Setting the aperture?

If I have a lens that is say f4-5.6 does that mean that is the range that I should only set in my camera? Im confused

blogs wrote in post #4921174
If I have a lens that is say f4-5.6 does that mean that is the range that I should only set in my camera? Im confused

No. That's the max aperture available to you at the short end of the zoom range (f/4) and the long end of the zoom range (f/5.6). You can use any aperture you like between the max and min aperture consistent with the exposure you desire.

No. It's obviously a zoom lens, so it means that the maximum aperture of the lens at the "short" end of the zoom range is f4, while at the "long" end of the zoom range, it's f5.6.

For instance, if it's a 70-300mm lens, the maximum aperture at 70mm is f4, while at 300mm, the maximum aperture is f5.6. Naturally you can use all apertures above those at all focal lengths. i.e. f5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22 etc.

Hope that helps.

Cool, soooooo basically I can use ANY aperature I want so long as Im not at the short or long end of the zoom range? Why is that?

blogs wrote in post #4921228
Cool, soooooo basically I can use ANY aperature I want so long as Im not at the short or long end of the zoom range? Why is that?

Well, that's sort of right. You can use any aperture consistent with the exposure conditions (light, shutter speed, ISO) up to the minimum that the lens is designed to allow.

Why? Well, aperture (f/stop) is actually a ratio of of the focal length to the diameter of the opening in the lens. At the short end of the zoom this results in larger max aperture value and at the long end it results in smaller max aperture value.

Sooo if my lens has a max aperture of 4.5 even though I can set f11 on my camera I should stick to 4.5?

Geee Portland-what time is it over there? Im sitting at work on a lovely sunny Friday afternoon, its 15:47 and Im hanging to go home and take some photo's!!! Only one and a half hours to go!!!

I think your confused, bigger aperture means a smaller number, smallest aperture, means a larger aperture

So, the "lowest" you can go with a 4-5.6 lens, is f/4 at the shortest point of that lens, the smaller the number (the larger the aperture) the more light that is allowed into the lens, and will enable you to take pictures faster, in low light conditions. That is why the 50mm f/1.4 is so loved, because of it's amazing ability to take great photos in low light, thanks to the low numbered aperture (Large aperture)

Okay, say you have a 70-300mm f/4-5.6.

At 70mm, you can set any aperture between f/4 and, say, f/22. But you're not going to chose just any random value. Your going to chose the aperture that gives you the correct exposure for the situation.

Similarly, at 300mm you can chose any aperture f/5.6 and smaller.

Remember, a smaller f-number means it's a wider aperture. f/4 is wider than f/5.6, meaning f/4 will let in more light than f/5.6 in the same amount of time.

blogs wrote in post #4921293
Geee Portland-what time is it over there? Im sitting at work on a lovely sunny Friday afternoon, its 15:47 and Im hanging to go home and take some photo's!!! Only one and a half hours to go!!!

It was 8:42pm when he posted that.