|
Sponsored by PelikanCam.com Home | Checklist | Technical Notes | Glossary | Inquiry |
|
|
Sponsored by PelikanCam.com Home | Checklist | Technical Notes | Glossary | Inquiry |
| What is Optical Speed (f-number)? |
|
Optical Speed is about how fast a lens collects lights and is defined by the f-number like f/1.2, f/2.0, etc. This speed is determined by the Focal Length(FL) and the Diameter(D) of a lens; f-number = FL/D. Larger FL, if the Diameter is same, makes higher f-number (like f/4 or f/8) lens that collects less lights to the camera sensor and results a slower lens. Lower f-number (like f/1.2 or f/1.4) lenses pass more lights to the camera sensor. Larger Diameter, if the FL is given, will make a lower f-number lens which can operate in lower light level. In conclusion, the lower the f-number, the more lights reaching the camera sensor and the better the video picture. The f-numbers are usually marked at the iris rings of lenses. |
Home | Checklist | Technical Notes | Glossary | Inquiry