
Lens aperture – what is it and how does it work?
The lens aperture is one of the most important components of a camera. What is it and how does it work? What is its importance for the usability of the equipment? In our guide you will find some valuable tips, so that the photos you take will be really professional.
What is the lens aperture?
The lens aperture is the part of the camera that bears the responsibility for regulating the amount of light falling on the photosensitive element. And what exactly does this mean in practical terms? It is simply an opening located on the lens, its size can be easily adjusted. This gives the user full control over the illumination of the photo.
How to set the aperture on the camera?
How to set the aperture on the camera, and thus the brightness of the lens? This question troubles many people. Therefore, anyone who wants to turn off the automatic mode on his camera and try his hand at manual settings should know what aperture is. An amateur photographer should also understand this concept and realize how it affects depth of field.
The basic principle is that the photographic aperture affects the light of the lens. For this reason, every camera user should remember that the larger the aperture value, the smaller the aperture opening, and vice versa. The aperture value is referred to as the aperture, for example:
- f/1.4,
- f/1.8,
- f/2.8,
- f/5.6,
- f/22.
If the photographer wants to get a shallow depth of field, then he should choose a small aperture value, for example, f/1.8. At first, setting the aperture seems extremely complicated, but nevertheless, it’s time to take the camera in your hands and translate this theory into practice. After a few attempts, you will surely already know how to set the aperture to take appropriately sharp – or blurry – photos.

Depth of field in photography – decide what you want to show in the picture
From a practical point of view, setting the depth of field is about choosing the element in the photo that will be most important. Using a small aperture with a shallow depth of field, one main point in the photo will be in focus, and the other elements of the photo will be blurred. If you use such a solution, the viewer will be well aware of what is most important in the photo. Such a method is ideal for portrait photography or macro photography.
On the other hand, in architecture or landscape photography, a large depth of field is used. When taking these types of photos, the photographer chooses a large aperture, for example, f/22. As a result, the photos show everything that fits in the frame, in addition, each element is sharpened and accurately clear.
The aperture of the lens determines the quality of photography
The lens aperture is a very important part of the camera. Its improper use results in poor quality photos. Therefore, to summarize:
- the larger the aperture value, the greater the depth of field by far. You will see more sharp elements in the photo,
- the smaller the aperture value, the greater the blur. That is, only one object will be clear in the photo, and all the elements shown in front of it and behind it will be blurred.
If you are after reading the article, you certainly already know what the lens brightness f is and how the aperture should be set so that the photos taken will be of very good quality, but also according to your needs. A few test shots will give you an idea of the capabilities of the equipment you are using. This will allow you to pull out your camera without fear the next time and take high-quality photographs without the help of others.