Aperture question

[tmartin2347]

When using the aperture mode on my camera, if I'm taking a scenic picture am I better off to use the highest f # possible? I've been using f11-f16 but my camera does much higher than that. Does going up to the highest create a better image?

 

[Big Mike]

Does going up to the highest create a better image?

No, the image quality actually gets worse as the aperture gets smaller and smaller (higher number).

Lenses have a 'sweet spot'. It's usually around F8, give or take a stop or two.

Stopping down the aperture to F22, F29 etc, is really only a good idea when you need to maximize your DOF, or when you want to use a longer shutter speed (rather than maximize your image quality).

 

[Goontz]

To clarify: your camera doesn't go higher, the lens goes higher.

Most likely, it would not produce a better image at f/22 rather than f/16. It might depend on your lens. Most (all?) lenses will lose sharpness/image quality at either extreme (including the largest aperture). Lenses are best and sharpest somewhere around f/8-f/10, usually.

 

[iskoos]

You will be fine at f/11-16 range. Technically you can get deeper DOF when you go with smaller aperture but there is always a trade off. It is never good to use the lenses max or min. aperture (unless you have no other option)
When you are taking landscape shots f stop is not the only factor to get sharpest images. It also depends on how distant the subject that you are focusing on.

I am almost certain that you will not see any difference on sharpness between f/16 and f/22.

 

[iskoos]

Ouch, by the time I typed and posted my answer, two had already jumped in

 

[Vinny]

The answer is maybe. If you are focusing at infinity then I believe everything will be in focus above a certain f stop. If you are focusing at 15 feet and want everything to be in focus then the higher the f stop the more that will be in focus. But with a higher f stop comes less light which means you need to compensate by adjusting shutter speed lower. May not be a problem on a bright, sunny day but could be in lower light shots (dawn or dusk). Now another point in landscape is do you want to single out an item and have the surroundings out of focus, you need a larger aperture.