Aperture setting (Page 2): The confusion comes from MAX aperture. MAX refers to the maximum hole size (aperture size) and allows the maximum light through the lens. As several have...

Jagnut07 Loc: South Carolina

The confusion comes from MAX aperture. MAX refers to the maximum hole size (aperture size) and allows the maximum light through the lens. As several have said above the f number is really a fraction so 1/5 is a larger hole (aperture) than 1/22. So in your case 1/5 is the largest aperture you can have with this particular lens. Other lens’ may go larger say to f2. I.e. 1/2. Hope that doesn’t create more confusion 😊.

LWW Loc: Banana Republic of America

uhaas2009 wrote:

This is

Don’t overthink it.

1/2 is larger than 1/4 when all other things are equal.

F2 means the aperture width is 1/2 of the lens length. If the length is 100 and the aperture is 50 then the ratio is 1/2 or F2.

F4 means the aperture width is 1/4 of the lens length. If the length is 100 and the aperture is 25 then the ratio is 1/4 or F4.

This also explains why an F2 lens is more expense than an f4 of the same length.

bbradford Loc: Wake Forest NC

Thanks to everyone. It's all very clear now. Special thanks to resqu2 . I think you understood what I was trying to ask. Everyone on here is so helpful. Thanks again. Bryan

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

bbradford wrote:

This may sound stupid as I am new to all of this. I have read and read about aperture settings but am still confused on one thing. If your lens says it has a maximum aperture of 5.5 how can the camera take it up to f.22? Is the lens really going to f.22 as the camera says or is max. at 5.5. Hope this doesn't sound to stupid but it's giving me a headache.

f/5.5 would then be the largest, most wide open, aperture setting you would have with that lens; each lens has a range of aperture settings, from widest to smallest, with the numbers being in reverse. This makes a difference when you shoot in low light settings or want a smooth, blurred background.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

bbradford wrote:

This may sound stupid as I am new to all of this. I have read and read about aperture settings but am still confused on one thing. If your lens says it has a maximum aperture of 5.5 how can the camera take it up to f.22? Is the lens really going to f.22 as the camera says or is max. at 5.5. Hope this doesn't sound to stupid but it's giving me a headache.

I call aperture a "Reversal Thing". What do I mean by that? Easy, under normal conditions you would think that the lens opens wider as the numbers get larger, right? WRONG.
For aperture settings, the larger the number, the smaller the opening. I know, it doesn't make sense. But, that is the way it is.
So, f5.5 is the largest opening for that particular lens, and F22, is the smallest opening for that lens. So, lots more light can enter your lens at f5.5 and a lot less light can enter into your lens at f.22.
Got it, GOOD. Knowledge is good grasshopper.

georgeretired Loc: Manitoba Canada

INTERESTING link. Thanks for including it in your reply.

nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

billnikon wrote:

I call aperture a "Reversal Thing". What... (show quote)

It does make sense because the f number represents a fraction! so f22 means 1/22 of the focal length, f4 means 1/4th of the focal length, so f22 is much smaller than f4!

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

Think of the aperture numbers as fractions, f2 is f 1/2 or one half f16 is 1/16 and f22 is f 1/22. This shows you 1/22 is smaller than 1/2 or 1/16. Just a way to look at f stops.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Like many things in life, the reverse is true for apertures - the smaller the number, the bigger the hole. Read them like a fraction. For example, 1/2 is a larger numerical value than 1/16. An aperture of F2 is a bigger opening than one of F16.

photoman022 Loc: Manchester CT USA

LWW wrote:

It can be confusing. br br The smaller number ...... (show quote)

nicely explained!

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

bbradford wrote:

This may sound stupid as I am new to all of this. I have read and read about aperture settings but am still confused on one thing. If your lens says it has a maximum aperture of 5.5 how can the camera take it up to f.22? Is the lens really going to f.22 as the camera says or is max. at 5.5. Hope this doesn't sound to stupid but it's giving me a headache.

F-numbers are ratios 1:5.5 for example. So they are in essence inverted (sort of), whence I usually write them as f/1.4, f/5.6, f/11, f/16, etc. Like Nail or Wire sizes or gauges they are reversed (sort of); a size 22 is much smaller than a size 6.

I say "sort of" because as I am sure someone else on the UHH will explain that that ratio involves the focal length and the diameter of the iris or pupil of the lens at various "stops". Ultimately it involves your old pal from school (pi)r^2. The amount of light passing through the lens is theoretically related to the area of the "opening" or iris but the way we express it the actual numbers we get or use cancel out the pi's and are multiples of the square root of two ~ 1.41x. Thus (big opening) 1, 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, etc., (smaller opening).

mizzee Loc: Boston,Ma

I assume you’re looking at a zoom lens. The 5.5 is the biggest aperture you can use when the lens is fully zoomed.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Yes, https://expertphotography.com/how-to-understand-aperture-5-simple-steps/
is one of many good explanations of what Aperture or F-Stop Means. I might also suggest to some of the alumni here review this information, based on some of the answers or replies I read. A few others also seem rather confused.

Rathyatra Loc: Southport, United Kingdom

Resqu2 wrote:

If is says 5.5 is max then you can set it anywhere between 5.5 to 22. I have a lens that goes from 2.8 to 32 and can be set anywhere in that range but I can’t set it smaller that 2.8 and you can’t set yours lower than 5.5.

That was something I did not understand so thanks for the clarification.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

bbradford wrote:

This may sound stupid as I am new to all of this. I have read and read about aperture settings but am still confused on one thing. If your lens says it has a maximum aperture of 5.5 how can the camera take it up to f.22? Is the lens really going to f.22 as the camera says or is max. at 5.5. Hope this doesn't sound to stupid but it's giving me a headache.

Another good thing to know about the aperture number. The bigger the number the more depth of field you will have. And the bigger the number, the more light you will need to get a proper exposure either by reducing shutter speed or increasing ISO, or both.