Monday, 29 July 2019

lens - Does a specific f number across all lenses denote same amount of light?


When we say a light source emits 1500 lumens of light, it does not really matter if the light source is incandescent, CFL, diode etc. Similarly, when I say f/1.8 can I assume that all lenses pass the same amount of light at that f stop? If I am incorrect in this, is there a term that tells me across all lenses the amount of light they will pass through to the sensor?



Answer



No, this is not the case. Aperture F stops are calculated on pupil size and focal length of the lens.


From wikipedia



In optics, the f-number (sometimes called focal ratio, f-ratio, f-stop, or relative aperture1) of an optical system is the ratio of the lens's focal length to the diameter of the entrance pupil.2 It is a dimensionless number that is a quantitative measure of lens speed, and an important concept in photography.




Whereas a T-Stop is a measured unit and lenses set at the same T-Stops will make the same exposure.


More, from wiki



A T-stop (for Transmission-stops) is an f-number adjusted to account for light transmission efficiency. A lens with a T-stop of N projects an image of the same brightness as an ideal lens with 100% transmission and an f-number of N. For example, an f/2.0 lens with light transmission efficiency of 75% has a T-stop of 2.3. Since real lenses have transmission efficiencies of less than 100%, a lens's T-stop is always greater than its f-number.[6] Lens light transmission efficiencies of 60%-90% are typical,[7] so T-stops are sometimes used instead of f-numbers to more accurately determine exposure.[8] T-stops are often used in cinematography, where many images are seen in rapid succession and even small changes in exposure will be noticeable. Cinema camera lenses are typically calibrated in T-stops instead of F-numbers. In still photography, without the need for rigorous consistency of all lenses and cameras used, slight differences in exposure are less important.



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