I recently got a Canon 20D digital camera for my birthday and am intersested in upgrading from the stock lens. While looking online I noticed that they all have a measurement of some kind labeled as f/2.4L or f/1.8S or something like that. What do those mean and what do I need to look for for a good wide angle lens and a good super-zoom lens for various action and city shots?
2006-08-15 13:04:23 · 3 answers · asked by barneys_assasin 4 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Visual Arts ➔ Photography
The smaller the f stop number, the wider your lens will open, and let in more light. 1.8 is a smaller number than 2.4, but 1.8 is a larger opening (aperture). The wider your aperture, the faster your possible shutter speeds will be. So the chances of getting a sharper picture under low light conditions is better with a lens which has a lower f stop. Those are more expensive, but buy the best you can afford.
As you get into longer focal lengths, the available f stop # will be noticeably higher - light is lost as it travels through a longer lens. A telephoto lens is more likely to give a sharper picture than a zoom because of this. Test them on your camera before you buy to see the difference.
2006-08-15 14:03:27 · answer #1 · answered by joyfulpaints 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As mentioned earlier, the f refers to the aperture; the width of the opening on your lens. Aperture affects two qualities of your picture. In addition to regulating the amount of light that hits the film, or digital sensor, it also affects the depth of field. The depth of field is the amount of space in front of and behind the subject that is in focus. The lower the f stop, the lower the depth of field. So having a low f stop allows in more light, but you will have a smaller part of the pic in focus. Lenses with lower f stops are significantly more expensive and do not offer a lot of benefits for the amateur photographer. I would suggest that you go with a more economic lens, master it, then move to a more specialized and expensive one as your skills and style develop.
2006-08-16 04:14:50 · answer #2 · answered by mojahedi2000 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is the F stops. It tells you how much light is being let into the camera. Used to be that you would set the exposure time and F stop (aperature opening) to create different exposures or to maximize the one your were taking.
2006-08-15 20:10:22 · answer #3 · answered by jimbobb1 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋