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How Does the Hole Size in Aperture Sight Determine the Distance to Shot-

How Does the Hole Size in Aperture Sight Determine the Distance to Shot?

Understanding your equipment is one of the most challenging, and equally rewarding, educational opportunities that a newly aspiring cinematographer or photographer can get involved in. The more you learn about your camera’s structure and the role that each working part plays in configuring your shot, the better you’ll be at using your equipment to create specific techniques or styles of imagery for your audience. As you learn, you’ll be able to answer an array of questions that directly relate to your equipment and how it works, for example: “How does the hole size in aperture sight determine the distance to shot?”

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This question comes up a lot, and if you’re new to cinematography or you’re just getting started with photography of any kind, you probably have no idea how your aperture size could possibly impact the distance of your shot? How is that even possible?

If you’re feeling confused, it’s okay! You won’t be in a minute!

What is Aperture?

First, you need to understand aperture. Aperture is the part of your camera that is responsible for allowing light to enter the camera. This light is what creates the picture. A larger hole size in aperture is like having a larger window – it allows more light in.

Now, while that is all real simple to understand, when you ask, “How does the hole size in aperture sight determine the distance to shot?” it’s important to understand one relatively confusing detail about aperture, and that’s the fact that a larger aperture hole size is described as what we call an “F-Stop Number” and the F-Stop is smaller for a larger aperture hole and larger for a smaller aperture hole. So, essentially, it’s like an opposite correlation. 

It’s not all that confusing, really! All you have to do is remember that when there is more light being let in through a larger aperture “window” or hole, the F-stop is smaller.

Also, F-stops may appear as odd numbers because they are the result of working on mathematical equations using fractions, so you’ll see them reflected as:  

  • F/1
  •  
  • F/1.2
  •  
  • F/1/4
  •  
  • F/2
  •  
  • F/2.8

And so on.

Aperture, F-Stops & Distance to Shot

So, when a cinematographer questions, “How does the hole size in aperture sight determine the distance to shot?” they’re really asking, “What does the F-stop have to do with depth of field?”

Pretty simple, right?

The F-stop, which is the decimal number combination that describes the size of the aperture sight which allows light into the camera, controls depth of field. Thus, the lower the F-stop, the shallower the depth of field. The higher the f-stop, the deeper the depth of field.

The actual distance to your shot isn’t changing, but the distance upon which your shot is in-focus, may be altered.

For example, when you’ve got a larger aperture (a larger window of light entering your camera) then, you’re working with a low f-stop, and that means that the depth of field for your shot is going to be shallow and objects beyond the depth of field are going to appear out of focus or blurred.

Likewise, when you’re working with a low aperture (a small window of light entering the camera), you’ll have a higher f-stop, and that means that your depth of field which represents the in-focus viable area of your shot, will be deeper and your objects will remain in focus at a further distance to your shot.

So, “How does the hole size in aperture sight determine the distance to shot?” The larger the hole, the smaller the f-stop, and the shallower the depth of field or the “shorter” your shot.

The smaller the aperture hole, the larger the F-stop, and the deeper the depth of field which means the longer your shot can be without losing focus. It’s rather simple, isn’t it?

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