Help understanding aperture?

Question

ok what setting makes things more blurred...i have had it set at 5.6

Answer 1

Check out this website to get the most precise answer.

http://digital-photography-school.com/bl...  

Answer 2

That should blur out the background. Unless you are in bright sunny light then you may have to use Neutral Density filter to get the blur.  Also depends on what lens you are using.  Most kit lens should go down to 4.0.  Set the camera on av and set it on 4.0 and let the camera set the shutter speed.  

Answer 3

I think what you are referring to is called Bokeh

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/bokeh.ht...

The effect is a combination of the focal length of the lens and aperture used (wide open is a good start)

Answer 4

these simulations can be helpful

http://www.photonhead.com/simcam/shutter...

http://www.photoworkshop.com/photo101/le...

Answer 5

Boy, somebody is a harsh critic of these answers so far!  They all look pretty reasonable to me.  

The assumption everyone is making is that you want something in focus, and something not in focus.  5.6 is sort of in the middle.  The object you are focusing on will be in focus (assuming your AF is working right), plus objects in the immediate front and rear of the focus point will also be in focus.  

If you go to F22 - much more of the scene will be in focus.  Think of it as going from F5.6 and things in focus a few feet in front/back, to F22 and having yards or more in front/back be in focus (I don't know precisely how much, but it gives you an idea of the magitude of the change).  

In many cases for portraits, you want the subject in focus, but the background out of focus.  That helps eliminate distracting from the subject.  Using an aperture of F2.8 for example should keep a person's face in focus (ears, maybe, maybe not) but everything else beyond the subject out of focus.  

Answer 6

The smaller the aperture (physical opening), the less light enters the camera, therefore the shutter speed needs to be longer (slower). The longer the shutter is open, you get motion blur.

For this, you want the smallest aperture possible, (larger f number)

If you mean you want things more out of focus, then you need to go in the opposite direction. A larger aperture (physical opening), creates a smaller depth of field (area of focus shrinks), so that you may have someone's face in focus, but the background is out of focus.

For this, go for the largest aperture, (smallest f number possible)

Answer 7

how much is in focus and the shutter speed is involved. you can make the whole scene be in focus if you use a high aperture. like for a shot of night skyline you would want around f22 or as high as you can. sometimes however you may only want part of it to be in focus. you may want the main subject to be clear and in focus. while the background is out of focus. then you would use a low aperture.