Aperture basics - NewBeetle.org Forums
NewBeetle.org Forums
Go Back   NewBeetle.org Home > NewBeetle.org Forums > Community > Hobbies > Photography

Photography

NewBeetle.org is the premier Volkswagen Beetle Forum on the internet. Registered Users do not see the above ads.
Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1 (permalink)  
Old 02-21-2006, 01:31 AM
jdesigns's Avatar
Just because!
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location:
Puget Sound, WA, USA
Car: Black '03 Turbo S New Beetle
Default Aperture basics

Aperture is one of two ways to control the amount of light reaching the image sensor or film. There is other ways like film speed, but since this thread is about aperture, I won't go into that.

Aperture is basically how big the hole is in the lens that passes the light. They are standardized sizes like f2 and f2.8 or f22. With each increase in number (from f4 to f5.6 for example) the light reaching the film is reduced by half. Oppositely when going from f16 to f11, the amount is doubled. Does that make sense?

The other part of aperture to consider is depth of field. By using a big aperture, as in f2.8 or f2, you end up with a shallow DOF (depth of field.) Shallow DOF means that there is only a small part of the image in focus. When using a small aperture, as in f16 or f22, your DOF is increase. That means a lot of your image will be in focus. Simple, eh?

Focal length also plays an important part of depth of field, but that is also another thread.


Questions?

DOF Illustration source
Attached Images/Files
     
__________________


Science flies you to the moon...Religion flies you into buildings
Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
Advertisement
 
  #2 (permalink)  
Old 02-21-2006, 02:11 AM
Mr B's Avatar
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location:
Merrimack, NH, USA
Car: 2000 GLS Yellow
Default

I found when looking at the aperture numbers think of them as fractions (1/2, 1/4, 1/8). It's easier to picture the higher numbers as smaller holes.
__________________
When all else fails, blame others.
Reply With Quote
  #3 (permalink)  
Old 02-21-2006, 02:39 AM
FineExampl's Avatar
Poopship Destroyer
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location:
Edison, Dirty Jersey, USA
Car: 2002 2.Whoa!, Platinum Gray
Default

I remember aperture from photography class in HS. Wish i still had one of those SLRs. I was just learning how to use it when the year ended.
__________________
LOOK AT MY Bug!!!!
Die Wahrheit ist irgendwo da draußen
■■■■■■■■■■■

Reply With Quote
  #4 (permalink)  
Old 02-21-2006, 01:03 PM
squeebug's Avatar
Magically Retarded ™
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location:
North Platte, NE, USA
Default

cool now I understand depth of field a little better. I was kinda wondering how sometimes everything was in focus and others only part was.
__________________
Sent from my computer via keyboard
"Beets, Bears, Battle Star Glalactica"
It's a cybergrüen thing, you wouldn't understand
Reply With Quote
  #5 (permalink)  
Old 02-21-2006, 02:17 PM
callisto9's Avatar
Good-bye Curby...
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location:
Bettendorf, IA, USA
Car: '08 Scion xB - "Artie"
Default

wow, great write-up justin! thank you very much! i now am kinda getting it!
__________________
Me (Erin) ~ My car (Curby)
(o\_vw_/o) Beetles rule!

There's no apostrophe before an 's' when you're talking about the plural version of a word. "I took some neat photo's!" is NOT correct.


Last edited by callisto9; 02-21-2006 at 03:10 PM..
Reply With Quote
  #6 (permalink)  
Old 02-21-2006, 02:43 PM
jdesigns's Avatar
Just because!
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location:
Puget Sound, WA, USA
Car: Black '03 Turbo S New Beetle
Default

You are all welcome. I tried to make it as easy to understand as I could.
Reply With Quote
  #7 (permalink)  
Old 02-21-2006, 09:27 PM
Fowvay's Avatar
Moderation in Moderation
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location:
Berea, OH, USA
Car: Y2K Yellow New Beetle GLX 1.8T & 1970 VW Bug
Default

Nice explanation. When I purchased my FZ-20 one of the selling features was the F2.8 lens thur out the entire zoom range. Which allows for better low light zoom photos.

However now that I have had it for a while I really really miss having an F16 or F22 aperture. It ends at F8 which is just not small enough to get the depth of field I am often seaking.

I guess that's why we need multiple lenses and multiple cameras... woohoo
__________________

■■■■■■■■■■■■
Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
Advertisement
 
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


All times are GMT. The time now is 12:55 AM.



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2012, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.3.2