What f stop do you use most often?

[eric rose]

Lets make this for lenses 90mm and less. Going over your records, if you keep such things, or just your gut feeling, what f stop do you generally use the most?

 

[Frank Petronio]

I get told not to F-Stop when I hit the G-Spot.

 

[shortstop]

another question would be: what shutter speed do not hardly ever use? I almost never use 1/1000. I want to say that there are times and diaphragms that are used in 90% of cases. Do we really need the remaining values? Anyway my times used are 1/30 to 1/125. my aperture from f 2 to f 5.6. but my favorite (I like to take pictures indoors) is f: 2 (with the Summicron 50).

 

[Monochrom]

depends on lens...i´d say the aperture that lends me the sharpest edge to edge frame.

And try never to go over 1/350

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

I use whatever aperture suits the subject, the lens and the shutter speed, if relevant. When hand holding, I generally push the shutter speed to at least the reciprocal of the focal length, preferably twice that, first and then think about the aperture. On a support, I let the aperture selection control which shutter speed I select.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I use whatever aperture suits the subject, the lens and the shutter speed, if relevant. When hand holding, I generally push the shutter speed to at least the reciprocal of the focal length, preferably twice that, first and then think about the aperture. On a support, I let the aperture selection control which shutter speed I select.

Exactly, with a bias of f/5.6-f/8 whenever possible.

Cheers,

R.

 

[back alley]

i only ever use 5.6, no matter the lens.
if light conditions dictate another f-stop then i refuse to snap the shutter!

honest...

 

[Stuart John]

F4 to F8 are most useful for me. I will use larger aperture if needed or smaller. I'm not a big fan of one eye in focus portraits so I tend to stop down. The closer I get the more I want to stop down the lens.

 

[Godfrey]

Like others, whatever f/stop suits the subject and my intent best. If I don't have a particular intent in mind (rare), two stops down from wide open is a good starting point.

G

 

[thegman]

Probably f/8, and if handheld, as high a shutter speed as I can, while keeping the aperture fairly small.

 

[FrozenInTime]

Probably a bi-modal distribution with f/0.95...f/2.8 and f/4...f/8 as the peaks.

i.e. either full open or stopped down but not as far as to loose out to diffraction.
The middle ground requires more deliberate thought.

 

[Rick Waldroup]

Mostly f/8

 

[DNG]

I prefer f/5.6 to f/11, unless I want a shallow DOF by design, then f/1.4 to f/4 depending the subject. I hardly ever use f/1.4 or f/2 for a "close" portrait.

 

[jordanatkins]

It depends on the shot!

If I'm shooting a subject at close range I usually want to isolate the background, so I go as wide as possible. If I take a shot of distant subjects or to get everything in, I go for f8 or f11. I never use f16 or smaller because of diffraction.

 

[Wburgess]

What an odd question!?

It's dependant on so many things. Format for example, large, medium etc... Subject, desired effect!

The fact this question is being asked makes me wonder if the op is spending enough time actually taking photographs!

Also, the comment from a previous post, that "what ever gives me the best edge to edge sharpness". When is sharpness more important than the subject?

 

[x-ray]

Depends on lens and what I'm shooting and the effect desired.

 

[oftheherd]

Like most, for me, it depends on what I am trying to depict and show.

 

[Brian Legge]

Most are probably in the range f2-f4. I usually shoot Tri X at 200 and 3/4 of the year around Seattle is overcast and dreary. I lost more shots to slow shutter speed so I sacrifice depth of field.

 

[Pablito]

f8 and be there.

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

It's based, first and foremost, on how much light is in play and the depth of field I want, balancing those two considerations according to whether or not I have a tripod to use etc. If I have plenty of light and the close to medium distance zone of focus is not a consideration, I'd default to whichever aperture is likely to render maximum sharpness, (probably around f/8, depending on the lens, and whether the shutter could keep up with the light intensity). I haven't selected a poll option, because my photography is not aperture-driven, it is results-driven, as touched on above.
Cheers
Brett