Favorite aperture?

[Bill58]

I'm wondering what your favorite aperture is? Mine is f5.6 for all my lenses unless available light just doesn't permit it.

 

[Lund]

I keep finding myself shooting at f2. Atleast with my 35mm cameras. f5.6 or f8 for my 6x6 and 6x9 work.

 

[FalseDigital]

Another vote for f/2! It's like the perfect balance of soft/sharp for me.

 

[Paolo Bonello]

I'd never even considered having a favourite till yesterday when a friend said he loved shooting at F4, now up pops this thread!
I would think the answer would be inextricably linked to more than one variable.

 

[sevo]

f/4.5 🙂 Just kidding - my lenses have no common sweet spot. Heck, they aren't even for one format or have the same image angle...

 

[Roger Hicks]

With Leicas, f/1.4 to f/22, except when I'm using a Noctilux, and then it's f/1 to f/16, or when I'm shooting with the Thambar, and then it's f/6.3 to f/9. With 8x10, f/3.5 (the fastest I own that will cover) to f/64.

Seriously, I choose the aperture according to the picture... and the lighting... and the lens... and the camera... and the film speed... and the format...

If I'm hand holding, I'll generally favour shorter speeds over smaller apertures; unless I need enormous d-o-f I tend to avoid very small apertures with small formats; if I need shallow d-o-f I'll shoot wide open.

As Paolo said, I'd never even imagined such a question before this.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Keith]

I used to be locked into shooting wide open with all my lenses ... but as I've learned more about image making I find myself finally venturing out of that mindset! 😛

 

[thegman]

Probably f/8, f/16, or maybe f/45. I like the front to back sharpness in most pictures, so I don't look for fast lenses any more. f/2 is plenty for me, if I need to shoot handheld in low light.

 

[nightfly]

Blue, no yellow.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Blue, no yellow.

Surely "fish".

Cheers,

R.

 

[loplop]

Depends heavily upon the lens, and the pictographic effect I am trying to achieve.

 

[Moriturii]

Which ever I need at the moment?

It's like asking the painter "which is your favorite color"? It's ridiculous.

 

[bulevardi]

f 16

sunny 16

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

No favorite aperture... And yet I don't feel like joining the f/64 group... 🙂

Cheers,

Juan

 

[Nikon Bob]

Whatever aperture I want considering what I want DOF to be and what the light will allow me to shoot. Never gave any thought to a favourite aperture that would be used in any and all circumstances.

Bob

 

[Spicy]

whichever one lets me get light onto film

 

[SimonSawSunlight]

somewhere from f1.2 to f16

 

[Thomas78]

It depends on camera/lens and the dof I want to get

If there are no special cases:

in 135 film:

with Leica and Canon RF lenses about f/5.6

with Russian RF and Tessar-Type lenses about f/8

for available light any aperture I need to stay at 1/30 s, though I am currently not confident enought to go beyond f/2 with my Canon P in low light, close distance shots

in 120 film:

with folders f/8 - f/22, generally the smallest aperture to maintain 1/60 s

with TLR about f/8

RF (= Medalist) still waiting for its first film

 

[maddoc]

Depends on lens, format, and situation, so f/1.0 ~ f/64 are all used.

 

[Paul Luscher]

My favorite aperture? The one that's right for the situation.