[Must-See for Camera Beginners] How to Choose Camera F-stops (Aperture Values) | Guidelines by Scene and Tips to Avoid Mistakes

Introduction

Hello, I'm Katy.

I usually work as a photographer on Instagram and my blog, and I make a living selling the photos I take. To those who always watch my content, thank you so much.

In this NOTE, I share how to take photos and use DSLR and mirrorless cameras—things I've learned little by little while maintaining my Instagram and blog—using language that is as relatable as possible.

I'm writing this specifically for those who have felt that "explanations from experts can be a bit intimidating." I would be happy if you could also check out my Instagram from my profile.

I use the Sony α7 series and Nikon Z series for my photography.

*This page contains promotions.

Introduction: The story of how I first stumbled over F-stops

When I first started with photography, I was self-taught while watching YouTube. The first wall I hit was the "F-stop (aperture value)."

When I looked it up online, almost every explanation ended with the simple advice: "If you want to blur the background, use a small F-stop; if you don't want to blur it, use a large F-stop."

I understand now that this is what happens when you try to make things easy for beginners. But back then, I was constantly frustrated, wondering, "So, what exactly should I use as a standard to choose an F-stop?"

When you're self-taught, it's surprisingly common to struggle because you can't get results at these "one step further" points.

This time, for those like my past self who think, "I kind of get it, but I don't know how to actually use it," I will introduce how to choose F-stops as concretely as possible.

*The example photos in this article labeled as "around F〇" are approximate values because the F-stop is not displayed accurately when using a mount adapter.

What is an F-stop (aperture value) in the first place?

Camera lenses have a "hole" to let light through, and there is a mechanism that allows you to change the size of that hole freely.

The number that represents the size of this hole is the "F-stop." You can just remember that the smaller the F-stop number, the larger the hole is open.

It's a bit confusing, but the fact that the expression is "opening" the hole while the number "gets smaller" was the point that confused me as a beginner. It's easier not to get lost if you remember that "the F-stop and the size of the hole are inversely proportional."

The state where the lens can be opened to the smallest F-stop is called "wide open." As far as I know, the lens with the smallest wide-open F-stop is around F1.2. And what's interesting is that more expensive lenses tend to have smaller wide-open F-stops (they can open the hole wider).

For example, Sony's top-of-the-line 50mm prime lens can open up to F1.2. On the other hand, the zoom lenses that come with the camera when you buy it often have a wide-open F-stop of around F3.5.

In other words, the F-stop is also a number that represents the performance of a lens. Knowing this will be useful when choosing a lens.

What changes in a photo when you change the F-stop?

In conclusion, there are mainly two things that change.

1. Brightness: Decreasing the F-stop makes the photo brighter, and increasing it makes it darker

2. Background blur: Decreasing the F-stop blurs the background, and increasing it makes it sharper

Regarding brightness, if you rely on the camera's auto function (exposure compensation), you might not have many opportunities to be conscious of it. However, if you can intentionally control it rather than just having the brightness change somehow, the range of expression in your photos will expand significantly.

Understanding "depth of field" solves 90% of your F-stop worries

This is the point I most want to convey this time.

When talking about F-stops, the term "depth of field" is absolutely essential. It sounds like a difficult term, but the meaning is simple: it refers to the range (depth) in which the focus appears to be sharp.

• Decreasing the F-stop → Depth of field becomes shallow → The range in focus becomes narrower (background is more likely to blur)

• Increasing the F-stop → Depth of field becomes deep → The range in focus becomes wider (the whole image becomes sharper)

Since depth of field is about "depth" rather than "width," the point is to express it as "deep" or "shallow" rather than "wide" or "narrow." Knowing this will make it easier to understand when reading other camera explanations.

Image of F-stop for group photos

As I mentioned earlier, changing the F-stop changes the depth of field.
Since depth of field affects focus in terms of "depth" rather than "width," the secret to success for group photos is to shoot with a slightly smaller aperture.

An unexpected pitfall that occurs when you raise the F-stop too much

You might think, "Then I should just make the F-stop as large as possible to make everything sharp, right?" I thought the same thing at first.

But actually, I don't recommend increasing the F-stop unnecessarily. There are two reasons for this.

1. From around F9, the image quality begins to deteriorate slightly

2. Especially in dark places, the lack of light causes photos to lose their 'gloss,' often resulting in a flat, painting-like appearance.

That said, the drop in image quality itself is not that dramatic. In landscape photography, I often prioritize 'the breadth of the area in focus' over a slight loss in image quality. When I want to bring an entire vast landscape into focus, I sometimes stop down to around F13–16, even if it means sacrificing a bit of that gloss.

The important thing is to know that 'higher F-stop is not always the correct answer,' but rather that 'you choose based on what you want to prioritize.'

Guidelines for Choosing F-stops by Scene

From here on, I will introduce the F-stops I actually use as a guide when shooting, categorized by scene. These are just 'starting points,' so I recommend not being too tied to these numbers and ultimately making fine adjustments while looking through the viewfinder.

1. Portrait (People Photography)

For portraits where you want to gently highlight the subject, lowering the F-stop to blur the background will instantly give you that 'DSLR-like' look. Using the widest aperture (lowering the F-stop to the lens's minimum value) is a good starting point.

However, be careful with group photos or when there are many people. If you shoot at the widest aperture, the faces of people in the back may end up out of focus. When there are many people, I recommend stopping down to about F13 to ensure everyone's face is in focus.

2. Travel Snapshots

'I went all the way on a trip, but I blurred the background so much that I can't even tell where the photo was taken'—this is actually a very common occurrence.

Travel photos become 'memories' precisely because the background is visible. Therefore, it is safer to use an F-stop of around F6–9 so as not to blur the background too much.

3. Landscape Photography

For landscape photography, if you want to 'bring everything from the foreground to the background into focus without any flaws,' it is safe to use F11–13 as a guide.

Personally, I feel that prioritizing depth of field to get everything in focus, rather than worrying too much about the 'image quality degradation' I mentioned earlier, tends to result in a better photo.

However, there is one point to note. If you increase the F-stop in a dark environment, the shutter speed will become slower and slower—1 second, 3 seconds, and so on. This makes camera shake more likely, so in dark places, you may need to make the judgment to compromise and use a smaller F-stop to prevent the shutter speed from becoming excessively slow.

(I will discuss the balance between shutter speed and F-stop in detail in another article.)

These guidelines are not "absolute rules."

The F-stop values I have introduced so far are merely the "starting points" that I use.

Essentially, adjusting the F-stop is a process of bringing the image closer to your ideal while checking the photo through the viewfinder or monitor. In fact, even for landscape photography, I intentionally use F2.8 when I want to capture "sparkling bokeh," and conversely, I might use F13 for a portrait with a large group of people.

In other words, it is not mechanically decided that "landscapes should be F11 and portraits should be F2.8," but rather, the essence is to choose an F-stop based on the finish you want for that specific subject on that day. that is the core.

That said, it is honestly difficult to try every setting from wide open to F16 every single time. That is why I follow this procedure:

• If you want to blur the background in a portrait, start from "wide open."

• If it is a travel photo where you want to keep the background in focus, start from "F5.6."

• If it is a landscape photo, start from "F8."

By starting with a guideline and then making fine adjustments while checking the brightness and amount of bokeh, I have significantly reduced my hesitation in the field. Just "deciding on a starting point" has made a big difference.

How I realized the importance of F-stop

Finally, let me share a personal story.

When I first started photography, I shot everything at a fixed F3.5 for the simple reason that "blurry photos look cooler."

The turning point was when I took a picture of a cityscape looking down from a mountain. The photo turned out very blurry, and the outlines were not clear. I remember being quite shocked at the time, thinking, "Wait, wouldn't this look better if I took it with my smartphone?"

That was when I first realized, "I need to change the F-stop for flowers and people versus landscape photography." Since then, I have made it a habit to review the F-stop every time the subject changes.

Looking back now, I believe this realization raised the quality of my photography to the next level. Even though the F-stop seems like a subtle setting, it is actually one of the elements that most significantly influences the impression of a photo.

Summary

• The smaller the F-stop number, the wider the lens aperture opens.

• Lowering the F-stop makes the image brighter and the background blurrier, while increasing it makes the image darker and the entire scene sharper.

• This background effect is due to changes in 'depth of field' (the range of depth that is in focus).

• A higher F-stop isn't always better; going beyond F9 can sometimes slightly reduce image quality and clarity.

• Guidelines by scene: Use wide open for portraits, F5.6–8 for travel snapshots, and F8–13 for landscapes.

• However, these guidelines are just a starting point. Ultimately, the basic approach is to look at your photos and adjust them to match your ideal vision.

Just by changing the F-stop, the impression of the same subject can change this much. It might feel like a bit of a hassle at first, but please take some time to try shooting while changing the F-stop. It will surely broaden your photographic range significantly.

I hope this article helps enrich your camera life, even if just a little. Thank you for reading until the end.

Related Articles

If you want to decide on F-stops more practically, reading the following articles as well will make it easier to visualize.

In Conclusion

I have explained F-stops up to this point, but there is simply too much to cover regarding F-stops in just this note.

If you would like to delve deeper into F-stops, I hope you will read the book I wrote.

If you use Kindle Unlimited, you can read it for free.

I also share examples taken while changing F-stops daily on Instagram ({@katy.sho}). If you would like to see the concepts of F-stops mentioned in this article along with actual photos, I would be happy if you followed me.