Newbie with a stupid question

Johnheatingman

Johnheatingman

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Hi everyone,

I have recently purchased an Olympus E450 camera with the standard 2 kit lenses. I am new to DSLR cameras and on a very long slow learning curve but enjoying the experience.

The lens I have been using mostly is a 40-150mm f4-5.6. I've noticed that sometimes, when using the camera on AUTO the display shows auto selected apertures well in excess of f5.6 ( eg. f8 and f10 ) Given 5.6 is the max the lens can operate at, is it correct for the display to show higher readings or does the camera not actually recognise the individual lenses?

Sorry if this question sounds stupid but as its a new camera, and I can't find an answer in the instructions, I am a little concerned.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice.
 
hey john

i'm quite new too and what i've found is f4-5.6 is the higher end of the lenses capability for example my 18-55mm canon says 3.5-5.6 but will go as low as f20 odd think there is a technical meaning but not sure about what it is. all i do know is that your camera is fine lol
 
Hi Jack and thanks for the advice. I used to have an Olympus OM1 where all I had to do was watch a needle and line up a focus indicator ! This camera makes using my laptop seem like childs play, hence the excessive use of the AUTO facility so far. No doubt in a few years time all will become clear. The trouble is I'm 63 now so need to accelerate the learning curve !!! Thanks again for the help.
 
a lens is normally descibed by its focal length eg 50mm (or zoom range eg. 18mm-55mm) and its maximum aperture eg. f/1.8

this maximum aperture is basically the maximum sized hole available to let light through the lens. A bigger aperture is a smaller f number. If the lens is a zoom then in many cases it will have a different maximum aperture depending on the focal length (zoom) so f/4 - f/5.6 means its maximum aperture will vary between f/4 and f/5.6 depending on zoom length. There is always the possibility to reduce the aperture (increased f number eg. f/8) upto about f/22 or f/30, but using apertures smaller than about f/20 is generally not recommended as the hole in the lens is so small it starts affect the light (diffraction) and seriously softens the image
 
Johnheatingman said:
Hi everyone,

I have recently purchased an Olympus E450 camera with the standard 2 kit lenses. I am new to DSLR cameras and on a very long slow learning curve but enjoying the experience.

The lens I have been using mostly is a 40-150mm f4-5.6. I've noticed that sometimes, when using the camera on AUTO the display shows auto selected apertures well in excess of f5.6 ( eg. f8 and f10 ) Given 5.6 is the max the lens can operate at, is it correct for the display to show higher readings or does the camera not actually recognise the individual lenses?

Sorry if this question sounds stupid but as its a new camera, and I can't find an answer in the instructions, I am a little concerned.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice.
Click to expand...

f/4 is the widest aperture that your lens can go to when set at its widest point (40mm) whereas if you zoom to 150mm the widest aperture your lens can use is f/5.6. At any point your lens may be ably to fo to f/20+

hope this helps
 
Hi mate
all is well the numbers mean at 40mm the maximum aperture is f4 and at 150mm it is f5.6 f numbers used to confuse me a lot basically low numbers bigger hole more light high numbers eg f20 small hole less light longer exposures also low numbers small depth of field high numbers large depth of field ie more in focus. Your lens will adjust from f4 to about f20, f4 maximum f20+ minimum
 
Wookie said:
a lens is normally descibed by its focal length eg 50mm (or zoom range eg. 18mm-55mm) and its maximum aperfure eg. f/1.8

this maximum aperture is basically the maximum sized hole available to let light through the lens. A bigger aperture is a smaller f number. If the lens is a zoom then in many cases it will have a different maximum aperture depending on the focal length (zoom) so f/4 - f/5.6 mmeans its maximum aperture will vary between f/4 and f/5.6 depending on zoom length. There is always the possibility to reduce the aperture (increased f number eg. f/8) upto about f/22 or f/30, but using apertures smaller than about f/20 is generally not recommended as the hole in the lens is so small it starts affect the light (diffraction) and seriously softens the image
Click to expand...

beat me to it with a much better explanation :D
 
f4-5.6 is not the full range of apertures of the lens, they are the widest apertures at extremes of the zoom, if you set to max aperture and zoom you will find that it changes.

Johnheatingman said:
Hi everyone,

I have recently purchased an Olympus E450 camera with the standard 2 kit lenses. I am new to DSLR cameras and on a very long slow learning curve but enjoying the experience.

The lens I have been using mostly is a 40-150mm f4-5.6. I've noticed that sometimes, when using the camera on AUTO the display shows auto selected apertures well in excess of f5.6 ( eg. f8 and f10 ) Given 5.6 is the max the lens can operate at, is it correct for the display to show higher readings or does the camera not actually recognise the individual lenses?

Sorry if this question sounds stupid but as its a new camera, and I can't find an answer in the instructions, I am a little concerned.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice.
Click to expand...
 
Wow ! So much assistance and so quick too. You've all put my mind at rest and I do now understand why I get these readings on the camera. Can't thank you enough.
 
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