{"id":296,"date":"2025-05-14T00:13:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T00:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hotelmadretierra.com\/?p=296"},"modified":"2025-06-05T12:14:49","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T12:14:49","slug":"what-do-the-numbers-on-your-camera-lens-mean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.hotelmadretierra.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/14\/what-do-the-numbers-on-your-camera-lens-mean\/","title":{"rendered":"What Do the Numbers on Your Camera Lens Mean?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The post What Do the Numbers on Your Camera Lens Mean?<\/a> appeared first on Digital Photography School<\/a>. It was authored by Darlene Hildebrandt<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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<\/span>\"what<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Camera lenses<\/a> include quite a few numbers \u2013 and many of these are often confusing or obscure, especially for beginners. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s why, in this article, I\u2019m going to run through all the important camera lens numbers you\u2019ll encounter. I\u2019ll explain what the numbers actually mean, and I\u2019ll also explain why they matter for your photography. <\/p>\n

By the time you\u2019re finished, you\u2019ll be a lens number expert, and you\u2019ll never <\/em>find yourself confused by your lens markings again.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s jump right in.<\/p>\n

Common numbers on newer digital lenses<\/h2>\n

Depending on the age of your lens, you\u2019ll run into different markings. In this section, I\u2019ll discuss numbers frequently found on newer lenses (though note that many will apply to old lenses, as well!).<\/p>\n

Focal length<\/h3>\n

Zoom lenses<\/a> feature a zoom ring; twist it, and your lens will zoom in and out.<\/p>\n

Next to this ring, you\u2019ll generally find focal length numbers. For example, if your lens is a 70-200mm zoom<\/a> like mine (below), you\u2019ll see markings that span from 70mm to 200mm. I\u2019m currently at around 100mm:<\/p>\n

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<\/span>\"focal<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

A lens will never display every <\/em>focal length but will instead offer a few useful intervals, as you can see in the image above. <\/p>\n

If you are using a prime or fixed lens, you won\u2019t have a zoom ring. Your lens will simply indicate the focal length on its barrel, as you can see on my 85mm lens:<\/p>\n

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<\/span>\"lens<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Maximum aperture<\/h3>\n

The maximum aperture<\/a> is the largest aperture opening your lens is capable of achieving. Note that the larger the aperture opening, the smaller the f-number (so f\/2.8 corresponds to a very wide aperture, while f\/22 corresponds to a very small aperture).<\/p>\n

Larger apertures like f\/2.8 or even f\/1.8 are highly desirable because they allow you to shoot in low-light conditions while maintaining a fast shutter speed. So the best lenses \u2013 and the most expensive lenses \u2013 tend to offer a very wide maximum aperture.<\/p>\n

(Note that some zoom lenses have a variable maximum aperture, where the maximum aperture will change depending on the focal length; this is represented as a range of numbers, such as f\/3.5-6.3.)<\/p>\n

Now, pretty much every lens has the maximum aperture written somewhere on its body. You can usually find this information in one of two places (or perhaps even in both):<\/p>\n

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  1. Right on the end of the lens barrel<\/li>\n
  2. On the front of the lens inside the filter ring area<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In the photo below, you can see two different lenses: my Tamron 17-35mm and my Canon 85mm. On the Tamron, you should see \u201c1:2.8-4,\u201d and on the 85mm, you should see \u201c1:1.8.\u201d<\/p>\n

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    <\/span>\"maximum<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

    What does this mean? It\u2019s simple: the maximum aperture on the 85mm lens is f\/1.8, and on the Tamron zoom, the maximum aperture changes from f\/2.8 to f\/4 as you zoom the lens. (At the lens\u2019s widest, 17mm, I can open the aperture to f\/2.8. But if I zoom all the way to 35mm, my maximum aperture becomes f\/4.) <\/p>\n

    These variable maximum apertures are pretty common with kit lenses<\/a>, and especially kit lenses with a large focal length range such as 28-300mm or 18-200mm.<\/p>\n

    Focusing range and distance scale<\/h3>\n

    On some \u2013 but not all! \u2013 lenses, you will see a range of distances, usually marked in two scales, feet and meters. These lens numbers indicate the distance at which your lens is currently focused. <\/p>\n

    So at one end of the scale, you\u2019ll find the infinity symbol, and at the other end, you\u2019ll find the lens\u2019s minimum focusing distance (i.e., the closest the lens can focus).<\/p>\n

    Check out the two lenses below. The distance scale on the 70-200mm (left) is under a cover, and you can see that the lens is focused somewhere between 10 meters and infinity. The distance scale on the 17-35mm (right) is on the lens\u2019s focus ring, and you can see that the lens is focused quite close, at around 0.5 meters.<\/p>\n

    Note that, as you focus your lens, the distance scale will change to reflect your new point of focus.<\/p>\n

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    <\/span>\"lens<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

    Lens diameter (filter size)<\/h3>\n

    Every lens has a diameter, the distance across the center of the lens. This diameter also <\/em>corresponds to the filter size (if the filter\u2019s diameter doesn\u2019t match the lens diameter, it won\u2019t properly screw onto the front of the lens).<\/p>\n

    You\u2019ll find the lens diameter written on the end of your lens (often on the edge of the barrel), preceded by a symbol that looks like a zero with a strike through it:<\/p>\n

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    <\/span>\"lens<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

    So for the lens pictured above, the diameter is 77mm. And if I wanted to use a polarizing filter<\/a> or a clear filter<\/a>, I\u2019d need to grab one with an equivalent diameter.<\/p>\n

    By the way, you can also find the lens diameter on the back of the lens cap, as displayed above.<\/p>\n

    Less common lens numbers (often seen on older, manual focus lenses)<\/h2>\n

    Now that you\u2019re familiar with all the common camera lens numbers, let\u2019s take a look at some of the less common markings. These numbers are pretty rare on lenses designed for digital cameras, but you may come across them if you purchase older, manual focus glass.<\/p>\n

    Aperture ring<\/h3>\n

    Most newer lenses set and control the aperture through the camera. But back in the days of film, you would set the shutter speed on your camera and the aperture on the lens (via an aperture ring).<\/p>\n

    So while newer lenses rarely include aperture rings, you\u2019ll find them on plenty of older lenses. An aperture ring displays different aperture settings, like this:<\/p>\n

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    <\/span>\"aperture<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

    And by rotating the ring, you widen or narrow the aperture.<\/p>\n

    Note that some modern lenses do include aperture rings; Fujifilm is known for this, as are other brands that offer manual focus lenses (e.g., Samyang).<\/p>\n

    Hyperfocal distance scale<\/h3>\n

    A hyperfocal distance<\/a> scale helps you determine the depth of field <\/em>for a scene, given a particular focal length, point of focus, and aperture.<\/p>\n

    Most zoom lenses don\u2019t offer hyperfocal distance scales (because depth of field varies with focal length). But if you have a prime lens \u2013 especially an older model \u2013 you may see an extra ring of numbers on the barrel, such as in the image below:<\/p>\n

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    <\/span>\"hyperfocal<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

    Note that, in the image, you can see three sets of numbers:<\/p>\n