In camera optics, where is the aperture located? At the focal point? If so, why doesn't the aperature size ( f/stop) change the image sise on the film/sensor?

Your camera has a 5.0 - 25.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28 - 140 mm) lens with apertures from f2.8 - f6.9.
Unfortunately you don't have a manual mode or an aperture priority mode where you can set the aperture yourself.
There's more about your camera here: http://is.gd/WGRntf

The aperture of a lens system is the opening between the actual lens elements, typically made of glass or plastic, and the camera's digital sensor that translates the light into image data. Aperture openings are referred to in terms of stops or f-stops that equate to the ratio of the lens focal length to the diameter of the opening. A lens system with a focal length of 50mm and an aperture opening that is 25mm in diameter would equate to an f-stop of 2, and would be known as a 50mm f2 lens. Some lenses have variable apertures that can be set to one of multiple f-stop values. Reducing the aperture size decreases the amount of light that makes it to the sensor as well as increases the amount of depth of field that the lens will provide.

I presume you mean the Ricoh CX4? if so, I'm puzzled by your question, in particular the term "narrow focal length". It's also difficult to answer without knowing which lens your friend is using to compare it against.

You have an available focal length range of 28-300mm (in 35mm film equivalent terms), so a full range from wide angle to super telephoto. Clearly, you don't mean "narrow focal length range". If you mean that you want a narrower angle of view then 300mm is pretty narrow to start with and you have a 10MP camera which gives you plenty of excess pixels to dump if you want to crop the images further with no discernible loss of quality. At 300mm equivalent though, you will always have some user-induced camera shake (movement blur) unless you use a tripod or similar and additionally a remote shutter release (or use self-timer), and the effects of movement blur will be increased when you crop the image. Image stabilisation (I.S.) helps, but is no substitute for good technique and I.S. is a battery *******. If you're after a wider angle of view, then your camera is simply incapable of it without adding additional screw on lenses, and they ALWAYS reduce sharpness, contrast and add distortions.

The lens on your camera is good but is not known to be especially sharp even at the centre where all lenses perform best, regardless of cost. But most users wouldn't be able to tell the difference unless they were given large print selective enlargements to compare with the same images from a better lens. Your lens is what it is: there is no way it can out-perform what it's designed to achieve and it will never match higher-priced, higher quality SLR lenses.

Another puzzling point in your question is the phrase "I would like to get my subjects in crisp focus but the surroundings are out". If you're trying to get the subject and surroundings in focus all at once, then use a smaller aperture and a longer exposure in conjunction with a longer focal length (look up aperture and depth of field). Longer exposures risk movement blur though. The words you use afterwards regarding a blur mask suggest the opposite though, that you want a sharp subject in relief against blurry surroundings. If so, use the widest possible aperture and the shortest acceptable focal length (depth of field varies with focal length), but with wide angles you increase image distortion due to exaggerated perspective. Your options are limited though as your lens is very much a compromise to keep size, weight and costs down. The widest possible aperture is a modest f/3.5 at the widest angle (shortest focal length) setting, and a very modest f/5.6 at the super-telephoto setting (longest focal length), although the aperture range is normal in comparison with most other similar compact camera models and with some basic "kit" zoom lenses supplied with cheaper SLRs..

Wider apertures than you have available are just not possible on your lens and there are no adaptors or anything else which will change that. Even if your lens absolutely matched the aperture range available to SLR users then you still wouldn't achieve the out of focus surroundings which I suspect you're after. That's because although your camera has an equivalent angle of view range to a 35mm film lens of 28-300mm, it has a much smaller image sensor so uses a real focal length range of 4.9mm to 52.5mm. As I said earlier, depth of field varies with focal length. The shorter the focal length, the larger the depth of field, and there's no way to avoid the physics of that.

You only have one fix for the problems you describe and that's to work creatively within the limitations of your camera. Note that I didn't say "spend four times more"; if you do that you have a more expensive, bulkier, camera, have to carry around more lenses, and are far less likely to use the equipment in adverse conditions as you won't want to risk ruining it or having it stolen. You also won't get some of the candid point and shoot images you can capture with a compact model, partially due to easier and quicker handling but also due to the fact that folks tend to notice and react when they see a dirty great SLR aimed at them.

Cameras and lenses are just tools for a job and you just pick the right ones for the task at hand. An "impressive" camera does not make anyone a better photographer. The cheapest and best way to improve your photos is to take as many as you can and study the image file EXIF data to see what the settings were for each image. Also, buy or borrow books and look at websites which explain photographic technique regarding aperture, focal length, shutter speeds, reciprocity, image noise, sensor sizes and megapixel counts. Joining a local club or even an online forum will also help. Learning more will help you understand why your assertion, "I know that is is possible" is completely incorrect and also will ensure that when you do eventually replace your camera that you buy wisely.

1. Check the power switch is pointing to the rear dial (not "ON") or you wont be able to set your aperture.
2. Try shooting one image for each position of the mode dial on the top. Then review each image to see what mode the camera indicates the image was taken.(Pressing info during playback will bring up detailed information to show this) If the recorded setting and actual setting dont match, this indicates a fault with the dial.
3. If the camera does not display an aperture, or shows "00" then there is a communication fault with the lens. Check the contacts are clean and sitting correctly. You can confirm this lens is at fault by trying another lens on your camera,I'm sure a photo store could help with this.
Good luck!

You may be shooting auto and there is too much light. If you want to be sure you are shooting with 18mm @ f3.5 then shoot with aperture priority (the shutter speed will adjust automatically). Ususally at a wide focal length you would want a small aperature (smaller f-stop) so this should not really be a problem.

For Nikon Digital SLRs there is a special line of lenses. Almost any Nikon lens will work on the D60 body, but lenses not specifically designed for a Nikon Digital SLR will lack some features offered by the body. Nikon D series lenses, that are made for the Nikon Digital SLR series, are fully compatible. Although, any lens, AI type thru D type will work.

One of the snags with Digital SLRs is that lenses designed for film cameras have different focal point characteristics, and therefore altered focal length when used on a digital camera.

A film frame is 24mm x 36mm. The CCD in a digital SLR (Charge Coupled Device, changes light energy into electrical energy, which is then recorded as a digital image file inside the camera) is not that large. So the light is focusing on a smaller area surface. This changes the focal length of the lens.

There are other undesireable effects using film camera lenses with Digital SLRs. One of the desireable qualities of old lenses is the cost. The D60 is a great camera. You lose some features with older lenses, but you still get the same image quality.

I cannot tell you exactly what zoom lens to purchase, because it's like you asking what car you should buy. There are too many variables to consider. Most pros carry the famous Nikon D 80-200mm F 2.8 ED, which is a pro lens, with big weight, superb optics, and no finicky soft spots.

It's clean all the way through the range, at every aperature. But the cost is high, probably more than you paid for the D-60 body. But if it were me, I'd spend the money.

When you use auto mode on most point and shoot digital cameras ( which includes the F717) the camera software gets to choose aperature, shutter speed, and ISO setting. When the ISO setting is used at the faster ISOs, the images get digital 'noisy' very quickly. There is a much higher noise level in consumer digicams at the higher ISOs, because the sensor chip is much smaller than in the digital SLRs. F2.0 suggests yoiu are shooting at the maximum aperature of your lens and that the light is pretty dim.
If you learn to use your camera in the Av ( aperature preferred) mode at ISOs of 50 or 100, most of the noise you are describing will disappear. The camera should take very nice images at ISOs less than 200.

Consult your manual on aperature preferred or manul setting of the ISO speed

Hi, Is the aperture in max or min ?
Remove the lens. Try pushing the stop down lever and look through the lens if the aperture changes.
Look at this pic if you wonder what stop down lever means. http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/nikonfmount/20AI-S2_8rearconv.JPG


cheers,

The aperature error is due to the fact that the lens in not a constant aperature design. The settings on the LCD are assuming you are at full wide angle setting. As this lens moves towards telephoto, the aperature changes about 2/3 of an f-stop due to the mechanical movement of the lens elements. So a manual setting of f4.0 at full telephoto will be more llike f5.0 in reality. It is too bad Epson could not make the mechanical aperature adjust to compensate, but every nice feature costs something. I have not had any issue with the shutter speed changing. One guess is that the camera has shutter speed/aperature combinations that it can't achieve due to mechanical limitations, so it chooses the available combination. Another is that it wasn't in manual mode, but rather aperature priority mode and the final adjustments changed the speed.

Yes. You pick the apature (the 3000 keeps it aorund the setting you pick) and then it automaticly adjusts the speed for you.