Does F/ mean as much anymore

[Lee_sec]

So still learning what to do and how to get the best out of my mirrorless setup and everything I'm learning talks about the importance of the exposure triangle, however...

with the two button click ease of post production being able to give realistic bokkeh effects (see i'm learning all the terms) - does the F stop number on a lens have the same impact it used to?

[nessiemac]

Lee_sec said:

So still learning what to do and how to get the best out of my mirrorless setup and everything I'm learning talks about the importance of the exposure triangle, however...

with the two button click ease of post production being able to give realistic bokkeh effects (see i'm learning all the terms) - does the F stop number on a lens have the same impact it used to?

Of course it matters as it determines how “fast” your lens is or how much light your lens will let through, not just blur.

[StevieBee]

Yes, it matters a lot.

Post production does indeed offer a vast array of opportunities to alter your images but should only be used to correct something that wasn't possible to accommodate in the actual shot, fix something, embellish or add a creative flourish.

For example and related to the F Stop, the latest Lightroom has an excellent depth blur function but as good as this, it's not a patch on the same natural effect of depth of field that you get with F2.8 or lower.

[JonnyWhitters]

Absolutely still relevant. Some lenses offer fantastic bokeh and as minimal post-processing as possible will help set you apart from those that rely on Lightroom / Photoshop / whatever the latest new processing app is.

By focusing on what you can control in the scene it’ll help hone your skills and help understand what works well for a stronger picture.

Get an interesting scene well-composed in camera then you don’t need to rely on pixel stretching / background replacements / sharpening or bokeh enhancements to make it attention grabbing.

[Simpo Two]

I'm reminded of a story my father told me. He was a keen amateur photographer and did his own D&P at home in a specially adapted room. One day he was showing a friend how the enlarger worked - you turn the focus ring and the image projected on the paper goes in or out of focus. The friend was highly impressed with this and said 'So it doesn't matter if you pictures are out of focus pictures because you can sharpen them later!'

Always try to get it right in camera if you can.