Aperture and Film Speed

Are you still wondering what the solution is in a situation where you're taking a picture of something fast and it comes out too dark? Wait no longer! APERTURE is the answer!

Aperture, measured in f-stops, controls how big the iris is opened. It too determines how much light is allowed in. F-stops range from f/1 to f/128. But, depending on the lens, there could be limitations. But, that's a topic for next time. Now, back to what we were talking about. The larger the f-stop, the smaller the iris, the less light is allowed in. For example, f/128 would be our largest f-stop, but our smallest opening. F/1 would be our smallest f-stop, but our largest opening.

Not only does aperture determine how much light is allowed in, but it also determines depth of field. The smaller the f-stop, the less depth of field there will be and vice versa. Say you're trying to go for more depth of field. That would mean you'd have a larger f-stop. Which would also mean less light would be allowed in. To compensate for the lack of light, you would use a slower shutter speed.

We have another solution that works as well! Your film speed! Film speed also determines how much light is allowed in. Film speed is measured in ISOs.

• 25
• 50
• 100
• 200
• 400
• 800
• 1600
• 3200

25 ISO would allow less light in, but is less grainy. 3200 ISO would allow more light in, but would be more grainy looking.

Personally, I'd try to use the smallest ISO possible because I want my image to look smooth.

And there you have it. Your most important things to keep in mind while taking photos with a manual camera.