Question by socalrunnerxc: Why ignore the minimum aperture?
Good day to you!
I have noticed that under the product descriptions of lenses online, companies almost never lists the minimum aperture (largest f-stop) of a lens. Do they assume I don’t care?
I believe that film cameras do not have the issue of diffraction, so it is a relevant spec for film cameras. I think they ignore it because digital camera people (the majority of their market now?!) just don’t care about how small an aperture they get in a lens. Is this all correct?
Well, I have a 35mm film camera, and I want to be able to heavily stop down a wide-angle lens! The camera market just doesn’t care about us film-ies anymore?
I will give you brownie points of you can find me an ef-mount (not ef-s), fixed or zoom lens, less than 23mm, that LISTS the minimum aperture!!
Good day to you!
Best answer:
Answer by Bryan H
EF 20mm f/2.8 USM** min aperture 22 – from this list http://www.usa.canon.com/app/pdf/lens/EFLensChart.pdf
Add your own answer in the comments!
All lenses have the issue of diffraction when small apertures are used.
My guess is that when the 8-15 mm fisheye zoom does become available, you will be able to find that information on the B&H Photo site
They list the smallest aperture of the Nikon 10.5 mm fisheye (DX) and 16 mm fisheye (FX) lenses
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/300487-USA/Nikon_2148_10_5mm_f_2_8G_ED_DX.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/67138-USA/Nikon_1910_Fisheye_16mm_f_2_8D_Autofocus.html
If you go to bhphotovideo.com, pick any lens then go to specifications they will tell you the minimum aperture alongside the maximum. Pretty much though you can safely assume that most any lens made for DSLRs these days has a min aperture of f/22. I think the same goes for most 35mm cameras with the exception of a few that go to f/32.
I don’t think it matters whether you use film or digital.
Yes they probably assume you don’t care. For most people, maximum aperture is probably more important (at least for me it is).
I’m not afraid of using the minimum aperture. In fact I’d like to be able to use it more, but usually I can’t because I don’t have enough light.
I’m not a professional so a little diffraction won’t hurt me (and I probably would not notice it anyway).
Because it’s usually of less importance.
Diffraction is an optical phenomenon of the lens – you get it whether that lens is on a film of digital camera.
Why do you need to ‘heavily’ stop down a wide angle lens? If it’s for deep depth of field then you will get all you need from the characteristics of the lens and stopping down as far as you can.
If it’s to reduce light for a long exposure, then you should be using ND filters instead.
–This is nothing new. Look in any vintage lens guides. Nobody has ever listed the minimum aperture of any lenses in the name, only sometimes in the description if it stops down to something unusual for that manufacturer. For example, Leica and Olympus lenses tend to only go to f16, whereas Nikon, Canon etc go to 22. Some longer lenses go to 32. So in these cases, this might e listed but otherwise, it’s taken for granted because the information would be redundant. Maximum aperture is where the technology and look of the lens is concentrated.
–Diffraction is certainly an issue for 35mm film. Do you understand what diffraction is? Why would it have anything to do with the nature of the sensor? Diffraction at small apertures is less of a problem as you increas format size, perhaps that is what you were confused with? For example, shooting at f64 in large format yields spectacular results.
–While the majority of the digital world is biased against film, this is not one of the cases!
–If you want to know the minimum apeture, just look at the lens. Relax!