Fashion photography with Dixie Dixon, Visual Storytelling with Joe McNally, Wedding photography with Jerry Ghionis and Sports photography with Rod Mar

Parts of a lensand their functions

The lens is an ellipsoid structure located in the eyeball. It lies posterior to the iris and anterior to the vitreous body. Moreover, the lens is encircled by the ciliary processes, and is attached to them by the zonular fibres.

The main function of the lens is to transmit and focus the light onto the retina in order to create clear images of observed objects at various distances. The lens is also the main structure of the accommodation reflex. This reflex is activated when the eye focuses on closer objects. The activation of the reflex pathway leads to the increase of the lens curvature which increases the refraction power of the eye (i.e. eye's focus).

Parts of a lensdiagram

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LensHood

Author: Roberto Grujičić, MD • Reviewer: Dimitrios Mytilinaios, MD, PhD Last reviewed: October 30, 2023 Reading time: 1 minute

Now that we know how to control depth of field, what determines the choices we make in selecting the aperture? We use focus and depth of field to direct attention to what is important in the photograph, and we use lack of focus to minimize distractions that cannot be eliminated from the composition. While there are no rules, there are some guidelines for selecting Aperture priority.

Parts of a lensnikon

For classic portraiture we separate our subject from the surroundings by using "selective focus." Choosing a large aperture (lower f/stop, like f2.8) creates very shallow depth of field with only the subject, or just a portion of the subject, in focus. This helps direct the viewer's attention to the subject.

The lens is comprised of three main parts: capsule, epithelium and fibers. Although it has many layers, the lens is transparent.

Parts of a lensexplained

When choosing lenses for landscape photography, we usually want to see as much detail as possible from foreground to background; we want to achieve the maximum depth of field by choosing a small aperture (higher f/stop, like f/8 or f/11).

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What is the focal lengthof a lens

While we can get the maximum or minimum depth of field by working at each end of the aperture range, sometimes we want a more intermediate level of depth of field, limiting focus to a specific range of distances within the overall photograph. One way to do this is to choose a mid-range f/stop, like f/5.6, and shoot a test frame. In image playback, use the magnifying function of the LCD to zoom in and check the depth of field; make adjustments if necessary and reshoot.

Parts of a lenseye

Fashion photography with Dixie Dixon, Visual Storytelling with Joe McNally, Wedding photography with Jerry Ghionis and Sports photography with Rod Mar

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All lenses have a maximum aperture, and all NIKKOR lenses list the widest possible aperture on the lens barrel. Some zoom lenses will detail something like f/3.5-5.6 on the lens barrel or 1:3.5-5.6 (below right). These numbers, the 3.5 and the 5.6, are referring to the maximum aperture or widest opening the lens can achieve for each end of the zoom range. Some higher end lenses can maintain the largest aperture throughout the entire zoom range, so only one number is detailed (below left).

Depth of field is the zone of acceptable sharpness in front of and behind the subject on which the lens is focused. Simply put: how sharp or blurry is the area behind your subject.

Parts of a lensPhysics

Aperture refers to the opening of a lens's diaphragm through which light passes. It is calibrated in f/stops and is generally written as numbers such as 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11 and 16. Lower f/stops give more exposure because they represent the larger apertures, while the higher f/stops give less exposure because they represent smaller apertures. This may seem a little contradictory at first but will become clearer as you take pictures at varying f/stops. Be sure to check your manual first to learn how to set Aperture Priority for your camera, then try experimenting to get comfortable with changing the aperture and recognizing the effects different apertures will have on the end-result image.

Drake, R. L., Vogl, A. W., & Mitchell, A. W. M. (2015). Gray’s Anatomy for Students (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Churchill Livingstone.