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Pickpocketed LX3 needs replacing


tecumseh

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  • 2 weeks later...

I don't seem to be getting through to you that there is a direct relationship between the maximum aperture of a lens, the amount of light that reaches the film or sensor and the ability to shoot in low light while keeping shots sharp.

 

F/2 means the focal length of the lens you're using divided by 2 and in this instance describes the maximum aperture (opening) of the LX3's lens. So, at the 24mm focal length the diameter of the LX3's maximum aperture is 12mm. At f/4 it would be 6mm and at f/8 it would be 3mm. For each f-stop half the amount of light is transmitted through the lens and onto the film or sensor so the shutter speed has to be halved and eventually you'll reach a shutter speed where camera shake is evident in the photos.

 

F/2 is a constant, which is to say that it does not vary from lens to lens so that a lightmeter can be effectively used to indicate the appropriate shutter speed to produce the correct exposure.

 

It seems that what you may be talking about is the sensitivity of the sensor, which controls how much noise a sensor produces with higher values. This has nothing to do with the maximum aperture, or 'speed' of a lens. A sensor is a collection of photodiodes that turn light energy into electrical energy, which can then be de-mosaiced and translated into a picture. At 'normal' ISO, typically ISO 100, there will be minimal noise but as the ISO is increased more and more noise in the form of tiny electrical impulses that every photodiode produced will be included until you get up to, say ISO 3200, when the noise will become visible. It's similar with film grain; ISO 100 film is pretty much grain-free but ISO 3200 film shows plenty of grain.

 

Far be it from me to question manufacturers' claims but could you explain to someone with little understanding of photography why my f/2.8 Nikon 35ti performs better in low light than my LX3 at the same ISO and shutter speed wide open?

 

Well it depends what you actually mean by "perform better"; if you mean that you can get steady (sharp) shots wide open that you can't with the LX3 then it might be that the physical balance of the 35Ti allows you to shoot without shaking the camera as much as the LX3.

 

The fact that the Nikon 35Ti is a film camera makes it difficult to compare without knowing what film stock you're using, how you're processing, and whether you're comparing both cameras on prints rather than one on print and the other on screen for instance.

 

The point that I'm trying to get across here is that f/2 does not vary, hence my original comment that f/2 is f/2 is f/2.

 

If you'd like to provide us with some more information, say, post shots from the LX3 and the 35Ti that lead you to the quote above and the details of the film stock, developing process, and the ISO, shutter speed and aperture of the LX3 shot then perhaps we can help but without this we'll all be guessing.

 

Pete.

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dude, just trynew canon s95. lens folds completely into the body, you'll have flash, also relatively fast (and useless for some f2.8) at wide, a long tele. it also have a "useless" ring in front. look like a camera for you, but beware it's a bit more likely to be stolen than your previous one due to the smaller form and slimmer shape.

 

or, just buy any camera, what a f$%^? it's just take pictures, right?!

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Second the Nikon F2. Great camera and it is so heavy a thief can not run with it giving you ample opportunity to retrieve it.

 

Small cameras are all poor at best and have too many dsigh compromises.

 

But you insist, Canon 780 fits a pocket and you can zip it up.

 

At crowded places, the money goes in you money belt or sock, wallet best left home or in a front pocket with a safety pin. Besure to set this up long before you get there.

 

Instead of a wallet, consider a minimum of stuff like drivers license and one credit card. Nothing else. You don`t need your library card and the rest of the daily junk at a concert.

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