Page 47 - Learning How to Photograph with your DSLR Camera 2nd Edition Jan 2021
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The Sweet Spot
The sweet spot refers to a lens f/stops it is maximally sharp at. As a rule, most lenses are sharpest
between f/8 and f/11. The assumption of some beginners is that the higher the f number, the
sharper the image will be. For example, f/22 is thought to be sharper than f/8. Based on some
laws of physics this is not true. With small openings (high f stops) a lens will start to have some
diffraction. Diffraction in simple terms is a phenomenon that occurs with light when it interacts
with an obstacle, in this case the aperture. Because of diffraction the image may appear softer
(the opposite of sharpness).
The Sunny f/16 Rule
The sunny f/16 rule is an estimate, like other rules to help you pick an appropriate aperture. This
applies to what is called incident light. Incident light is what you see as light falls on your
subject, while reflected light is measured by your cameras metering system (to be discussed
later). The below table you may find useful in deciding on a aperture for your lighting
environment.
Figure 25 Recommended starting Apertures for outdoor shooting
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