AboutJoe Appel Expertise I can answer questions related to many areas of photography, but most specifically relating to photojournalism. I can also offer advice on using digital and 35mm cameras, Adobe Photoshop, and digital photography in general. Once upon a time I was pretty good in a darkroom too.
Experience I have been a staff photographer for a major metropolitan newspaper group (over 100,000 circulation) for 12 years. Concurrently, I have maintained a freelance photography business.
Organizations belong to National Press Photographers Association
Publications Rolling Stone, USA Today, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Palm Beach Post, New York Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Super Street Bike, Motorcyclist, Sport Rider, Cycle World, Roadracing World, T.W.O. (Two Wheels Only), the ABA Journal.
Expert: Joe Appel Date: 9/24/2004 Subject: digital camera
Question Hi,
How are you?
A friend of mine purchased a digital camera (Fuji Finepix S7000). To his big surprize he discovered that none of the manual modes (P,S, A, M) let him choose aperture (F stop) smaller than 8. The range he can choose from is F2.8 - F8. Why is it so? I think I must be missing something because why would anyone make a camera limited by small apertures. At the same time there seems to be no way around this and picture taking seems to be, indeed, limited by F8. Do you have any ideas as to what is going on. Am I missing something, did my friend get a bad camera, or is it possible that the F-values have a different meaning in digital cameras (maybe digital F8 is the same as 35mm camera's F22 - very heard to believe though).
Thank you very much.
Eric
Answer Eric,
According to the review I read at www.dpreview.com the camera has a 10-step aperature range from f/2.8 to f/8.
Aperatures are the same whether you're exposing light to film or a photo sensor.
The camera was reviewed to be quite good as a high level consumer camera. As such the range of adjustment is never going to be as broad as with a pro camera like a digital SLR.
