First DSLR - EF-S 55-250mm Aperture Question

Hi there,

I got my first DSLR body yesterday (Canon 1100D) and to start off I got an EF-S 55-250mm as it was half price with the body I purchased.

After my first initial play with the camera, I noticed the aperture setting on my body in full manual exposure mode would allow me to set the aperture from f4.0 all the way to f22

Could someone explain to me how this works as I was under the impression thelens would only allow mt to use the lens within the f4.0 to f5.6 bracket?

Thanks

iamtherealmungo wrote in post #15102726
Hi there,

I got my first DSLR body yesterday (Canon 1100D) and to start off I got an EF-S 55-250mm as it was half price with the body I purchased.

After my first initial play with the camera, I noticed the aperture setting on my body in full manual exposure mode would allow me to set the aperture from f4.0 all the way to f22

Could someone explain to me how this works as I was under the impression thelens would only allow mt to use the lens within the f4.0 to f5.6 bracket?

Thanks

Firstly, welcome.

f4-5.6 is the minimum aperture of the lens across the range of the focal length. You may want to have a read of the manual and then possibly get a book on photography fundamental's, before you get flamed in this forum

No need for flaming. Everyone starts out somewhere. Every lens has a minimum aperture and every lens has a maximum aperture. Some go beyond f22 and some dont. I suggest as well to read up on some photography fundamentals. You might want to check out the book Understanding Exposure by Brian Peterson. The book does an excellent job getting you started in the world of photography.

As the aperture number gets bigger, the size of the aperture gets smaller. The 55-250's aperture values of 4-5.6 are the maximum aperture values. At f/22 the lens is letting in very little light, through a very small hole.

When I started out this baffled me, too.

The only thing that hasn't been said is the explanation of the maximum aperture... when at 55mm (on your lens) the max aperture is f4. As you extend towards 250mm it will gradually decrease the maximum aperture to f5.6. In other words, f5.6 is a whole stop slower than f4 (it lets in half the amount of light).

Get yourself a beginners guide and so many things will click

iamtherealmungo wrote in post #15102726
Hi there,

I got my first DSLR body yesterday (Canon 1100D) and to start off I got an EF-S 55-250mm as it was half price with the body I purchased.

After my first initial play with the camera, I noticed the aperture setting on my body in full manual exposure mode would allow me to set the aperture from f4.0 all the way to f22

Could someone explain to me how this works as I was under the impression thelens would only allow mt to use the lens within the f4.0 to f5.6 bracket?

Thanks

When you have this lens set at 55mm focal length (widest), it has an f-stop range from 4.0 - 22. When you have it at the 250mm focal length (longest), it has an f-stop range from 5.6 - 22. In between, it is in between. Having a variable f-stop allows the lens to be lighter, smaller, and less expensive.

This is a very, very good lens, BTW, especially for the price. I expect you will be happy with it.

chrismarriott66 wrote in post #15103351
The only thing that hasn't been said is the explanation of the maximum aperture... when at 55mm (on your lens) the max aperture is f4. As you extend towards 250mm it will gradually decrease the maximum aperture to f5.6. In other words, f5.6 is a whole stop slower than f4 (it lets in half the amount of light).

Get yourself a beginners guide and so many things will click

A great description but will mean absolutely nothing to the op

Probably as helpful as my post. Until the Op understands what aperture is and how it works in conjunction with the shutter and iso, it will be difficult to answer any question that will result in him, going agh! I know what i'm doing now

Even though this does not answer your original question, I recommend the following:

First read the camera's manual and get familiar with your cameras controls. I also recommend a good book for beginners: Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. This book will help you understand aperture, shutter speed and iso.

Then get out and practice, practice, practice. Advantage of the digital age - you can take tons of pictures and it cost you nothing......

butcherman wrote in post #15104107
Then get out and practice, practice, practice. Advantage of the digital age - you can take tons of pictures and it cost you nothing......

Just keep in mind that simply taking lots of photos does little to help you. Remember to sit back and think about what you are doing, and why the photos are turning out the way they are.

It is a fun hobby, with lots to learn.

wow, thanks guys! I'm sorry it was such a basic question. I have been reading up on the internet and the manuals but I was slightly concerned there was a problem with my lens/body.

have a look at the video tutorials on youtube, they can be very good too

Fantastic. Are there any sort of "Definitive" resources on the net of the best books/videos/articles on photography basics etc?

I'd also like to learn the technical aspect of how cameras work and stuff too, eventually! haha

If there's any good articles and specific videos on the net though that you could recommend that'd be great! sometimes it's hard to determine which are actually good/informative without knowing some of the basics!

I wouldn't get too carried away, as there is a lot to learn and most of us are all still learning.

Remember that focus and exposure are the two most important elements to creating a good photo with the rule of thirds assisting in composition.

Aperture, shutter and ISO relationship needs to be understood before you can control your photo's.

If you google this, and pick up from there is will give you a good start.

iamtherealmungo wrote in post #15108224
Fantastic. Are there any sort of "Definitive" resources on the net of the best books/videos/articles on photography basics etc?

I'd also like to learn the technical aspect of how cameras work and stuff too, eventually! haha

If there's any good articles and specific videos on the net though that you could recommend that'd be great! sometimes it's hard to determine which are actually good/informative without knowing some of the basics!

Understanding Exposure is probably one of the most approachable books I can think of and it's been around a long time. While some people will find some differences in opinion here and there, I don't think you can go too wrong in picking up basics there. When I came back to photography, someone recommended it to me and I honestly didn't think twice about it but picked it up for my kindle and read it over some traveling and found it interesting again even after a long time away.

i'd 2nd or 3rd, 'understanding exposure' it's a great book that's easy to follow...take the book, your camera, and the cameras manual all out with you and experiment along with what you're reading in the book