Key Terms: Aperture, Shutter, and ISO (Camera Lesson 01)

Summary: Ryan covers the first three crucial camera terms: aperture, shutter, and ISO.

Length: 8:32 minutes

Video Lesson

!! Want to see the whole video? Become a member !!

If you are already a member, you can log in below.

Transcript

Introduction

“Are you ready to go out and start shooting in 4k, while you over crank at 36 frames, on an 85mil, at a T4?”

Camera jargon can sounds like a foreign language when you’re just starting out- Fortunately it really isn’t that complicated – anyone can learn it. In this video I’ll be covering the first three of what I consider to be the six essential terms you need to know.

Aperture

The aperture is the hole or opening in the lens that controls how much light ends up on the sensor. It is the ratio of the focal length of the lens, over the size of the aperture. You control the aperture either by physically moving the lens, or by dialing it in with a wheel on the camera. As you change the aperture, you are changing its size, which is why the numbers change too. It is expressed in either F-Stops or T-Stops.

When it is expressed as an F-Stop, it’s telling what the mathematical equation is at that point. T-Stops, on the other hand, are a physical measurement of the transmittance of the lens; so how much light it is actually letting through. Because F-Stops are a ratio and not a measurement, there can be variations in exposure levels when using F-Stops. If you want everything to match perfectly in exposure level, then you want to use lenses that have T-Stops, since that is an exact measurement of how much light is actually being let through.

Want to read the rest of the transcript? Become a member.

Depth of Field, Part 1: How Aperture and ISO Affect Focus

Brunoinacio says:
August 24, 2014 at 4:23 pm

HI.

So, if the camera is shooting at 200 fps, 180º means 1/400?
Log in to Reply
- Tim says:
  August 24, 2014 at 4:43 pm
  
  Yes, that is correct.
  Log in to Reply
- Ryan E. Walters says:
  August 25, 2014 at 7:03 pm
  
  Yep- that is correct. 🙂
  Log in to Reply
masterlegend says:
December 1, 2014 at 9:18 am

I have a “gain” setting and it is measured in decibels. Is this equivalent to the ISO setting and how would I convert that if it is?
Log in to Reply
- Ryan E. Walters says:
  December 1, 2014 at 9:59 am
  
  The gain setting in your camera does work in a similar way to ISO. Unfortunately it isn’t necessarily a 1:1 relationship. To figure out what the relationship is, you’ll need a grey card and a light meter. (Or a light meter app.) I’ll put together a post on how to do that for you. 🙂
  Log in to Reply
  - Ryan E. Walters says:
    December 1, 2014 at 6:26 pm
    
    I just put together the following PDF (DOWNLOAD LINK) that will walk you through the process step by step.
    Log in to Reply
    - Gabriel Morgan says:
      December 3, 2014 at 5:52 am
      
      Thank you again!
      Log in to Reply
      - Ryan E. Walters says:
        December 3, 2014 at 7:52 am
        
        You are welcome. 🙂
Will says:
December 2, 2014 at 5:55 pm

Hey Ryan & Tim, really enjoying the first lessons on the course. As per your recommendations I’ve invested in a Sekonic l-478dr and am just trying to find my way around it. I’m shooting on a GH3 with a older Nikon photo lens so I’m manually changing the f-stops on the lens.

On the camera lens I’m using the F-stops go f2, f2.2, f2.5, f2.8 etc

On the light meter (using the T function) the F reading is a large 2.0, then a small number next to the 2.0 such as 2.0 (small 6) and then the next large number is 2.8

I assume these smaller numbers are increments of light change between the stops?

My question is:

Is there a way to change the light meters setting to match the 1/3 stop markings on the camera? so they also read f2, f2.2, f2.5, f2.8 etc

Thanks for your time.

Will
Log in to Reply
- Ryan E. Walters says:
  December 2, 2014 at 6:56 pm
  
  Will,
  
  Thanks- glad you like the lessons, and congrats on getting the meter. 🙂
  
  You are correct- the small number is an increment- it is actually 1/10 of one stop. So a read of 2.0 4 is 2 and 4 tenths of a stop.
  
  To get your meter to match the reading on your DSLR, Press the MENU button, select #3 (Custom Setting), Select #1 (Increments of T+F) and then change it from 1 stop to 1/3 stop. Now it will read like your DSLR read out.
  
  Happy Shooting. 🙂
  Log in to Reply
Will says:
December 3, 2014 at 6:57 am

Thanks so much for your quick reply and explanations Ryan, I shall change the settings and get measuring!

Cheers,

Will
Log in to Reply
- Ryan E. Walters says:
  December 3, 2014 at 7:51 am
  
  Anytime- glad to help. 🙂
  Log in to Reply