What Is An F-Stop?
F-stops are a measure of how much light enters your camera. F-stops are also called “stops” or “focal ratios” and are represented by a number followed by an “f”. For example, f/2.8 is an f-stop. Knowing how to use and understand f-stops is an important part of photography and understanding exposure.
An f-stop is a number that represents how wide your lens is open when you take a photo. The lower the f-stop number, the wider your lens is open, and the more light that enters your camera. Conversely, the higher the f-stop number, the narrower your lens is open, and the less light that enters your camera.
How To Use F-Stops
The most common way to use f-stops is to adjust how much light enters your camera. By changing the f-stop, you can make your photos darker or brighter. You can also use f-stops to adjust your depth of field. A lower f-stop number will give you a shallow depth of field, and a higher f-stop number will give you a deeper depth of field.
F-stops are an important part of photography, and understanding how to use them will help you take better photos. By understanding related topics, such as shutter speed, aperture, ISO, exposure triangle, and metering modes, you will be able to get the most out of your f-stop settings.
This video explains f-stops quite nicely:
video by PhotoProTips
This video goes beyond just f-stops:
video by PhotoProTips
Related Topics In Photography
When learning about f-stops, it is important to understand related topics in photography, such as:
- Shutter Speed – This is how long your camera shutter stays open when you take a photo.
- Aperture – This is the size of the hole in your lens that lets light into your camera.
- ISO – This is the sensitivity of your camera’s sensor to light.
- Exposure Triangle – This is the relationship between the three elements of exposure: shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.
- Metering Modes – This is the way your camera calculates the correct exposure for a photo.
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