Bob Walkden wrote: > > The f-stop system is > probably useful to lens designers and so on, but it's just a relic of > the Victorian age, that's not useful to people using cameras these > days, and probably never has been; in fact it's positively harmful > because it's so counter-intuitive - it drives people away from > photography. I never understood it when I was learning and just had > to accept it. When it had been hard-wired into my brain I made an effort > to understand it, but understanding it does nothing to improve your > photography, so from that point of view it's not worth knowing. >
I don't know why it's hard to understand. Small number, big ap. Big number, small ap. Big ap, minimal depth of field. Small ap, maximum depth of field. It all follows along quite nicely. and to say that understanding it does nothing to improve your photography is a rather broad statement. I know that once I understood exposure and f-stops,as well as how the stops relate to DOF, I became a better photographer. I know I frequently agonize over the stop when I'm trying to decide how much DOF I need. I consult Paul
