Selecting the correct aperture..

[wadleigh]

I have read many magazines and seen many different settings for various great

shots. Some use f/9, some f/11, f/16 and even some f/22 and so on. I see these

landscape shots and wonder what determines whether you shoot with f/11 or f/22

or f/16 or f/xx ? I mean, when I see a landscape shot, I just set my lens to

the smallest aperture so I try to get everything in focus. Is this wrong?

 

I have heard about hyperfocal distance and the circular-thing you can buy that

helps you determine the aperture given the distance from the subject, etc,etc.

Ok, so is this what everyone is using? Or not?

 

Thanks in advance for the input.

[errol young]

Look up details on the internet.

 

aperture is one of the most creative devices that a photographer uses. Once you have what you want infocus then you must decide how much you want to be in focus. From f1.2 to 4 the range is narrow. For a portrait these settings would put the background (and even part of the face at 1.2 out of focus) concentrating the viewer on the face. At F 8-22 more or all of the frame should be infocus. Not that much difference between F11 and F22 unless you have something in the near foreground that you want in focus as well as the background.

 

errol

[mendonphoto]

Decide what you want to be in focus and try to pick an aperture that accomplishes that for you. Some things to keep in mind are:

 

1. DOF will change depending on focal length and focusing point. To be really sure, you need to use DOF calculators (either in-lens, or external). Contrary to what Errol says, at most focal lengths, just using f/8 or f/11 will not guarantee that you get everything in focus. The longer the focal length, the narrower the DOF.

 

2. Lenses are usually sharpest at f/8 or f/11.

 

3. On 35mm and full-frame digital SLRs, diffraction starts to significantly affect lens quality at f/22 and beyond. On APS-C digital cameras, it starts to happen at about f/16.

 

4. If, once you have selected the aperture, your shutter speed is too slow for hand holding, you have to do one or more of the following: use a tripod, increase ISO, open the aperture more, add more light.

[kari v]

Prime lenses have useful distance scales on them.

 

I don't usually go to f22 even with a 6x6 camera. It could be needed when shooting a landscape so that you have some rocks, bushes straight in front of you and you need the very last bit of DoF.

 

"I just set my lens to the smallest aperture so I try to get everything in focus. Is this wrong?"

 

Do it only if you have to. As Aaron said, you lose overall image sharpness.

 

When shooting with wide angle lenses you have plenty of DoF even at f8.

 

Try this and experiment a bit.

http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

[kari v]

"I have read many magazines and seen many different settings for various great shots. Some use f/9, some f/11, f/16 and even some f/22 and so on."

 

Also check what format they are shooting.

 

There are no right answers, it's just what you and your camera / lens combination requires in a given situation.

[the black rabbit]

Well there are rules in certain circumstances...but what you find is that some people adhere/use them...and some people adapt them...and some people just make their own up!

 

It comes from experience most of the time. Lanscape photographers usually use a tripod, work in the rule of thirds for composition, have filters to manipulate/model the light, and will tend to work on low iso's and high fnumbers. But saying this there are people who don't conform to this...or a certain subject [scene] may dictate a different approach.

 

Studio portrait togs usually work again in a low iso, mid F number maybe about f11...and use creative lighting to bring in movement, depth or atmosphere to their poses.

 

If you were photographing a football match then usually you use a high iso, very low fnumber [for small focus] and a high shutter speed.

 

There are rules to follow...or I should say general guidelines but the rest is your interpretation of them.