Any body know what the "F-stop" on cameras means?

Question: Any body know what the "F-stop" on cameras means!?

also can you give directions to figure it outWww@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

ALL of these answers are correct!.!.!.the F-stop is a setting on the lens which controls both the aperture AND the depth of field!. It's sort of like the iris in your eye!. F-stop numbers are actually in reverse because it's a ratio!. So F-16 is actually a smaller opening than F-5!.6!. By using different F-stops, you can change how big the aperture (opening) is, and determine how much light enters the camera and exposes the film (or sensor in a digital camera)!.

The F-stop and the shutter speed determine the overall exposure!. They are reciprocal, so you can compensate with a faster shutter speed or wider aperture and get the same exposure!.

You can also use the F-Stop to change your depth of field, because a smaller aperture has a longer depth of field, and a larger aperture has a shallow depth of field!. A long depth of field will make the background and everything in the picture sharp, but a shallow depth of field will soften and blur out the background!. Changing the depth of field is a common technique in photography, called "selective focus!." Sometimes you want the background to be sharp, like for a landscape picture, but other times you want to make it softer and more blurry so it's less distracting!.

EDIT: You don't have to have an SLR camera to change the depth of field!.!.!.any camera that allows you to change the aperture manually will work!. Most rangefinder cameras also have manual focus, aperture, and shutter speed settings!. If you're using a digital camera, then yeah you will need a digital SLR camera!. But if you're using film, then any camera with manual settings will work!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Simply put the f/stop is how wide the aperture opens, of course the wider the opening the more light is let in!. The lower the number, the more light (or wider the opening)!. The higher the number the smaller the opening, (less light being allowed in)!. If you want to blur out a distracting background use a lower number!. If you want everything in sharp focus use a higher number!. You have to have an slr to do this!. Most point and shoots are factory set at I think f/8!. And a shutter speed of 1/60 of a second!. If have an slr to set the f/stop use the Av mode(aperture priority) and the camera will set the proper shutter speed!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Although all good answers, no one really answered the questions as to the "meaning" of f-stop!.

the "F" stands for the focal length of the lens, the "stop" is the resting place (usually a click)!. The corresponding number (i!.e!. f/8) is the opening of the iris of the lens is in that corresponds to ratio of opening diameter of the lens to the largest diameter of the lens)

Hence F[ocal length of lens] + ratio of lens opening to maximum lens diameterWww@QuestionHome@Com

A bit of dry reading, but here you go!.

http://en!.wikipedia!.org/wiki/F-number

You control depth of field with wider (lower number) aperture!. Something like this:

http://www!.flickr!.com/photos/little_pook!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

F-stops control the depth of field!. Wider f-stops provide a narrower depth of field, meaning the subject is in focus but the background is blurred!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The f/stop number represents the size of the opening of the lens!. A smaller number is a larger opening, letting in more light!.Www@QuestionHome@Com