2.8 vs F4

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Sep 16, 2012
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Here is a fun little topic, yesterdayI caught my friend and he caught me saying 2.8 and F4.

It's a bit weird, most photographers call regular # aperatures Fx, and all aperatures with a decimal, just the #?

Some examples
-1.2
-1.4
-1.8
-f2
- 2.8
-f4
-5.6
-f8

Please evaluate on why you think this is, or correct me if you don't.
 
If you asked me what aperture I used for my last shot, I may have replied, "A value where the ratio of the apparent focal length with the lens focused to infinity to the physical diameter of the iris diaphragm was equal to two point eight, when rounded to the nearest tenth unit." But maybe I just replied, "Did you like the picture?"
 
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Using the whole number sounds like you're judge at a diving competition. It just doesn't have much relevance. The 'point' however puts it into photography context.

There's always 2.0 as in my favorite new lens! (135 f/2L)
 
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Drizzt321 said:
frozengogo said:
Is it like freeway numbers? Take the 55 to the 5 to the 10 the 15 to the 395 or take CA55 to I5 to I10 to I15 to US395. :-X

You left out the 405 to the 101 to the 170 to the 118 to the 210 :P

Won't you get hip to this timely tip
When you make that Photography trip
A-get your kicks on efff five-point-six


--Nat King Cole (well...sort of :P)
 
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Axilrod said:
Dude this is like the 10th vague, unnecessary, and/or incoherent post/poll you've posted today, what are you trying to accomplish here?

He's making conversation, relaying an observation about photog jargon. I understand precisely what he's saying, as do several others here, and I've made the same observation as well.

What are you trying to accomplish by trolling his post?
 
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For me it is clear too, what he ment.
I think, when a photographer sais "I shoot at 2.8" it's clear, that he is talking about the aperture. When he would say "I shot at 4" it could still mean, 4seconds or prob. 1/4 of a second. So we all say "F4". But normally we would also say f2.8, but we are all lazy ;)
 
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okay,i think i understand what you're saying. yes, i do the same. I would say "2.8, and f4". it just seems to make things clear. if i just said "4", that could mean "4 seconds", or "for" or "four". never really noticed it.
 
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