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12/09/2003 07:22:13 AM · #1 |
| I am thinking about a new camera with zoom and more MP than my Olympus 2100UZ. Looking at the specifications on some of the new cameras with those qualities I have noticed something disturbing. The cameras I have checked out all have an Apeture of 2.8 listed some say 2.8 -3.4 or something in that range. The camera I have now goes from 2.8 -8.0. Will this be a problem. The way I understand it I won't get great DOF with the 2.8? |
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12/09/2003 07:28:45 AM · #2 |
| My c-750 has aperture of 2.8-8.0. For the type of shots I do most, I wish it would go to 16, but I'm still learning how to work around the limitations. (Heck, it's gonna take me a while to learn all it's capabilities, LOL!) |
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12/09/2003 07:45:08 AM · #3 |
Hi Mary;
You will get a shallow DOF with 2.8 but wont a large DOF. Think to buy another brand or model with more aperture range if you want to get a large DOF. |
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12/09/2003 07:55:31 AM · #4 |
Joy,
Can it be that 2.8 - 3.4 is this largest aperture (2.8 on widest focal length and 3.4 largest for the longest focal length) and the smallest aperture for these cameras a much higer F? (or 8 at least)? |
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12/09/2003 08:09:33 AM · #5 |
Because of the small sensor size of non-DSLR digital cameras, it is very difficult to get the shallow depth-of-field that can easily be accomplished with a telephoto lens on a DSLR. With a DSLR, even at smaller apertures like f/4, you can still get shallow DOF at longer focal lengths.
Simply looking at the minimum/maximum aperture specs of a digital camera is not the only indicator of how well you'll be able to vary DOF. You also need to consider the actual focal length of the lens (and not the 35mm equivalent). The larger the focal length, the more shallow DOF you'll be able to obtain. Many digital cameras have 3X optical lenses with a focal length of 7 ΓΆ€“ 21mm or so. Compare this to something like a 70 - 200mm zoom lens on a DSLR, which has a focal length 10X as big. Combine that with the difference in sensor size, and you have a big difference in DOF. The graphic below illustrates the relative size difference of three digital imaging sensors:
Canon 1Ds sensor/35mm film (red), Canon 10D/300D image sensor (yellow), and a common 1/1.8" CCD frequently used in P&S digital cameras (blue).
Message edited by author 2003-12-09 08:15:33. |
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12/09/2003 08:11:11 AM · #6 |
Originally posted by tyrkinn:
Joy,
Can it be that 2.8 - 3.4 is this largest aperture (2.8 on widest focal length and 3.4 largest for the longest focal length) and the smallest aperture for these cameras a much higer F? (or 8 at least)? |
This is exactly it. Normally the manufacturer gives the largest aperture (or apertures) of which the lens is capable. When you see "f/2.8-3.4" it means that the camera will do a max. aperture f/2.8 at wide angle, and f/3.4 at the telephoto end of the zoom range.
The minimum aperture might be something like f/8.0-f/10, again varying with the zoom.
The non-interchangeable-lens cameras normally have a smaller range of apertures than DSLRs, and because of their much shorter focal lengths have greater DoF for the same aperture & field of view. It can be a problem getting a narrow DoF when desired, e.g. for portrait work.
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