{"id":73687,"date":"2020-01-06T00:03:20","date_gmt":"2020-01-05T15:03:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fujifilmnxtc.wpenginepowered.com\/stories\/apertures-and-depth-of-field\/"},"modified":"2024-05-02T04:22:47","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T19:22:47","slug":"beginner-month-2-exposure-and-light-6-depth-of-field","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-us\/stories\/beginner-month-2-exposure-and-light-6-depth-of-field\/","title":{"rendered":"Apertures and Depth-Of-Field"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><h2>Adjusting the size of the aperture in your camera\u2019s lens isn&#8217;t just a way of changing brightness, it also controls how much of a scene looks sharp \u2013 the depth-of-field<\/h2>\n<p>When we looked at shutter speeds and apertures, we saw how these fundamentals of photography are related. They make a photo brighter or darker by controlling how much light is allowed into the camera, but this is only part of the story.<br \/>\n\u00a0<br \/>\nShutter speed and aperture also affect how other things look and, in this article, we take a look at how aperture controls one of the most important things in photography: depth-of-field.<br \/>\n\u00a0<br \/>\nDepth-of-field is the distance in front of and behind the point of focus that looks sharp. When we use small-sized apertures (remember, these are represented by large numbers, such as F16 or F22), we get lots of depth-of-field, so the sharpness zone extends a long way beyond, and in front of, where the camera is focused.<br \/>\n\u00a0<br \/>\nConversely, if we shoot with a large-sized aperture (represented by a small number, like F4 or F2.8), we get shallow depth-of-field, meaning that only a small zone either side of the point of focus looks sharp. Sometimes lots of depth-of-field is needed; other times, we need very little.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><p><img data-preload-after-window-load=\"preload\" data-preload-delay=\"300\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/1_BeginnerMonth2-Exposureandlight-6Depthoffield-1.jpg?width=1500&#038;height=1000\" alt=\"Learn photography with Fujifilm, Apertures and Depth-Of-Field\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3248939\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\">\u00a9 Jonathan Irish<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><p>A good way to take control of aperture is by using Aperture Priority mode.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>For cameras with a mode dial.\u00a0<\/strong>Set the mode dial to A for Aperture Priority. You\u2019ll now be able to adjust aperture using the camera\u2019s rear control dial and a shutter speed is set automatically.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><p><img data-preload-after-window-load=\"preload\" data-preload-delay=\"300\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/2_BeginnerMonth2-Exposureandlight-6Depthoffield.jpg?width=1500&#038;height=1000\" alt=\"Learn photography with Fujifilm, Apertures and Depth-Of-Field\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3248650 size-full\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>For cameras with a shutter speed dial.<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Activate Aperture Priority mode by setting A on the shutter speed dial and any numerical vale on the aperture ring. Shutter speed is set automatically.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><p><img data-preload-after-window-load=\"preload\" data-preload-delay=\"300\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/3_BeginnerMonth2-Exposureandlight-6Depthoffield.jpg?width=1500&#038;height=1000\" alt=\"Learn photography with Fujifilm, Apertures and Depth-Of-Field\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3248698 size-full\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><h3>Shooting with Lots of Depth-Of-Field<\/h3>\n<p>\nA good example of when we need a lot of depth-of-field is landscape photography. To get everything looking sharp \u2013\u00a0from horizon to foreground \u2013\u00a0we need to focus about halfway into the scene and use depth-of-field to cover everything else.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><p><img data-preload-after-window-load=\"preload\" data-preload-delay=\"300\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/4_BeginnerMonth2-Exposureandlight-6DepthoffieldV2.jpg?width=539&#038;height=283\" alt=\"Learn photography with Fujifilm, Depth of field\" width=\"539\" height=\"283\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3282418 aligncenter\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><p>Half press the camera\u2019s shutter release button and you\u2019ll be able to preview how much depth-of-field you\u2019re getting before you shoot a picture. Try it at different apertures and you can see the difference.<br \/>\n\u00a0<br \/>\nA word of warning though: remember that aperture and shutter speed need to be balanced to create the correct brightness. In this case, since we are using a small aperture, we need to use a long shutter speed to let in enough light. But if the shutter speed goes too low, the picture can end up blurred because of camera shake \u2013 accidental movement when the shutter is open.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp_flexbox col2\">\n<li><img data-preload-after-window-load=\"preload\" data-preload-delay=\"300\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/NEWdepth-of-field-winslow-04_camershake-2.jpg?width=581&#038;height=363\" alt=\"Learn photography with Fujifilm, exposure and light\" width=\"581\" height=\"363\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\">\u00a9 Alan Winslow<\/li>\n<li><img data-preload-after-window-load=\"preload\" data-preload-delay=\"300\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/NEWdepth-of-field-winslow-04-2.jpg\" alt=\"Learn\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\">\u00a9 Alan Winslow<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><p>Camera shake usually occurs with shutter speeds under 1\/100 sec, so if you see yours dip below this magic limit, try increasing the ISO to bring it back up again. Or support the camera on a tripod so it doesn\u2019t wobble.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><h3>Shooting with Shallow Depth-Of-Field<\/h3>\n<p>\nThere are plenty of times when we don\u2019t want everything in a photo to be in focus \u2013\u00a0portraits are a good example. We can make people stand out in a scene by making sure they look pin-sharp, but the background behind them is blurred. We do this by shooting with a large aperture to create shallow depth-of-field.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><p><img data-preload-after-window-load=\"preload\" data-preload-delay=\"300\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/6_BeginnerMonth2-Exposureandlight-6Depthoffieldv2.jpg?width=539&#038;height=283\" alt=\"Learn photography with Fujifilm, Depth of field\" width=\"539\" height=\"283\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3282466 aligncenter\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><p>At this point, it\u2019s worth considering what a large aperture looks like. Apertures are built into the lens, not the camera, so the range of apertures available to you will be different depending on the lens you\u2019re using. The largest (or \u2018maximum\u2019) aperture available on a lens is indicated in its name, for instance, the FUJINON XF23mmF2 R WR wide-angle lens has a maximum aperture of F2. A standard zoom like the XC15-45mmF3.5-5.6 OIS PZ has a maximum aperture of F3.5 at the 15mm zoom setting, and F5.6 when set to 45mm.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp_flexbox col2\">\n<li><img data-preload-after-window-load=\"preload\" data-preload-delay=\"300\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/7_BeginnerMonth2-Exposureandlight-6Depthoffield.jpg?width=581&#038;height=871\" alt=\"Learn photography with Fujifilm, Apertures and Depth-Of-Field \" width=\"581\" height=\"871\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\">\u00a9 Gareth Pon<\/li>\n<li><img data-preload-after-window-load=\"preload\" data-preload-delay=\"300\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/8_BeginnerMonth2-Exposureandlight-6Depthoffield.jpg?width=581&#038;height=871\" alt=\"Learn photography with Fujifilm, Apertures and Depth-Of-Field\" width=\"581\" height=\"871\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\">\u00a9 Bobbi Lane<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><p>Try using the widest aperture you have for portraits. If the blurry background effect is too much, then you can always close it down to something a little smaller.<br \/>\n\u00a0<br \/>\nAs with so much in photography, the key to understanding and using depth-of-field properly is experimentation. Try shooting in Aperture Priority more often, varying the aperture so you can shoot a few variations of each scene. When you look at your pictures later on, you\u2019ll be able to see the effect that your changes had and learn from them.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><h3>Your Next Steps<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>CHALLENGE<\/strong> Shoot two pictures, one with lots of depth-of-field and the other with very little.\u00a0Post your results to social media with the hashtag #MyFujifilmLegacy. You can also submit your work <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-us\/myfujifilmlegacy\/\">here<\/a><\/strong> for a chance to be featured on our social media channels<\/li>\n<li><strong> WATCH<\/strong> Check out our video below to learn more about aperture\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"embed-responsive\"><iframe width=\"560\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NGwRKmP_p1M\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Adjusting the size of the aperture in your camera\u2019s lens isn&#8217;t just a way of changing brightness, it also controls how much of a scene looks sharp \u2013 the depth-of-field When we looked at shutter speeds and apertures, we saw how these fundamentals of photography are related. They make a photo brighter or darker by [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":60818,"template":"","category":[2427,1202,2329,1251,565],"post_tag":[],"b2b-solutions":[],"class_list":["post-73687","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-type-stories","category-category","category-tips-category-stories","category-type-stories","category-stories"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"fujifilm_category_label":"Tips","publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-10-02 03:32:50","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/73687","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60818"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73687"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category?post=73687"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_tag?post=73687"},{"taxonomy":"b2b-solutions","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/b2b-solutions?post=73687"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}