Older SLR (single lens reflex) cameras, pre-digital info screen, had aperture adjustment on the lens itself. The image shows an example from my Minolta X-700 with a 50mm f/1.7 lens, made in 1983. This camera does, however, have a full auto setting, so that it can adjust the aperture for you. Unfortunately, you cannot tell what it is adjusting to without the digital screen that the somewhat more modern film Canon Rebels had. Read the rest of this entry »
Aperture, in my opinion, is one of the simplest things to set apart a great photograph. In this first of a two part series I will talk about aperture, what it does and how it works. Part two will cover what you should do with aperture and how to use it effectively with both an SLR and a point-and-click camera.
Aperture in photography is the opening in the lens which lets through light to reach the film or sensor. Inside the lens is a series of metal wings that make up a diaphragm that can be increased or decreased in diameter to let through more or less light. It works like the iris of the eye, Read the rest of this entry »
