How often do you shoot below f2.0?

[daveleo]

If you just did a count of "% of my pictures f2.0 and above" and "% of my pictures below f2.0", what would you say your results would be.

I know that peoples' styles change, so let's say over the last year only.

For me:
98% are f2.0 and higher (smaller aperture).
2% are below f2.0 (larger aperture).

 

[charjohncarter]

Only when I want to try some goofy depth of field shot, that I think will get me on the front page. I try to stay at f 5.6 for both 120 and 35. I still have not figured out digital DoF with APs (?) sensors. But I my buy a FF DSLR just to not have to relearn DoF.

 

[Godfrey]

Only when I want to try some goofy depth of field shot, that I think will get me on the front page. I try to stay at f 5.6 for both 120 and 35. I still have not figured out digital DoF with APs (?) sensors. But I my buy a FF DSLR just to not have to relearn DoF.

With APS-C sensor, consider DoF with any given FoV to be one stop deeper ... If you used f/8 with a FF camera, use f/5.6 to get nearly the same thing when using a lens of the same field of view.

Example: 50mm @ f/8 on FF becomes 35mm @ f/5.6 on APS-C.

To answer the original question, I can find more exact data for all my digital camera work when I get home. But for most work, whatever wide open might be, I tend to choose between one and two stops down from that. I only have a few lenses faster than f/2.

G

 

[CMur12]

It is only the very rare exception that I would ever shoot wide open. Rare enough, in fact, that I could fairly safely say I never do it. I almost always shoot between f4.0 and f11 in 35mm and between f5.6 and f11 in medium format.

This is my pattern so far. It doesn't mean that I might not experiment with other techniques in the future.

- Murray

 

[bucs]

For portraits yes, but for everything else i can get by with an Elmar or a Snapshot Skopar

 

[charjohncarter]

With APS-C sensor, consider DoF with any given FoV to be one stop deeper ... If you used f/8 with a FF camera, use f/5.6 to get nearly the same thing when using a lens of the same field of view.

Example: 50mm @ f/8 on FF becomes 35mm @ f/5.6 on APS-C.

To answer the original question, I can find more exact data for all my digital camera work when I get home. But for most work, whatever wide open might be, I tend to choose between one and two stops down from that. I only have a few lenses faster than f/2.

G

Too much for me, I'll stick to what I know. And if I'm ever more digital I'll go FF just to not have to learn or convert a new. By the why, I really liked your stuff (digital) on the Pentax site. Hasta entonce.

 

[uhoh7]

Everytime it gets dark 🙂

.....or if I've been drinking 😉

 

[Rayt]

The rangefinder is my low light tool of choice so I mostly shoot at max aperture. I assume most people on this forum shoot Leicas. I like Leica lenses because of their performance at max aperture. Ditto for Rolleiflex. For large format I shoot at f8 mostly.

 

[Landberg]

bokeh is so boring!😉 Always over 5.6, if i can.

 

[mcfingon]

I like shooting a Sonnar-type lens at f2 and wider apertures. I also like the low-light situations indoors or outdoors that call for these extreme settings. Shot below at sunset on an otherwise dark cloudy day, f1.5 at 1/40th.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

On film every time I use J-3 no hesitation to use it wide open.
On digital I have 50 1.2 and using it wide open as well.

But I never used even f2 with LF 🙂

 

[Brian Legge]

Depends on the time of year. I often find myself around F2 here in the winter, even with 400 speed film.

 

[Richard G]

Sometimes need f2 with a Summicron, mostly with film. I will use f1.5 with the C Sonnar 50 but only deliberately not out of need and less and less these days. I am also hugging f5.6 and often the lens I have on is an Elmar/it with 2.8 max aperture. Digital allows these smaller lighter lenses to be standard.

 

[kxl]

In general, I shoot at around f5.6, but I do have a few lenses that I like to shoot wide open, to the point where I would use ND filters to do so, just for the bokeh. These lenses include the Sigma 35/1.4 ART, Sigma 50/1.4 ART and the ZM Sonnar 50/1.5.

 

[Keith]

I'll generally shoot any lens I can wide open wherever I can because I like the way they perform at maximum aperture.

Bokeh bashing is boring!

 

[Richard G]

I'll generally shoot any lens I can wide open wherever I can because I like the way they perform at maximum aperture.

Bokeh bashing is boring!

Have to respect this, especially in the era of Bokeh bashing. I think the answer to the question so much depends on the type of photography one is pursuing.

 

[Rayt]

The kind of photography I do DOF isn't important and at the same time I need the speed because I only shoot during certain lighting conditions. It is just my style. I will start scanning and post photos soon.

 

[Black]

I'll generally shoot any lens I can wide open wherever I can because I like the way they perform at maximum aperture.

Bokeh bashing is boring!

Said for truth. Also how I feel - the faster and wider (the lens) the better.

All this beating of chests about "reliance on shallow DOF & bokeh being a crutch" is a none argument, due to all the arguments one could apply to any other technique (deep DOF - can't be arsed to critically focus? etc), but ultimately, its subjective. Which is a line a have here in my pocket for any case such as this 😀

 

[Mcary]

Not very often being as the only lens I have that's faster then F2 is the Voigtlander 21mm F 1.8. With exception of working handheld in low light I generally like to shoot at F2.8-F5.6 when shooting people, including portraits as I've found that using an 85mm at F-4 to F5.6 gives me the best balance of sharpness and limited DOF given the camera to subject and subject to background distance I generally like to work at.

 

[Vobluda]

I have f1.5 or f2.0 only to use them wide open, so my answer is almost always if light lets me to do so.