What compact zoom camera has the smallest minumum aperture (highest f-number)?

You are confused on your terminology, or at least you are confusing me. Whatever the case, most if not all compact cameras have f/8.0 as the smallest aperture. They manufacturers don't make the aperture smaller because there is no benefit; the depth of field is already maxed out. Also, a smaller aperture would have too much distortion due to a phenomenon known as diffraction.

Note that manufacturers never list the minimum aperture. Photographers don't need or want to know how small an aperture a lens or camera has. It's sort of like asking which cars have 200mph speedometers; it has little to no bearing on the actual performance of the car.

If I am understanding your question as stated, Canon SX700 and Olympus SH-1 are both f/6.9 at full zoom.

I seem to remember in the past seeing a camera that was even slower at full zoom- seven something, but I do not recall what is was. I do not think it is a current model.

I suspect maybe you intend to ask the opposite question maybe, since you mentioned the Olympus XZ2. It is at the opposite extreme from the SX700 and SH-1. A very fast and also a very good lens through out its zoom range.

I guess I should be more interested in what is the best, but in kind of a gruesome way, now I am intrigued by what is the worst. What is the slowest lens any manufacturer dares to try to sell - it figures it would be a 30X zoom in a compact body like the SX700. Sony and Panasonic did not dare to go so slow with their 30X compact cameras, but maybe image quality at full zoom suffered for that ... I do not know.

ckeek said:

Is it true f/1.8 – f/2.5 has the faster lens speed than f/1.8 – f/5.6 because the former has the smaller minimum aperture f/2.5 than the latter f/5.6? If so, what compact zoom camera has the smallest minimum aperture (highest f-number) in the market? Are they Olympus XZ-2 and Pentax MX-1? Is there any other compact zoom camera has the minimum aperture smaller than f/2.5 in the market? I am not talking about the maximum but only minimum aperture (highest f-number) on the compact zoom camera. Thank you for your answer.

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F2.5 is actually a bigger aperture not smaller compared to f5.6.

The confusion is common since a low number relates to a big (open) aperture. This lets more light through and gives you higher shutterspeeds (hence the name fast lens) with similar exposure.

Look at the aperture range it makes it a bit easier to understand.

I also have a question for you. What do you intend to photograph?

Aperture is specified as an f-number which is actually a ratio between the diameter of the aperture opening to the lens diameter. So a lower f-number is larger than a higher f-number in the same way that 1/2 is larger than 1/4. For a more in depth explanation, have a look at this short video:

ckeek said:

Is it true f/1.8 – f/2.5 has the faster lens speed than f/1.8 – f/5.6 because the former has the smaller minimum aperture f/2.5 than the latter f/5.6?

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I see that the Olympus XZ-2 and Pentax MX-1 list their maximum apertures as f/1.8-f/2.5, so I'm guessing this is where you got that figure. This means that the camera has a variable maximum aperture of f/1.8 at the wide end (zoom out) and f/2.5 at the telephoto end (zoomed in).

If one camera lists f/1.8-f/2.5 and another lists f/1.8-f/5.6 under aperture, this is merely indicating that they have variable maximum apertures. Between the two, f/2.5 and f/5.6 refer to each camera's maximum aperture at the telephoto end. Your use of "minimum aperture" is incorrect.

Looking at the Pentax MX-1 it's maximum aperture range is f/1.8-f/2.5 with a minimum aperture of f/8. The minimum aperture is often times not listed on compacts for some reason. I had to do a couple of searches to find that.

To specifically answer your question, it is true that the lens with maximum apertures of f/1.8-f/2.5 is faster than a lens with maximum apertures of f/1.8-f/5.6. However, focal length is also a factor. Usually the longer the focal length gets the smaller the maximum aperture will get. A compact/bridge like the Panasonic FZ200 has a constant aperture of f/2.8, which means that it has the same maximum aperture at the wide and telephoto ends.

ckeek said:

If so, what compact zoom camera has the smallest minimum aperture (highest f-number) in the market? Are they Olympus XZ-2 and Pentax MX-1? Is there any other compact zoom camera has the minimum aperture smaller than f/2.5 in the market? I am not talking about the maximum but only minimum aperture (highest f-number) on the compact zoom camera. Thank you for your answer.

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Your question is confusing because taking the figures you've given, what you are asking seems to be "what camera has a wider maximum aperture than f/2.5 at the telephoto end?". It's hard to answer because the maximum aperture range by itself isn't a good judge of a camera.

For instance, the Pentax MX-1 has a maximum aperture range of f/1.8-f/2.5 and a focal length range of 28-112mm. The Panasonic FZ200 has a constant aperture of f/2.8 and a focal length range of 25-600mm. While the maximum apertures of the MX-1 are wider than the FZ200's constant aperture, the FZ200 has a much larger focal length range. However the MX-1 has a larger sensor.

The Sony RX100 has a maximum aperture range of f/1.8-f/4.9 and a focal length range of 28-100mm. If you look at the maximum aperture and focal length range of the MX-1 it would seem to be the better camera. However the RX100 has a much larger sensor which means it will perform better in low light despite having a smaller maximum aperture at the telephoto end.

My point is, when looking at cameras you have to consider several factors not just aperture ranges and balance them with your needs.

Thanks for all your replies, especially for thebustos answer. Let me modify the question. Is it true the short maximum apertures range is, the fast lens speed is assuming the camera has the same sensor size, same focal length? If it is true, we should choose the camera with the short maximum apertures range when compare the cameras with the same sensor size and same focal length. Is it correct? By the way, does the fast lens speed mean the fast focusing?

ckeek said:

Thanks for all your replies, especially for thebustos answer. Let me modify the question. Is it true the short maximum apertures range is, the fast lens speed is assuming the camera has the same sensor size, same focal length? If it is true, we should choose the camera with the short maximum apertures range when compare the cameras with the same sensor size and same focal length. Is it correct? By the way, does the fast lens speed mean the fast focusing?

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A fast lens is one with a wide fully open aperture - one with a low f number.

mclewis said:

ckeek said:

Thanks for all your replies, especially for thebustos answer. Let me modify the question. Is it true the short maximum apertures range is, the fast lens speed is assuming the camera has the same sensor size, same focal length? If it is true, we should choose the camera with the short maximum apertures range when compare the cameras with the same sensor size and same focal length. Is it correct? By the way, does the fast lens speed mean the fast focusing?

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A fast lens is one with a wide fully open aperture - one with a low f number.

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The reason we call lenses "fast" or "slow" dates back to the 1800's.

When a Daguerrotype plate took three minutes or so in bright sunlight to make an exposure with an early generation lens, a lens with a wider aperture might usefully cut that time down to a minute or less - hence "faster".

With exposure times these days mostly measured in fractions of a second, we often aren't that mindful of the effect of "speed" on our photos. The relationship is still there, of course. It just isn't as obvious what lens "speed" means.

We often pick out our "fast" lenses nowadays because of the shallow depth of field they offer.

Also, be aware that many basic compact cameras cheat on their "aperture" specifications. If you take one apart you often find they have no mechanical aperture at all. The "F8.0" setting is really a tiny neutral density filter that clicks into place when needed. Better and more advanced models do have real aperture blades - but not always.

ckeek said:

Thanks for all your replies, especially for thebustos answer. Let me modify the question. Is it true the short maximum apertures range is, the fast lens speed is assuming the camera has the same sensor size, same focal length? If it is true, we should choose the camera with the short maximum apertures range when compare the cameras with the same sensor size and same focal length. Is it correct? By the way, does the fast lens speed mean the fast focusing?

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If I interpret your question correctly, yes. It can even go a step further with some interchangable lenses.

These have no "aperture range" but are called constant aperture lenses. This means the aperture will not close during zooming (at least no further than it's rating f2.8 e.g.), it can stayat this at all focallengths.

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Cheers Mike

ckeek said:

Thanks for all your replies, especially for thebustos answer. Let me modify the question. Is it true the short maximum apertures range is, the fast lens speed is assuming the camera has the same sensor size, same focal length? If it is true, we should choose the camera with the short maximum apertures range when compare the cameras with the same sensor size and same focal length. Is it correct? By the way, does the fast lens speed mean the fast focusing?

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Based on the SINGLE criterion of largest aperture at a single focal length, I would choose 28-112mm f/1.8-2.5 lens over a 28-112mm f/1.8-5.6 lens. However, between cameras, there are other criteria to consider:

• The image quality of each camera's lens at various focal lengths. With one camera you may find shooting at maximum aperture produces great images, but perhaps not with another camera. If you need to stop down to f/5.6 at 112mm for acceptable IQ, then a maximum aperture of f/2.5 isn't a benefit.
• The effectiveness of a camera's image stabilization.
• The sensor quality at higher ISO's. One camera at f/2.8 ISO 800 might actually look every bit as good as another camera's f/1.8 ISO 320.
• The quality of the RAW files, or JPEG output, if you use that. Some cameras are renowned for great Jpeg output. Others seem to over-sharpen or over-do noise reduction, which can lose detail.

ckeek said:

Thanks for all your replies, especially for thebustos answer. Let me modify the question. Is it true the short maximum apertures range is, the fast lens speed is assuming the camera has the same sensor size, same focal length? If it is true, we should choose the camera with the short maximum apertures range when compare the cameras with the same sensor size and same focal length. Is it correct? By the way, does the fast lens speed mean the fast focusing?

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I'm not sure why you are so concerned about this. Cameras have a range of aperture settings available. The range depends on the type and style of the lens, and sometimes the zoom setting. What more do you need to know?

Although I am a keen photographer, for many years I was satisfied with the results from my bridge camera in Program mode (Aperture, SS and ISO is varied automatically as required), and I hardly ever noticed what the aperture setting was. Pictures turned out fine.

As a matter of interest, that camera had a constant maximum aperture of f/2.8 and minimum aperture of f/8. Because of the small sensor (and consequent reduced aperture range), Program mode wasn't much different to Aperture priority mode.

Seems as though you need to do some more reading.

Someone has already confirmed the short maximum aperture means fast lens speed if the focal length and the maximum aperture is the same. I am interested in the camera with the fast lens speed. So I wonder what compact zoom camera has the short maximum aperture ranger. As I read, the Olympus XZ-2 and Pentax MX-1 are fast because they have the short maximum aperture range, f/1.8--f/2.5.

ckeek said:

Someone has already confirmed the short maximum aperture means fast lens speed if the focal length and the maximum aperture is the same. I am interested in the camera with the fast lens speed. So I wonder what compact zoom camera has the short maximum aperture ranger. As I read, the Olympus XZ-2 and Pentax MX-1 are fast because they have the short maximum aperture range, f/1.8--f/2.5.

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samsung EX2F 24–80 mm F1.4 - F2.7

pana LX7 24–90 mm F1.4 - F2.3

Brian

ckeek said:

Someone has already confirmed the short maximum aperture means fast lens speed if the focal length and the maximum aperture is the same. I am interested in the camera with the fast lens speed. So I wonder what compact zoom camera has the short maximum aperture ranger. As I read, the Olympus XZ-2 and Pentax MX-1 are fast because they have the short maximum aperture range, f/1.8--f/2.5.

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It isn't really lens speed. We call lenses fast because a wide maximum aperture lets more light through the lens which in turn allows you to use a faster shutter speed.

Say you have two different cameras both set to ISO 100. One camera has a shutter speed of 1/100 and is set to it's maximum aperture of f/5.6. If the other camera uses an aperture of f/4 then it's shutter speed will be 1/200. Because the second camera can use a wider aperture you can use a faster shutter speed to get the same exposure. That's what we say when we mean a lens is faster.

ckeek said:

Someone has already confirmed the short maximum aperture means fast lens speed if the focal length and the maximum aperture is the same. I am interested in the camera with the fast lens speed. So I wonder what compact zoom camera has the short maximum aperture ranger. As I read, the Olympus XZ-2 and Pentax MX-1 are fast because they have the short maximum aperture range, f/1.8--f/2.5.

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I know what you're asking, but just to clarify things, do not use the term "short maximum aperture." Short is used as a word in photography to describe focal length, not aperture. It is more accurate and less confusing to other readers to say you want a lens that has a wide aperture, or a wide aperture at all focal lengths.

Also, "short maximum aperture range" doesn't make sense either, because the range is not f/1.8-f.2.5, but f/1.8 to f/8.0 for the cameras you have listed. Why? Because the specs are showing the maximum aperture at the short and long focal lengths, not all the available apertures. In other words, when you zoom the lens "out," the widest aperture you can get is f/1.8, but you can also use any other aperture as small as f/8.0. When you zoom the lens all the way "in," the widest you can use is f/2.5, and again, you can use any smaller aperture down to f/8.0. You just can't use or get f/1.8 if you are zoomed "in." Understand?

Here is an article about aperture: http://www.idigitalphoto.com/aperture-explained/

Read it and then perhaps google "lens aperture explanation" or something like that for more such articles. The topic is non-intuitive and overly complex, but it needs to be to get all the information one needs to understand about using lenses.

So spend a bit of time learning about lenses. Then it will be easier to formulate clear questions that folks can answer directly.

chris102 said:

Here is an article about aperture...

The topic is non-intuitive and overly complex...

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I can't think of anything much simpler than this topic. I have an old lens with manual aperture for demonstration purposes and everyone seems to "get it" immediately.

The progression: 1.4, 2.0, 2.8, 4.0 etc. should be a recognisable to anyone who's been to school for more than a few years. For beginners, the simplification f/number = focal length/diameter is harmless enough.

As I said in an earlier post, lenses have particular aperture ranges depending on the design, and it's not hard to discover the relevant information and use it accordingly.

You say photoraphers don't need to know the minimum aperture - not true

I'm a photographer and I used to have a film camera with f32 as minimum. It was very useful to take longer exposure pictures in bright light for art effects without having to fit a neutral density filter.

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thebustos said:

The Sony RX100 has a maximum aperture range of f/1.8-f/4.9 and a focal length range of 28-100mm. If you look at the maximum aperture and focal length range of the MX-1 it would seem to be the better camera. However the RX100 has a much larger sensor which means it will perform better in low light despite having a smaller maximum aperture at the telephoto end.

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Constant f-number or Av value is NOT constant aperture.

Aperture is focal length divided by the Av value; NOT the Av value, or even its reciprocal, as reported as a number like 1.8, 2.8, or 4.

You do not know what the aperture is, with an Av value, unless you also know the real focal length (equivalent focal lengths are meaningless for apertures, which only make sense to be spoken of as having diameters in real millimeters).

I have never seen a zoom where the aperture is greatest at the wide end. Every zoom I've ever seen has the widest aperture at the long end.

There is no special magic in a constant f/4 or f/2.8 zoom; these are zooms where the aperture drops in size FASTER as you zoom out!

Those numbers under the "f/" are not apertures. F (real focal length) divided by that number is the aperture.