Comments on: Aperture: How It Affects Your Photography & Why You Should Care

By: DiscerningPhotog

DiscerningPhotog — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 20:19:13 +0000

Focus on the bar code, keep the f1.6 or f2 and the bar code will be in focus. This will throw the background out of focus too, which should help.

By: Salvador

Salvador — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:52:03 +0000

I work in the Industry Automation area nad I use cameras for BAR CODE reading.
The camera remains fixed, always at the same distance from the lenses (more or less) and with the same lighting.

Usually, when I read a tag, like in a medicine box, I don’t worry about aperture.

But now, I intend to read a bar code that has the same size of the box (5 cm x 1cm).

After reading your nice article I am not sure wich way would be better to distinguish the object from the background:

a) to use a small f-stop number (f1.6 or f2) for a shallow depth of field and than the object in focus will be more distinguised from the background.
OR
b) to use a big f-stop number (f8 or f16) for more depth and the more focussed background will allow to better distinguish the object from the background.

What would you suggest?

Thank you in advance.

By: ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed: the building blocks of photography | The Discerning Photographer

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 08:01:52 +0000

[...] APERTURE—the size of the ‘hole’ that you create in your lens for light to pass through. [...]

By: Les liens photo du 15.03.10 au 21.03.10 | Blog sf.photos

Les liens photo du 15.03.10 au 21.03.10 | Blog sf.photos — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 05:55:59 +0000

[...] Aperture: What it is and how to control it in photography | The Discerning Photographer [...]

By: DiscerningPhotog

DiscerningPhotog — Fri, 28 May 2010 20:12:13 +0000

Look closely…that f14, not f1.4.

Andrew

By: Olamide

Olamide — Fri, 28 May 2010 14:53:06 +0000

I believe a larger aperture (Smaller f-number) gave a shallower depth of field than a smaller aperture.

In your example with the butterflies however, you state that the image with the shallower DoF (Ieft) is taken at f2.8 while that with more DoF (right) is taken at f1.4 … Typo perhaps?

By: Three Ways to Control Depth of Field

Three Ways to Control Depth of Field — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:50:30 +0000

[...] to Basics – Depth Of Field Aperture: How It Affects Your Photography & Why You Should Care Photography 101.5 – Aperture HowTo: Use The Depth-Of-Field Preview On Your [...]

By: Weekend Links | iffles.com

Weekend Links | iffles.com — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 01:35:49 +0000

[...] a bit confused about aperture is and how it affects your photos? Check out this article about aperture from The Discerning [...]

By: DiscerningPhotog

DiscerningPhotog — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:08:24 +0000

Huh…shows my Canon roots, I guess. I haven’t shot Nikon in over 5 years and those lenses were still spring-driven for the aperture. My Canons do all of this electronically now and the widest aperture is what you see when you take the lens off.
Anyway, thanks for your thoghts!

By: DiscerningPhotog

DiscerningPhotog — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:01:00 +0000

You’re right, most modern lenses AREN’T at their sharpest stopped all the way down; I just didn’t want to get into this issue here in this ‘basics’ post. Thanks for your thoughts!