Camera: set aperture - how it works

The aperture is responsible for the incidence of light in the camera. We show you how to set the camera aperture correctly in our practical tip.

Set the camera aperture

The camera aperture works like the slats of blinds: depending on the setting, it lets more or less light through and regulates the depth of field of the photo. In strong light, objects in the foreground are sharp, the background is out of focus. With low incidence of light, i.e. a small aperture, the depth of field increases.

• The aperture is located on the front of the camera lens. It consists of metal slats, which, depending on the setting, form a smaller or larger, round opening through which the light falls. Most cameras regulate the aperture automatically.
• The aperture setting is specified with the numerical values ​​2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11 and 16. A large value means a small opening and therefore little light.
• To adjust the aperture manually, turn the ring on the lens labeled with these numbers. Before you have to activate the so-called automatic timer on the camera, this usually has the symbol "A" or "Av".
• It is a little different with digital cameras: Here you usually have to make the setting in the appropriate menu, which - depending on the manufacturer and model - can be reached via the settings, the arrow buttons or a special aperture button.