So a kit lens is just a lens that is usually sold as a kit with the camera body. These are most often pretty cheap and not of the best quality. Think of it as getting a new TV. It has built in speakers. They work just fine, but if you want good sound you're probably getting a proper sound system.

The variability of the aperture is common in zoom lenses. So this lens can be as most open f/2.8 when you are at the widest zoom, 18mm in this case. If you zoom all the way in, the most open aperture you will be able to set will be f/4.

You can always stop down your aperture further if you like. So if you're at 18mm you can still set it to f/4. But you can't set it to f/2.8 if you are all zoomed in at 55mm.

Worth mentioning is also that there are lenses where the focal length does not affect the minimum aperture. I have a 20-70mm lens that can go down to f/2.8 regardless of what focal length I am working with. But this is often a premium feature. Variable minimum aperture like the one you've found is more common.

Also worth mentioning is that there are "prime lenses" that have no zoom ability at all. They are fixed at a focal length. These primes are often of better quality than zoom lenses since they don't have to account for optical quality in the whole zoom range, but you will be limited by not being able to zoom at all. These often have lower minimum apertures as well. It is not uncommon with primes at f/1.4 or f/1.8. These are great to use if the focal length is right for the purpose, but otherwise not very versatile.

I'd say go with a zoom of some sort unless you are sure you only need a specific focal length.

Your kit lens is a good start, but to get the most out of your camera, consider getting a better lens.

But hey, I don't know anything about fuji kit lenses, they might be good. Give it a try and see!

2mo ago

Recommended cameras for beginners?

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hanke @feddit.nu 2mo ago

Some notes;

The f-number is not fps. The f-number is a property of the lens you are using that defines the ratio of light it collects.

Lower f-numbers collect more light
More light collected helps shooting at high fps (see more below)
A lower f-number will also create more bokeh (creamy out of focus background)

Actual explaination of f-numbers

So there are many pros of having a low f-number lens, but don't go crazy. There are f/1.4 and even lower lenses. I have a f/2.8 and that is more than enough. But it all depends on your use case I guess.

FPS:

The "fastest" fps you can shoot is limited by your camera body
Your lens most often just limits high fps shooting if it is too dark where you are shooting and your lens is not collecting enough light (the f-number is to high)

I don't know much about the fuji cameras you are mentioning, but if you are familiar with them and like them, then go for it! I find it to be very personal what people go for.

Someone else in the comments mentioned micro 4/3. Those cameras are very much more "pocketable" and have gotten way better (or so I've understood it). But the size of the micro 4/3 sensors is a bit smaller than both full frame and APS-C sensors which will mean a bit worse performance in low light conditions. It is up to you to decide if it is worth the trade-off.

2mo ago

Recommended cameras for beginners?

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hanke @feddit.nu 2mo ago

2mo ago

Recommended cameras for beginners?

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hanke @feddit.nu 2mo ago

On the train you will want a fast lens, meaning low f-numbers (takes in more light) so you can use quick shutter speeds without it being to dark.

You might also want a camera body and/or lens with image stabilisation. Not a must, but good if shooting on the move or using long shutter speeds handheld.

Sorry for ignoring your buy nice, not twice. But you don't know what you want until you get your hands dirty. So get something less expensive and learn. Then buy someting nice.

I recommend either a cheapo used Nikon APS-C DSLR (Nikon D3200 for example) and some lens to go with it. Could cost ypu about 150€ to 300€ to get started depending on how lucky you are.

Or get a used mirrorless with a lens for a fancier start. A bit more expensive, but probably better than an old DSLR. More likely to have image stabilisation as well.

Then if you like to shoot, upgrade.

Compare different cameras on https://cameradecision.com/

For image processing I revommend Darktable. FOSS and Native to Linux. I've only used that and it works well for me.

PS.

I don't know what hardware to get for the butt pics. Maybe a wide angle lens if it's a big one and you like to get up close.

Not my area of expertise though. Someone else is welcome to chime in.

2mo ago

Svenska instanser och grupper på fediverse?

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hanke @feddit.nu 2mo ago

Om du är intresserad av foto och jag får toota mitt eget horn så postar jag på Mastodon och här på Lemmy när jag fotat något jag gillar.

Rätt dött vinterhalvåret, men snart är det vår igen!

https://mastodon.nu/@hanke för mastodon, men jag postar samma foton som här ish.

2mo ago

horseshoe theory confirmed

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hanke @feddit.nu 2mo ago

Am I stupid for not understanding what

to mog

means?

2mo ago

Sharing from Drive: "Inviting someone with a Proton or SimpleLogin domain is not permitted"

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hanke @feddit.nu 2mo ago

They're busy creating a E2EE calculator (or something) noone asked for instead of making sure what they already have works properly across all eco systems.

2mo ago

Look on the bright side

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hanke @feddit.nu 2mo ago

I think people just have to make informed desicions on what servers they pick.

Using small servers run on a raspberry pi in a shed by a single person is fine if you are that person. But if that is not your server you're better off picking a more established server that has a more proven presence.

This problem can be solved by education.

Using the email comparison, most people would pick a provider with good reputation (hotmail, gmail, protonmail). There are plenty of shite servers out there, I'm sure. But noone picks them.

2mo ago

Look on the bright side

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hanke @feddit.nu 2mo ago

I chose to see it as a strength as well though.

Lemmy as a whole is still very much alive. We lose servers every now and then, but no server is the whole platform.

If your server disappears, look for a new one and pick one that will fit your needs better this time. Or help pay for costs if that's why it disappeared.

2mo ago

What's the current state of microG with regard to push notifications and location services?

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hanke @feddit.nu 2mo ago

I have been using microG since maybe 2021 and the only thing not working is payments in apps and some apps that use android wallet API calls and maybe some other specific API.