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| Cameras, Lenses and Accessories Discuss "Faster" lenses?...What do people mean when they say a lens is "faster" along the focal length?... |
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The thread ""Faster" lenses?" has not received any replies for 18 months. It has been automatically closed as a result. Please start a new thread on the topic if the information in this thread is not sufficient. |
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18-03-2007, 21:05
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#1 (permalink) |
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Quite Chatty
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Phoenix, AZ, US
Posts: 83
 
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"Faster" lenses?
What do people mean when they say a lens is "faster" along the focal length?
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18-03-2007, 21:26
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#2 (permalink) |
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Pixalo Crew
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 7,120
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Re: "Faster" lenses?
A faster lens has a larger aperture as its standard or maximum stop. So, for example, a lens which is f2.8 throughout the focal range allows you to select a faster shutter speed - hence a faster lens.
Some lenses will give an aperture range of, for example, f2.8-5.6. This means that with the lens wide open the maximum aperture you can achieve is f5.6 thereby needing a slower shutter speed because the amount of light reaching the sensor is reduced. To sum up - the wider the aperture the faster the shutter speed. hence a Canon 50mm f1.8 would be described as a very fast lens as the wide aperture allows you to select a faster shutter speed. I know what I'm talking about but I'm not very good at explaining so I hope that helps. |
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18-03-2007, 21:33
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#3 (permalink) |
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Quite Chatty
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Phoenix, AZ, US
Posts: 83
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Re: "Faster" lenses?
That makes perfect sense. Thanks for the explanation
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18-03-2007, 23:19
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#4 (permalink) |
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Pixalo Crew
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 7,120
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Re: "Faster" lenses?
No worries
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19-03-2007, 15:14
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#5 (permalink) |
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Loves the place
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Poole, Dorset
Posts: 5,963
 
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Re: "Faster" lenses?
Just because i didn't quite read it right probably so please may i just expand on what Stepheno said about a lens rated as f3.5-5.6 or whatever. This is on a zoom lens and shows the widest aperture at the extremes of focal length. So if this is on a 70-300mm lens, it means the widest aperture at 70mm is f3.5 but the widest aperture at 300mm is f 5.6.
Forgive me Stepheno, I am not correcting you, just hopefully making it clearer but probably only needed if you have my level of brain power! Cheers, Rob
__________________
Rob Barron If you look down on other people, don't expect them to look up to you!
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19-03-2007, 20:02
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#6 (permalink) |
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Pixalo Crew
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 7,120
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Re: "Faster" lenses?
No worries Rob, I know what I mean but putting it into print is another matter
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19-03-2007, 20:12
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#7 (permalink) |
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Quite Chatty
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Phoenix, AZ, US
Posts: 83
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Re: "Faster" lenses?
Doh! I thought 3.5-5.6 meant the widest aperture was f/3.5 and the smallest was f/5.6
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29-03-2007, 18:16
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#8 (permalink) |
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Feet under the table
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: 40 miles south of St. Louis
Posts: 2,609
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Re: "Faster" lenses?
Forgive me Stepheno, I am not correcting you, just hopefully making it clearer but probably only needed if you have my level of brain power!
Cheers, Rob[/quote] I first thought that a fast lens meant that you can catch kids with a sharp single shot. Only when I understood that I needed to mail away for brain power on google adds did I fully understand that a small apeture number is as fast as it gets,,,,, 
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The thread ""Faster" lenses?" has not received any replies for 18 months. It has been automatically closed as a result. Please start a new thread on the topic if the information in this thread is not sufficient. |
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