Film Photography

A diaphragm is a round device on the face of the camera. The function is to make sure the light only comes in through the aperture. The diaphragm shuts out all other light so the picture is not over exposed. The aperture is the opening at the end of the diaphragm. This controls the amount of light that can enter the camera. Apertures range from settings 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, and 22.  Larger aperture settings, ranging from around f3.0 to f5.5, allow more light to enter through the lens.  Smaller apertures range from f16 to f32. The shutter speed controls the length of time the shutter is open and the amount of light is allowed in the lens. A longer shutter will cause the moving object to be blurry. A shorter shutter speed allows you to take a sharp picture of a moving object. The depth of field refers to the range of distance that appears sharp. It is the distance between the nearest and farthest object in a scene. The depth of field becomes greater with smaller apertures. Depth of field decreases the shorter the focusing distance.  The focus rings is on the lens, and puts in the image in and out of focus. The ISO is a measure of films sensitivity to light. The higher the ISO number, the more grain is visible on the film. ISO 100 or 200 film speeds are best for bright lighting conditions and outdoor photography. ISO 400 film speed is the standard, and can be used for most situations. A normal lens, which is 50 mm, about is a view that looks natural to the observer. A wide-angle lens, which is below 50mm, stretches the perspective. Wide angle means that you can fit a lot of stuff into the image. A telephoto lens, which is above 50mm, has a narrow angle of view and causes nearby objects to appear similar in size compared to far away objects.

-JAM