Aperture f stops chart
So you don’t need to worry about it. The longer the camera lens and the closer you are, the shallower the depth of field.
If you want to check the depth of field on a DSLR, use the Depth of Field (DOF) preview button if there is one. Going from f/2.8 to f/4 halves the light that enters the lens. So any images will be half as bright (all other things being equal).
You might notice that each number is simply the number before multiplied by roughly 1.4.
The middle lens becomes more distinguishable, and the transition from sharp to soft blur becomes more gradual. Experiment with different f-stop values to find the perfect balance between sharpness and blur that suits your creative vision. To counteract this, many professionals opt for slightly narrower wide apertures like f/2.2 or f/2.5, offering a more forgiving balance between sharpness and background separation.
Additionally, lighting and distance play a role.
And it shows the relative amount of light each aperture setting lets in.
We’ll explain this F-Stop Chart all in more detail throughout the article:
- The Exposure Triangle
- What is Aperture?
- What Are F-Stops?
- How Do F-Stops Work?
- Full Stops, 1/2 Stops and 1/3 Stops
- How to Use F-Stops
The Exposure Triangle
Aperture, shutter speed, and ISO form what’s known as the Exposure Triangle.
This effect is desirable for portraits or product photography, where background distractions are minimized and the focus is tightly centered on the subject.
Now, if you stop down the aperture to f/5.6, the focus starts to extend. This specification is typically presented as a ratio, such as 1:2.8 or 1:4.0, which directly translates to f/2.8 or f/4.0.
For example, a lens labeled 70-200mm 1:2.8 means that the maximum aperture is f/2.8 across the entire zoom range.
This is extremely beneficial in low-light environments, such as indoor settings, nighttime scenes, or concerts. Rounded up, this is two square inches.
If you understand the math, you understand why doubling the f-number means taking away two stops. This makes wide apertures particularly beneficial for low-light conditions, indoor photography, or when shooting during golden hour.
This results in a narrow plane of sharpness, where only the subject is in focus, and everything in the background (and sometimes the foreground) is artistically blurred. Aperture, represented through f-stop values, is intricately tied to how your images look and feel. For example, moving from f/4 to f/2.8 doubles the amount of light, while moving from f/4 to f/5.6 halves it.
Interpreting F-Stop Chart
To effectively use an F-Stop Chart, you need to understand how it relates to your photography goals.
It’s up to you to practice and find the balance between all of your settings. A good exercise for mastering aperture control is to shoot the same subject at different f-stops, observe the changes in light and focus, and review the results side-by-side.
Being comfortable with adjusting aperture quickly and efficiently allows you to react to changing lighting conditions, shifting subjects, and evolving creative needs with confidence.
Final Thoughts:
Grasping the concept of the f-stop chart is more than just understanding numbers—it’s about unlocking a fundamental creative tool in photography.
But the camera will work out the correct shutter speed and ISO (if you’re using Auto ISO).
But many photographers use Auto ISO to avoid worrying about exposure. It’s also beneficial when photographing at golden hour or blue hour, where you want to retain fine detail in both the darkened sky and ground features without introducing high ISO noise.
A narrow aperture ensures maximum sharpness across the image but comes with trade-offs.