Why does my 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens show f/9 or f/11 in EXIF?
Asked 3/19/2011
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I’m using a Nikon D5000 with the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR kit lens. In some photos, the EXIF shows apertures like f/9 and f/11. If the lens is labeled f/3.5-5.6, how can it record aperture values smaller than that? Does the lens specification mean the full aperture range, or just the widest aperture available at different zoom settings?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
39
The aperture range on your lens only shows the maximum aperture for your lens at the extremes of the zoom range; i.e. f/3.5 at 18mm and f/5.6 at 55mm. There is nothing to stop you using a narrower aperture; remember a larger number is a smaller hole (the f number is the diameter of the hole as a fraction of the focal length).
Originally by user456. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user456
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The f/3.5-5.6 marking is the lens’s maximum aperture range, not the only apertures it can use.
On this lens, the widest aperture is f/3.5 at 18mm and f/5.6 at 55mm. As you zoom in, the maximum opening gets smaller. But the lens aperture can also be stopped down to narrower settings such as f/8, f/9, f/11, and beyond.
So:
- f/3.5 to f/5.6 = widest possible aperture depending on zoom position
- f/9 or f/11 = the aperture blades were closed down more for that shot
Remember that larger f-numbers mean a smaller opening. So f/11 is a smaller aperture than f/5.6.
Lens names usually advertise focal length and maximum aperture, not the minimum aperture. Seeing f/9 or f/11 in EXIF is completely normal for your lens.
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