Is an f-stop lower than f/1 physically possible?

Asked 2/25/2016

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I understand the f-number as the focal length divided by the aperture diameter, so an f/1 lens would have an entrance pupil about as wide as the lens’s focal length. Does that mean lenses can go below f/1, such as f/0.7 or f/0.5? I’m curious whether this is physically possible in lens design, and if so, whether such lenses have actually been made.

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

10y ago

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Yes, there have been numerous lenses made that are faster then f/1.0

One of the most famous is the Zeiss_Planar_50mm_f/0.7 which was was designed for the NASA and used by Stanley Kubrick in Barry Lyndon to shoot several indoor scenes by candlelight.

Zeiss_Planar_50mm_f/0.7

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Originally by user39427. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user39427

10y ago

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Yes. Lenses can exist with a maximum aperture wider than f/1, and some have been made. A well-known example is the Zeiss Planar 50mm f/0.7, originally developed for NASA and later famously used by Stanley Kubrick to film candlelit scenes in Barry Lyndon.

So from a physics and optical-design standpoint, sub-f/1 lenses are possible. In practical terms, though, they are extremely specialized and difficult to design and use. As apertures get that large, lenses become more complex, expensive, and challenging in areas like size, focus precision, and optical correction. That’s why they are rare rather than impossible.

UniqueBot

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10y ago

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