F Stop

[Raizahblade]

I was looking at a prime lens and it was a 50mm f/1.8d. Does that mean that the only f stop is has is 1.8 or is that the max f stop that it has?

 

[jl1975]

1.8 is the maximum. You can stop it down to smaller apertures.

 

[Overread17 5]

For lenses the aperture stated in the title is always either the maximum aperture possible (ie smallest f number) or its the only aperture possible. For all intents and purposes most of the lenses you will see it is the maximum and other apertures are possible - some very cheap or very specialist lenses can have fixed apertures.

Note that all lenses will have a spec sheet, some shops will have this and some you'll have to go to the manufacturers website - on that spec sheet will be further details such as the minimum possible aperture the lens can use as well as other details like the minimum focusing distance, magnification factors etc...

 

[Raizahblade]

Thanks for the help!

 

[Patrice]

The 50 mm AF-D 1.8 has a maximum aperture of f/1.8, as you know, and a minimum of f/22.

 

[scorpion_tyr]

The above answers are right. I'll just add that the maximum aperture is the one marked on the lens (usually). If you see a lens marked like this: "1:3.5-5.6" or "f/3.5-5.6" it means that it's a zoom lens and the maximum aperture will change as you zoom in, for instance an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 will have f/3.5 available at 18mm, but as you zoom in the maximum aperture will change to f/4, f/4.5, and then somewhere close to 55mm it will be at f/5.6. Zoom lenses that have a constant aperture will be marked the same way as prime lenses "70-200mm f/2.8" for example, but those are usually quite expensive.

 

[cptkid]

The maximum is 1.8

Why are you bumping such old threads?

 

[Overread17 5]

because its a spambot - its now dead too.