55.2-59 Welding WTH

[Phungki]

If you haven’t caught on yet with all the questions I ask, this is all new to me. I’ve done minor car repair things over the years. Replaced starters, alternators, mufflers,plugs, wires and replaced a few leaky valve cover gaskets. Really minor stuff. I knew when I got into this that I would be over my head but learn a lot and have some fun. So far both have been true lol. It’s kind of a bucket list thing for me so I’m good with it. So on to the reason for this post

I knew I was going to get to weld some stuff. Never done it before. Never had the need. My prior “hobby” has been rehabbing the homes I live in. Not much welding needed. So as I’m working the frame of my truck my dad is welding something on one of his mowers. I asked to try it myself just so I could get an idea before I start with some patch panels in the near future. WTH, I couldn’t see a f’n thing. My dads helmet darkens when you start welding which I thought was kind of cool. But then all I saw was a bright light. Couldn’t see the two pieces of scrap metal I was supposed to be welding together. Couldn’t see the “puddle” he was talking about. Nothing, just a bright spot. He said, “you will get use to it, you will learn to see it”. I don’t know about that. Slightly discouraged. He did say it was his cheap welder. He didn’t have any gas for his other one. Whatever that means. I asked what kind of welding this was and he said mig.
Does this sound right? I just have to learn to see? Are there helmets that protect your eyes but don’t make it so damn dark? How can you be precise?