I am a (very!) amateur photographer, I have not had any training but just learn from books/magazines and making loads of mistakes!
This is probably a really basic problem but here it is: I have a sony alpha 200 dSLR and the lens that came with it has ’3.5-5.6/18-70′ on it. I assumed that the 3.5 and 5.6 would be the aperture settings but when I am on manual the lowest f/ setting I can get is f/5.6 no matter what else I do.
Image © Florian Knorn and used under Creative Commons licence – see original
Do I buy a new lens (I have my eye on a Sony 50mm f/1.8 ) or is there something I am doing wrong? Should I be able to get wide aperture settings with the current lens? I would really appreciate your help!
Hi
Often with lenses like this f/5.6 will be the maximum aperture you can achieve over much of the focal range. f/3.5 tends to be available only at the widest couple of focal lengths.
If this doesn’t explain the issue then perhaps you have a fault. Either way catch someone at the next Exposure Leeds or one of the Photoweek events.
Regards
Mark
Hi,
The Sony 18-70mm kit lens is f3.5-f5.6 which means you can only get f3.5 at its widest end i.e when your at the 18mm end of the focal range.
If the largest apature you can get is f5.6 even at the 18mm end it sounds like a fault with the lens.
Hope this helps
Dave
I have the same lens on a Sony Alpha 300. At 18mm it should go to f/3.5 also on manual press the AL button while adjusting the toggle wheel to change the f stop settings.
I agree with Chris (I have the Sony 350 with the same lens), at 18mm it will go to f/3.5 and as you move off 18mm the f/ no changes up to 5.6 at 35mm to 70mm