The вЂњ1:3.5-5.6вЂќ looks scary, but now that you are reading this post it wonвЂ™t be.

When you turn the zoom ring on the lens it will zoom into the scene to a maximum of 55mm (an angle a view that is вЂњzoomedвЂќ in more than what you see with your eyes). It means when the lens is not zoomed it has an angle of view of 18mm (very wide angle of view that fits more of the scene than what you see with your eyes). The вЂњ18-55mmвЂќ is telling you the focal lengths of the leans. You may see something like вЂњ18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6вЂќ written on the front or side of the lens. LetвЂ™s walk through an example using the image you see here. You can know if a lens is variable or constant aperture by some of the numbers that you find on the lens or in the description of the lens as you are looking to buy them. Lenses that physically allow the aperture to be the same throughout all of the zoom of the lens are called вЂњfixedвЂќ or вЂњconstantвЂќ aperture lenses and they are usually quite a bit more expensive ($2,000+). When the widest aperture available on a lens changes as you zoom it is called a variable aperture lens вЂ“ the aperture capabilities вЂњvariesвЂќ as you zoom. It costs more money to manufacture and develop lenses that can have the same wide aperture from zoomed out to zoomed in.

Having the widest aperture (small number) change as you zoom is something lens manufacturers do to produce inexpensive lenses (less than $500). When the lens is zoomed out (at the smallest focal length) you can probably set the aperture to f/3.5 but when you zoom the lens you can only get that aperture opened up to f/5.6 which makes it hard to get enough light indoors. This is most often something photographers see in very inexpensive lenses.Д¬ongratulations! You are far enough along in your photographic journey to have noticed that your lens doesnвЂ™t allow you to set the widest open aperture at all focal lengths. The aperture changes as you zoom your lens because the lens does not physically support the widest (smallest number) aperture at all focal lengths of the lens.

Aperture photometry how to zoom out mac