What is aperture camera in smartphones?

We usually see the f-number, called aperture, in smartphone camera parameters. So, what is aperture camera? How does it affect photos? Which size of the aperture is the best? 

 aperture camera

What is aperture ?

First, what is aperture? Aperture is a hole within a lens. That hole lets all external light go further into the camera. The size of aperture decides how much the amount of light can go into the camera. The larger the aperture is, the more light enters the camera body, and vice versa. The size of the aperture is decided by the diaphragm which is a part of the lens.

The camera aperture is expressed in f-number. An interesting fact is that a smaller f-number means a larger aperture. This means f/1.7 >  f/2.0 > f/2.8. So, how does it affect photos? The f-number will affect the photo’s depth of field which is the area in focus. A small f-number will only focus on the foreground and make it sharp. The background will be blurry. On the other hand, a large f-number will concentrate on both the foreground and background.

 aperture camera

A smartphone camera with a big aperture (a small f-number) will give you better photos when you need to take a portrait picture or take a picture in low light condition. When you need to capture a picture in bokeh mode, a large aperture is a better choice. Meanwhile, a small camera aperture will do better in the strong light condition. If you take a picture of a group of many people or a picture of landscape or architecture, a big f-number camera is proper.

A big aperture camera or a small one?

Aperture along with OIS and Shutter Speed is the main factor deciding the quality of a photo. Aperture camera will add more depth to your photos or make everything all clear. A small aperture camera doesn’t mean it is not as good as a big camera aperture. Each of them has its own way to create a photo. So, a small aperture or a big one? It’s all up to you!