aperture: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Photos

The aperture and shutter-speed combinations shown below allow the same amount of light to enter the camera but result in different images. Smaller apertures extend the zone of sharp focus, and slow shutter speeds show blurred movement.

See All Images →

Topics

pupil relative aperture aperture stop numerical aperture angular aperture lens optical system aberration speed microscope Mirror Binoculars eyeglasses diffraction grating filter refraction periscope