{"id":103879,"date":"2020-11-03T09:40:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-03T06:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/what-is-an-f-stop-in-photography\/"},"modified":"2024-11-11T09:55:53","modified_gmt":"2024-11-11T06:55:53","slug":"what-is-an-f-stop-in-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-f-stop-in-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"#What Is an F-Stop in Photography?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a35efd8ed767\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a35efd8ed767\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-f-stop-in-photography\/#Aperture_and_the_Exposure_Triangle\" >Aperture and the Exposure Triangle<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-f-stop-in-photography\/#F-Stops_Simplified\" >F-Stops Simplified<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-f-stop-in-photography\/#F-Stops_in_Photography\" >F-Stops in Photography<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-f-stop-in-photography\/#F-stops_and_Your_Phone\" >F-stops and Your Phone<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As smartphone cameras become more capable, technical photography jargon is slipping into mainstream conversations. An &#8220;f-stop&#8221; (or &#8220;f-number&#8221;) is a word you\u2019re going to see more as smartphone manufacturers try to one-up each other when bragging about specs. Here\u2019s what you need to know.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/premium\/?ref=ad_removal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"aperture-and-the-exposure-triangle\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Aperture_and_the_Exposure_Triangle\"><\/span>Aperture and the Exposure Triangle<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aperture\u00a0is one of the three legs of\u00a0the exposure triangle, along with\u00a0shutter speed\u00a0and\u00a0ISO. It\u2019s a measurement of how wide the hole is at the front of a lens and, thereby, how much light it allows in. Shutter speed measures how long light is allowed to hit the sensor and ISO measures how sensitive the sensor is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While shutter speed is measured somewhat intuitively in fractions of a second, aperture is measured in f-stops, such as f\/1.6, f\/11, and f\/22. Most lenses allow you to adjust the f-stop, although smartphone cameras are an exception; they have a fixed aperture. Lowering the f-stop makes images brighter, while increasing it makes them darker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But how does it do this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Related:What Is Aperture?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"f-stops-simplified\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"F-Stops_Simplified\"><\/span>F-Stops Simplified<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static1.howtogeekimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/camera-lens-aperture-value-numbers.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The f-stop is the ratio of the\u00a0focal length of a lens\u00a0to the lens aperture (the hole through which the light enters). So, an f-stop of 2 (f\/2) means the lens aperture is half the focal length. In a lens with a focal length of 100mm, the aperture would be 50mm (100\/50 = 2); in a lens with a focal length of 200mm, the aperture would be 100mm (200\/100 = 2).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An f-stop is measured as a ratio due to some of the fun quirks in the physics of optics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The wider the aperture of a lens is, the more light it allows through. This makes the image it projects on the film plane&#8212;or, realistically, the digital sensor&#8212;brighter. So, the lower the f-number, the brighter the image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However,\u00a0lenses with longer focal lengths\u00a0have narrower fields of view. That&#8217;s why the images they project are relatively larger and spread the light thinner. The way the effects balance out means the ratio of focal length to the aperture (or f-number) creates photos that are equivalently bright with all lenses. It ignores any differences in light transmission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static1.howtogeekimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/1depthoffield.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Both photos were shot a f\/8 but at different focal lengths. Even still, they used the same shutter speed because the bigger aperture of the longer lens is offset by its narrower field of view.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, say you\u2019re taking a photo of a tree. If you use a 100mm lens at f\/2, the aperture will be 50mm wide. If you use a 200mm lens at f\/2, the aperture will be 100mm wide. Both photos, however, will be just as bright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is because even though the 200mm lens has an aperture that\u2019s twice as wide (and thus, four times as large), its field of view is half that of the 100mm lens. Therefore, it has to project everything four times larger on the sensor, so the two effects cancel each other out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"f-stops-in-photography\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"F-Stops_in_Photography\"><\/span>F-Stops in Photography<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now that we&#8217;ve covered the technical details, let\u2019s look at how f-stops <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ly in practical photography.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/premium\/?ref=ad_removal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Taking a photo involves balancing the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. You want\u00a0enough light to hit the sensor\u00a0so it records the scene properly, but not so much that it&#8217;s too dark (underexposed) or bright (overexposed).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The amount of light that hits the sensor is measured in a dimensionless quantity\u00a0called a &#8220;stop.&#8221; Increasing the exposure (the brightness of the photo) by one stop means you double the amount of light hitting the sensor. (Other things that affect exposure,\u00a0like image stabilization, are also measured in stops.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are a few ways you can do this. One method is to allow light to hit the sensor for a longer amount of time, such as using a shutter speed of 1\/50 of a second instead of 1\/100. You could also just use a wider aperture, but this comes with some trade-offs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static1.howtogeekimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/depthoffield.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In DSLRs and other dedicated cameras, aperture is used to control the depth of field.<br><br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to allowing in more light,\u00a0images shot with a wider aperture have less depth of field, meaning more of the scene will be out of focus. Sometimes, such as when shooting a portrait,\u00a0this is desirable. Other times, it\u2019s a problem you have to work around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To make matters even more confusing, aperture isn\u2019t measured on a linear scale. F-stops are logarithmic. In other words, going from f\/4 to f\/2 doesn\u2019t double the amount of light entering the camera, it quadruples it. To double the amount of light, you\u2019d need to go to f\/2.8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, that\u2019s a lot of information to process. Fortunately, though, because smartphones have fixed aperture lenses, you don\u2019t have to fully understand this to use them effectively (more on this below).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, if you also use a dedicated camera, you might want to learn more about\u00a0how you can use aperture creatively\u00a0in photography.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/premium\/?ref=ad_removal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"f-stops-and-your-phone\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"F-stops_and_Your_Phone\"><\/span>F-stops and Your Phone<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static1.howtogeekimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/marketing.png\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">That doesn&#8217;t look like a 26mm aperture hole to me&#8230;<br><br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both amateur and professional photographers have had to come to terms with f-stops and aperture over the years. Now that smartphone manufacturers are using these terms in their marketing, here are a few things everyone should keep in mind:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>F-stops are calculated from a lens\u2019s real focal length:<\/strong>\u00a0While the f-numbers manufacturers list are real, the focal lengths they boast for their lenses are normally a\u00a0full-frame equivalent. For example, Apple claimed the telephoto lens in the iPhone 11 Pro was 52mm with an aperture of f\/2. This would mean light would pass through a hole over 1 in. wide. However, the real focal length was just 6mm, so\u00a0the hole was only 3mm wide.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>A wider aperture means better low-light photography:<\/strong>\u00a0Due to how smartphone cameras are designed, the fixed aperture\u2019s biggest effect is on the shutter speed and ISO the camera can use in different situations. The wider the fixed aperture of the lens, the better the images in low light. This is because it can use faster shutter speeds (for less blur) and lower ISO (for less noise).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Specs don\u2019t take photos:<\/strong>\u00a0As companies continue to throw around crazy numbers, just remember those aren&#8217;t what creates a good photo. The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ippawards.com\/\">iPhone Photography Awards<\/a>\u00a0started 13 years ago because people have been shooting awesome photos with smartphones for as long as they\u2019ve been around. The fact that the camera on your phone can go from f\/1.8 to f\/1.6 isn\u2019t going to drastically improve your photography&#8212;only\u00a0time and effort can do that.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n<blockquote>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology<\/a><\/span> category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/695949\/what-is-f-stop-in-photography\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As smartphone cameras become more capable, technical photography jargon is slipping into mainstream conversations. An &#8220;f-stop&#8221; (or &#8220;f-number&#8221;) is a word you\u2019re going to see more as smartphone manufacturers try to one-up each other when bragging about specs. Here\u2019s what you need to know. Aperture and the Exposure Triangle Aperture\u00a0is one of the three legs&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":643829,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.ibb.co\/2dGtpyj\/What-Is-an-F-Stop-in-Photography.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[152640,1570,67820],"class_list":["post-103879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-explainers","tag-features","tag-photography"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103879","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=103879"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103879\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/643829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=103879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=103879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}