Camera aperture, what, where, how? Simple and accessible language! Fundamentals of photography: aperture, shutter speed and ISO.

Anyone who was not too lazy and read the instructions for the camera may not read further. But for those who are too lazy to do this, perhaps the “explanation on the fingers” will be informative.

In any camera, there is such a thing as an aperture. Photographers in jargon also call it a hole or a relative hole. The diaphragm is a kind of mechanism that is most often located in the lens and can have the property of narrowing and expanding.

As this hole narrows, less light reaches the camera's sensor. Thus, it is possible to regulate - if there is a lot of light, then due to the narrowing of the aperture, its amount is reduced, and the frame is exposed normally. The reverse action is also true - the larger the relative aperture, the more light will hit the camera sensor and, accordingly, you can shoot in fairly dark conditions.

But that's not the only useful property diaphragm. Aperture has a strong effect on the final result - the photo.

There are two ways to influence an image with aperture. Firstly, the effect on the depth of field, and secondly, on the bokeh pattern. Since the article is intended for amateurs, of course, below we will definitely explain the meaning of these words, but for now we will make a small note about aperture numbers - that is, about aperture designations.

The aperture is not measured in any units, that is, it is not a millimeter and not a second. It's just a number! And the larger the number, the smaller the hole.

The example below shows how the exposure of the image changes depending on the size of the aperture.

Aperture is usually denoted by the letter "F"

More important fact about the aperture that you need to know - this is a relative value, it does not depend on the type of camera you use. That is, if you measured (for example,) that, other things being equal, the aperture should be 5.6, then this parameter will be true for both a compact soap dish and a medium format camera.

Influence of aperture on depth of field

DOF stands for Depth of Field, or simply Depth of Field. If you are photographing an object and focusing on it, then how sharp it will be and how far the space behind this object will be sharp depends primarily on the aperture. An example will demonstrate this best. Here the cakes are shot with different shutter speeds and apertures.

The pictures show how blurred the extreme cakes are to a greater or lesser extent, depending on how the aperture was opened. Depth of field can be calculated using simple formulas that are available on the Internet, but in reality, the depth of field is calculated on purpose very rarely, more often they use the accumulated experience.

In addition to the aperture, the focal length of the lens also affects the depth of field. We will not go into the physics of the process in this article, we recommend just remembering - the larger the focal length of the lens used, the more the background will be blurred. That is, the telephoto blurs the background better than the width.

For example, in the photos above, the model was shot with the same aperture on lenses with different focal lengths.

Effect of aperture on bokeh

First of all, let's define what is bokeh? Bokeh is blurry, fuzzy. Most often, the name refers to the blurry background in the photo. We have already mentioned that the aperture is precisely responsible for the blurring of the background, what else to talk about then? The fact is that, along with optics, the shape of the aperture - the number of petals and so on, affects the bokeh pattern.

Modern manufacturers try to make the shape of the diaphragm opening as round as possible. But you can still find photos where the shape of the aperture appears in the bokeh.

The shape of the aperture is most clearly visible if there are bright dots in the background. For example, glowing light bulbs. Now you can often find pictures in which bokeh is artificially shaped in a special way. How to do this, we wrote in the article

Conclusion

We tried very hard not to overload the information with terms. We will be glad if, after reading, you finally get the instructions and read them. Much will become clearer to you. It is important for photographers to know and understand substances like aperture and ISO. These are the tools that every photographer needs and everyone should definitely try to shoot at the maximum open aperture and maximum closed aperture in order to understand the limits of their camera. And maybe your shots will become more expressive when the background is blurred and main object shooting as a result will become even better to stand out, or when shooting a landscape, you will no longer trust the automation, but will clamp the hole all the way so that it is worked out clearly and foreground, and back.

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Knowing how to use your lens effectively has a much greater impact on the sharpness of your photo than choosing the lens itself. The aperture number is the most important of the shooting parameters that affect the technical quality of the image. The difference between different apertures of the same lens can be much more noticeable than the difference between different lenses at the same aperture.

	f/1.8
	f/2.8
	f/4
	f/5.6
	f/8
	f/11
	f/16
	f/22

Obviously, for the standard fast lens used in this test, sharpness is perfect at f/5.6, but f/4 is almost as good. f/1.8 is somewhat soft, which is natural for the maximum aperture. At f/11, the drop in sharpness due to diffraction is already noticeable, but not fatal, but at f/22, the picture is blurred quite significantly.

Lens aberrations

No lens is perfect. The laws of physics do not allow a beam of light to follow exactly the path that is prescribed for it by calculations made for an ideal optical system. This leads to spherical, chromatic and other aberrations, which cannot always be completely corrected. The center of the lens is usually perfect, but the closer to the edge, the more the light is distorted, scattered and refracted.

When the aperture is fully open, the film or sensor is exposed to light collected from the entire surface of the lens. In this case, the aberrations of the lens are fully manifested. By closing the diaphragm, we cut off part of the light flux passing through the edges of the lenses, allowing only the center, free from distortion, to participate in the formation of the image.

It would seem that the smaller the size of the relative aperture, the higher the image quality should be, but that was not the case. At the other end of the aperture value scale, an insidious enemy awaits us.

Diffraction

As the size of the aperture in the diaphragm becomes smaller, an increasing percentage of the light rays passing through the aperture touches its edges. In this case, the rays deviate somewhat from their original path, as if bending around the edge of the hole - this is diffraction. As a result, each point of the scene, even being strictly in focus, is projected onto the sensor no longer as a point, but as a small blurry spot called the Airy disk. Its size is larger, the smaller the aperture opening. When the diameter of the Airy disk begins to exceed the size of an individual array photodiode, blurring becomes apparent. Closing the aperture further only exacerbates the diffraction.

The resolution of modern cameras is so high that slight blurring of the image due to diffraction can be seen already at apertures from f / 11 and larger. Compact cameras with tiny sensors will generally not allow you to use apertures larger than f/8, because the small size of the photodiodes makes diffraction especially noticeable.

Sweet spot

The optimal aperture value is individual for each lens, but, most often, it lies in the region of two steps from the minimum, i.e. f / 5.6-f / 11, depending on the specific model. Open the aperture wider and optical distortion becomes more noticeable, stop the aperture and diffraction starts to blur the image.

The better the lens, the more worthy it looks at a fully open aperture. This is especially true for the edges of the frame. At large apertures, such as f/11-f/16, almost all lenses behave the same way.

The choice of aperture is a balance between sharpness itself and depth of field. Artistic taste, experience and a clear understanding of the photographic tasks facing you will help you immeasurably more than any theoretical reasoning. However, I will still try to make life easier for you.

Optimal Aperture Selection Strategy

• Find the aperture value at which your lens produces the best sharpness, and use that value whenever possible (usually f/8 or so).
• If you don't have enough light, or if you want to highlight the main subject with a shallow depth of field, increase the size of the aperture opening, but try not to open it completely unnecessarily.
• If the need has come, feel free to open the diaphragm and do not worry about it. In situations where you may need it, the aperture value is far from the most important factor limiting the sharpness of pictures. Shaking spoils the image much more ruthlessly than any lens aberrations.
• If you need a greater depth of field, stop down, but no further than f/11 for wide-angle lenses and up to f/16 for telephoto lenses.
• If you still lack depth of field, which shouldn't happen often, use f/16 for wide angle lenses and f/22 for telephoto lenses. In no case should you clamp the aperture harder - you will pay for an increase in depth of field with a too noticeable drop in overall sharpness.

That's all. Knowing about weaknesses your equipment, you get the opportunity to avoid situations in which they manifest themselves, which means you can more effectively exploit its strengths.

Thank you for your attention!

Vasily A.

post scriptum

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It is important to understand how cameras generally convert incoming light into an image. In order to better understand the principles of the camera, it is better to give a visual.

Imagine a completely dark room that has a window with black panes through which no light enters. If you open it a little, leaving a small gap, you will see a thin strip of light on the opposite wall. If you open the window completely, then the whole room will be filled with light. In both cases, the window was open, but the lighting was completely different. In the camera, the role of the window is performed by the diaphragm, and the role of the wall on which the light falls is the matrix that captures the image. How wide the aperture is opened determines many of the characteristics of future photography. Many, but not all, as the diaphragm is not the only element involved.

What does a diaphragm look like? This is a shutter assembled from the so-called "petals", which, rotating around the circumference, form holes of different diameters (see attached photo). Remember the window analogy? The size of the round hole, which is formed by the movable petals, is similar to the opening of a window. The aperture may consist of a different number of petals, and this also plays a role in the construction of the image.

How to use aperture

In camera settings and on lens markings, aperture characteristics are indicated by the letter f with numerical values ​​assigned to it, for example: f / 1.2 or f / 16. It is important to remember that an inverse relationship is used here, that is, than less number, the larger the aperture opening (the wider the “window” is open). Thus, a value of f/1.2 means that the aperture is wide open and there is a lot of light on the matrix, while f/16 means little. When choosing a lens, it is important to pay attention to the f / marking. The lower its value (based on the standard f / 3.5), the better.

At the maximum aperture, a large amount of light enters the matrix. This allows low-light shots without the use of flash and slow shutter speeds. By the way, this is the time interval that determines the time during which the camera shutter remains open, passing light onto the matrix. Going back to the window analogy, this is the amount of time you keep it open.

In addition, the aperture width determines the depth of field. Simply put, this is the number of objects in the frame that are in focus and have clear, sharp edges. With a wide open aperture, their number will be small. Surely many have seen portraits in which a person is captured clearly, and the background is blurred. Or only a small detail of the subject is in focus, and everything around remains blurry. In photography, this beautiful effect is called "bokeh effect".

With maximum apertures, you can achieve focus on the smallest details, and all other light sources will blur into multi-colored round dots in the picture. Now it's time to return to the aperture blades. The more of them (in standard, inexpensive lenses, there are usually five to seven), the more round the hole they form, and the softer the blur will be.

Unlike wide open apertures, a covered aperture provides greater depth of field, meaning more objects will be in focus. This is widely used when shooting when all the details are needed, such as architectural or landscape.

Also, such aperture settings should be used when shooting with a tripod and slow shutter speeds. Not in low light, but at night, when the number of light sources is minimal. A narrow aperture aperture allows you to take clear pictures without "overexposure", in which all the details are visible.

Knowing the theory, it is important to experiment with different values diaphragm on its own. By seeing the difference in the shots, you can learn how to choose the right value for different conditions and always achieve excellent results.

Articles we examined the main part of any camera - the matrix. In the second, we will talk about the equally important parameters of the smartphone photomodule. Go!

Lens aperture or another designation - luminosity. Roughly speaking, this is a hole through which light enters the camera sensor. And the quality of the photo directly depends on its size. The smaller the f-number, the larger this aperture and the higher the aperture of the lens. In low light conditions, how much light hits the matrix plays a very important role. Aperture number is denoted Latin letter f and, as a rule, is written in the following form - f / 2.0, f / 3.5. The number after the "slash" is the aperture value. Basically, in smartphone cameras, this parameter is fixed. If the lens has an optical zoom, then there can be two aperture values ​​- one in normal condition and the other at maximum zoom. Summing up, it must be said that the photomodule must be chosen with the smallest aperture value. The manufacturer, as a rule, does not hide this parameter and it can be found in the description of the smartphone. For example, Samsung Galaxy S6 has f/1.9 aperture, Apple iPhone 6s has f/2.2 aperture, Xiaomi Mi Note has f/2.0 aperture.

Focal length- the distance between the optical center of the lens and the matrix. The angle of view of the camera depends on this parameter. The shorter the focal length, the more angle shooting and, accordingly, more objects fall into the frame. If it is large, then all objects will be visually closer and larger.

The focal length is measured in millimeters and can be fixed (in most smartphone cameras) and variable - we say about such cameras that they can zoom, that is, bring objects closer when photographing. This parameter can often be seen on the lens itself. Here are some examples: Sony Z5 - 23 mm, Huawei P8 - 28 mm, but the Galaxy S4 Zoom - 24-240 mm.

Ideally, different focal lengths are used for different tasks: wide-angle (20-35 mm) - for shooting landscapes, 70-135 mm - well suited for portraits, telephoto lenses (135 mm and above) - for sports, wildlife. The dimensions of the smartphone in this regard impose restrictions, but they are designed to overcome all kinds of attachment lenses.

Still photo lenses may differ the level and nature of optical distortion, for example, there is such a type as "fisheye", which allows you to shoot quite interesting panoramas.

Of course, the workmanship of the lens itself and materials also have a direct impact on the resulting photographs.

Image stabilization. On a smartphone in 99 cases out of 100 we shoot hand-held. In bright light, the camera sets a very fast shutter speed and slightly moving the camera does not harm the picture, but if you shoot in the evening or indoors, there is a high risk of getting a blurry frame. To prevent this from happening, modern cameras are equipped with image stabilization. It comes in several types:

• optical - the sensor or lens is stabilized
• digital - the image is stabilized by software methods
• hybrid - when a combination of the two methods described above is used

Digital is almost always present, this is the norm. Optical stabilization is more expensive, but its quality is incomparably higher. Hybrid is not used in smartphones today (I could be wrong).

Flash. In low light conditions, it can be a great help to get a good picture. Smartphones have two main types of flashes:

• xenon - high luminosity, light close to natural, but high cost, dimensions, energy consumption. And also it can not be used for constant illumination.
• LED - energy efficient, can be used to illuminate the video and as a flashlight, but at the same time, the luminosity is not as good as that of xenon

High-end smartphones often use a dual LED flash, and some flash models may have two - LED and xenon.

Software part. Responsible for the formation and processing of digital images. Very an important part common system photomodule. After all, no matter how large the matrix is ​​and how fast the lens is, software processing can both spoil any photo and significantly improve it. The result depends on many factors: the interaction of the camera software with the firmware, the way the photo is processed, the application with which the shooting takes place.

When transferring an image from the matrix to the smartphone camera application, it can be subjected to color correction, retouching, noise reduction (sometimes too hard, which leads to “blurring” of the photo). And the application itself has many functions and options for shooting and processing photos. Their review deserves a separate article.

We have reviewed the main characteristics of smartphone cameras, let's summarize briefly:

1. The matrix is ​​just that case when the size matters. The larger the sensor, the better. But the size of the matrix can be offset by too many megapixels. There must be a reasonable compromise.
2. Aperture number - the smaller the value, the higher the aperture of the object. This setting is especially important when shooting in low light conditions.
3. Focal length - each scene has its own preferred focus. This is not to say that a wide-angle lens will not be able to take a portrait. But still, it will come out worse than with a suitable focal length. The most versatile are zoom lenses.
4. Optical stabilization - designed to smooth out camera shake. But in poor lighting, she will not be able to help us, as the camera will shoot at a slow shutter speed. In such cases, it is best to use a smartphone stand, such as a monopod.
5. A flash is good if it is, and even better when there are two of them - xenon and LED.
6. Software part. Firstly, these are algorithms for processing information received by the camera matrix. Even with not very good hardware, high-quality software is able to provide good quality pictures and videos. Secondly, the shooting utility itself. It does not affect the result so much, but it affects the convenience and the list of available features. For example, it allows you to shoot in manual mode.

Gone are the days when the camera in the phone was considered a curiosity. Modern smartphones can take pictures at least as well as cheap cameras, shoot great video in high resolution. Yes, before good cameras they are far away, but they have one indisputable advantage - they are always at hand!

Greetings, dear readers my blog. I'm in touch with you, Timur Mustaev. Yesterday I stumbled upon a series of photographs by a so-called "professional" photographer, and it seems that many simply do not understand the aperture of the camera.

Therefore, I decided to write a detailed article about this factor so that people at least understand the main points and how to use it. Do you know that aperture affects the quality of photos? Are you wondering how? We will talk about this in this article.

Before continuing to read the article, first read and. The quality of your photo depends on these parameters.

After reading the material, you will understand the basic principle of the aperture, as well as learn how to set various parameters for shooting your scenes. Well, is it time to get started?

When buying a camera, many immediately begin to practice, without affecting the theoretical part. After some time, the ardor and mood of photographers becomes weaker and weaker, many leave their “cars” to gather dust on the shelves, because, after digging a little in the settings, they get pictures that do not satisfy their ambitions.

To prevent this from happening to you, you must first understand the theory in order to get better work, to please yourself and your loved ones, and in the future, partners!

What is a diaphragm?

What is the aperture in the camera, a similar question is often asked by beginners in photography, and after a little acquaintance with the aperture device, they immediately start shooting without understanding the essence and nuances of using the “hole”, thereby obtaining very typical photos without plot and highlights.

You are probably wondering "hole"? And what about her? In the vocabulary of photographers, the diaphragm is also called a hole, a hole. So, this is a special mechanism in the form of a ring, consisting of petals, regulating the passage of a given amount of light to the camera matrix.

The more open the petals, the more light enters the matrix, and vice versa, the less open the petals, the less light.

For beginners, this designation of the term may seem very complicated, and in order to enlighten what it is and how the hole mechanism works, you can simply imagine the eye, namely, the wider the pupil is ajar, the more light falls on the retina and vice versa. The light determines the level of exposure.

Principle of operation

After getting acquainted with the mechanism of action, it is necessary to understand how it works, is defined and changed. Everyone who has worked with a camera has come across the value of f and a number of numbers, this is the definition of aperture, which can be changed and adjusted to different scenes.

The aperture row is a certain number of numbers with a value of f, namely: f / 1.4; f/2; f/2.8, etc. Basically, the aperture line ends at f/22. These numbers indicate how open the petals are in the lens, thereby determining depth of field and exposure.

The main feature is that, than less value, which, by the way, is expressed in numbers, at the aperture, the wider the aperture. Therefore, it will be maximally open at f/1.4, and at f/22 the "hole" will be minimally open. This mechanism of operation applies to all cameras, Nikon, Senon and others.

How Aperture Affects Exposure

Now we come to the question of the effect of the width of the opening of the petals on the exposure. The bottom line is that the wider the open, the lighter the photo will be. Working with light is very important when shooting any scenes. If we talk about practice, then, for example, when shooting in a dark room, it is better to open the aperture wider (up to f / 5.6), and when shooting on a clear day outside, the aperture should be covered (from f / 8 to f / 16 ), so that there is no so-called "overexposure".

Here you also need to consider what effect you want to achieve. If you want to blur the background, then the hole should be as open as possible, 2.8 or 3.5.

Effect of Aperture Values ​​on Depth of Field

Aperture settings change the depth of field, and this is perhaps one of the main things in photography. This designation is understood as a certain zone in the image, which is sharp, or rather, not an easy zone, but, one might say, a range of distances.

Aperture and depth of field are related. This connection is based on the aperture parameters, namely, if the ring is fully open, f / 1.8, then there can be no talk of great sharpness.

With a wide aperture, the depth of field is very shallow, and the specific subject you are focusing on will be in focus, while the background will be “blurred”, but this method is also “popular”, for example, when shooting portraits, where attention is focused on the eyes of the model and the background is blurry.

For portrait shots, it is desirable to use a width from f / 4 to f / 8, with such a width of the “hole”, the model will be visible in the picture, and at the same time the background from behind will be slightly pleasantly blurred, which will give a beautiful photo effect.

Aperture value settings

How to choose the right size for shooting? It's pretty easy, the main thing you need to know is how to set it up. required values for shooting. So, aperture (f / 1.8) is suitable for shooting in poorly lit rooms. Such photos should be taken when photographing various miniature objects or if you want to highlight a particular detail, for example, an eye or a button on a shirt.

A width of f/4 is good for portraits, with an average amount of light in the room. The main thing when shooting with such values ​​is not to "miss", thereby highlighting, for example, the shoulder, and not the desired face of the model.

With a width of f / 5.6, you can safely “click” the model in full height, and at f/8 it's worth shooting a group of people.

In sunlight, f/16 and f/22 should be used as they will blend in beautifully with landscapes.

Today, the market for types and manufacturers of cameras is crowded, these are the well-known Canon and Nikon, and other lesser-known brands, such as Fujifilm, Pentax and others. It doesn't matter what kind of camera you have, as long as you know the basics of photography, choose the right light, and understand things like shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.

After reading this article, you clearly need to understand what aperture is, how to use it and how to control it for shooting your own scenes. It remains only to pick up a camera and start such a wonderful art as photography!

mine to you great advice. Take as many pictures as possible, practice. Take your camera everywhere with you. And never stop there!

And yet, I would like to recommend you, just a super video course " Digital SLR for beginners 2.0". In great detail, with the help of video, all the subtleties of obtaining high-quality photographs are described. Why this particular course? It's simple, I got acquainted with many courses on the Internet, and not one of them surpassed the course recommended by me in terms of quality and volume of information. Some of them even mislead me.

Good luck in creativity! See you soon on my blog.

All the best to you, Timur Mustaev.