Aperture speed...

[The Crofter]

Just received an email from clifton cameras which included a video for the Nikon P300. Nice enough camera but seems to be outclassed by many others. Anyway about half way through the video up pops this nugget. I wonder if f8 is faster than f16....

nikon300.JPG (50.17 KiB) Viewed 1580 times

[Sigma]

Probably loses something in the translation from Japanese to English? I'd be really interested in how the original Japanese translates if done properly, as well as Nikon UK's excuse.

[gcrogers]

Funny. Good catch.

[lnbolch]

Just received an email from clifton cameras which included a video for the Nikon P300. Nice enough camera but seems to be outclassed by many others. Anyway about half way through the video up pops this nugget. I wonder if f8 is faster than f16...

Yup. "Speed" is also a photographic term, that does take on different meanings. A lens with a maximum aperture of f/8.0 like my old Schneider Super Angulon would be considered a very slow lens, while my f/1.8 50mm Nikkor is considered fast. I have shot with an f/1.0 Leica Noctilux, which would be considered a super-speed lens. ISO25 film is a very slow speed film while and ISO3200 is very fast. My D700 can shoot at ISO25,600 which is incredibly fast for a sensor. A shutter speed of 1/25th of a second is slow, while 1/4000th is very fast.

So they are correct, a faster aperture does limit the depth of field. Every profession has its jargon, and "speed" is fundamental to understanding photography.

[The Crofter]

From Wiki.

"Lens speed refers to the maximum aperture diameter, or minimum f-number, of a photographic lens. A lens with a larger maximum aperture (that is, a smaller minimum f-number) is a fast lens because it delivers more light intensity (illuminance) to the focal plane, allowing a faster shutter speed. A smaller maximum aperture (larger minimum f-number) is "slow" because it delivers less light intensity and requires a slower shutter speed.

A lens may be referred to as "fast" or "slow" depending on its maximum aperture compared to other lenses of similar focal length designed for a similar film format. Lens speed given by the minimum f-number, or alternatively maximum aperture diameter or maximum numerical aperture, is a useful quantitative way to compare similar lenses.

Lens speed is important in taking pictures in dim light, or with long telephoto lenses. For controlling depth of field, especially in portrait photography[1], lens speed is a key variable in combination with other variables such as focal length and camera format size.

Lenses may also be referred to as being "faster" or "slower" than one another using this same method. A lens with a maximum aperture of f/3.5 is faster than one with an aperture of f/5.6, though neither is especially fast. A lens with an aperture of f/1.8 is slower than a lens with an aperture of f/1.2, though both are fast lenses."

In my book the term "fast" to describe the maximum aperture is a contradiction. In this instance the word fast implies speed which is measured in m/S, light intensity is measured in cd, cd/m2 etc. There is no corrolation or conversion possible between the two. I understand the way "fast" is used to describe lens performance but in over 40 years of photography I have never seen the words aperture + speed used together. In much the same way you would not advise someone to "increase the aperture from a speed of f/16 to f/8.

[dutyhog]

I worked in optics for many years, and the term "fast lens" was used for a wide aperture, based on if it were a camera lens it would be wide enough to be able to use a fast shutter speed. So I agree with Wiki and Larry. Gordon

[lnbolch]

In my book the term "fast" to describe the maximum aperture is a contradiction. In this instance the word fast implies speed which is measured in m/S, light intensity is measured in cd, cd/m2 etc. There is no corrolation or conversion possible between the two. I understand the way "fast" is used to describe lens performance but in over 40 years of photography I have never seen the words aperture + speed used together. In much the same way you would not advise someone to "increase the aperture from a speed of f/16 to f/8.

Daily conversation among working photographers. Like any other job, there is jargon which is universally understood, but at one point was learned, since it has no context outside of photography. F-Stops, DOF, equivalent focal lengths, and so on. Nothing compared to computers—bugs, software, GPGPU computing, RAM, bytes and so on.

[The Crofter]

I dont think the phrase "aperture speed" exists in photographic jargon. A search on google produced zero results for "aperture speed" but obviously many for aperture, and shutter speed.

My contention is that Nikon have used this (fictional) phrase instead of "Specify the aperture value to soften backgrounds"

Incidently if anyone (and only one !) can find a published (book etc) use of the phrase "aperture speed" in a photographic context I will make another donation to the Japan appeal.....

[Kevgermany]

I agree. My thought is it just comes fom marketeers who don't understand things.

Make the donation anyway...