens

Nikon D3100 14.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens my camera type ... I`,m noob @ photography

I saw a picture with the images blur in the background and want to know what kinda lens i would need for this type of effects

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I'm new to this too, but 1.2 is the aperture size ... it's the max aperture that you can open up to with that lens. I'm hoping I stated that correctly, if not someone here will chime in and correct me and probably explain a little more in depth.

However you can get the blur effect with the lens you have. I have the same camera and lens and have gotten that effect. You have to adjust your aperture size (the f number) to a large number. It's called shallow depth of field. That will keep your subject in focus and blur the background. You may want to experiment with the aperture priority mode on the camera and try it. It's the A mode on the top dial. Here's a photo I took of my son with that effect.



My aperture was set at f/5.6 for this one. With that lens, you'll notice in the description it says 3.5 - 5.6. That means the max aperture is different depending on your focal length. If you are shooting something at 18mm, you can open up all the way to 3.5 and it decreases from there ... at 55mm you can only open up to 5.6.

Here's a link to an article that explains aperture a little more. It's a really good site for learning, it's helped me quite a bit.

Introduction to Aperture in Digital Photography

The effect you are referring to is called bokeh. The subject is in focus and the background is out of focus to varying degrees. You achieve the effect by controlling your depth of field. As ChrisM states you can achieve this by using a smaller number f/stop, as on your lens f/3.5 or even at f/5.6 depending on shooting conditions. But there is more to controlling bokeh, depth of field, than tossing in a small f/stop number. If you go to the blog section of this site and look up Depth of Field Primer Part I and Part II you will find a detailed explanation of depth of field, what it is and how to use it. Hope this helps.

As the question has been answered professionally and very knowledgeably, an F1.2 lens is also usually expensive LOL sorry.
Yeah the Bokeh (or blur) adds a lot to a portrait or nice flower photo, but it isn't just as easy as buying a fast lens (fast = bigger aperture, resulting in a faster shutter speed, corrections please) if you over do it, say you have a nice flower that you want to get sharp with the nice background blur, if you go to open on the aperture you could find that you have only a very small part actually in focus, like the very tips of the petals or something. Good luck, enjoy the primers above they helped me

Originally Posted by Joseph Bautsch

The effect you are referring to is called bokeh. The subject is in focus and the background is out of focus to varying degrees. You achieve the effect by controlling your depth of field. As ChrisM states you can achieve this by using a smaller number f/stop, as on your lens f/3.5 or even at f/5.6 depending on shooting conditions. But there is more to controlling bokeh, depth of field, than tossing in a small f/stop number. If you go to the blog section of this site and look up Depth of Field Primer Part I and Part II you will find a detailed explanation of depth of field, what it is and how to use it. Hope this helps.

Thanks for posting this!! No one has ever explained all that to me before, this helps tremendously!

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Thank you Chris

Thank you both for the info
Joseph Bautsch
Theregsy