Sunday, February 22, 2009

Film speed and depth of field

What is camera film speed?
Film speed is the criterion of the sensitivity of film to light. The ISO rating which is set by the International Standards Organization indicates the speed in which the film will react to light for example ISO 200 or ISO 100. The higher the number is the faster it would react to light, therefore it needs shorter exposure. On the contrary the lower the number the slower it would react to light, therefore needing longer time of exposure. The deference between using a high ISO or a low ISO is in the quality of the image. A lower ISO would result in the image being clearer and sharper; while using a higher ISO means having higher contrast and grain in the image.
For example the standard number is ISO 100; its sensitivity to light is average. However lower numbers such as ISO 50, are less sensitive to light therefore ideal for taking pictures in sunlight. Numbers higher than ISO 100 such as 400 and up to ISO 1600 have high sensitivity to light, which makes them perfect for taking pictures in dark areas.
What is depth of field?
Depth of field refers to the distance or zone in front or behind the subject of focus that would appear acceptably sharp. Depth of field depends largely on the aperture used, focal length of the lens and focused distance.

1 comment:

  1. asalaamu'alaikum,
    well done...excellent description, masha'allah.

    mr. ayyub

    ReplyDelete