# Aperture question



## jessiecpt (Apr 18, 2013)

Hello all,

I just wrote a LONG post and it didnt post so this one is going to be short and sweet. I have a Sony A200 and in P,A,S an M I cannot get my aperture to go "lower" than 5 or 5.6. I can adjust everything else to whatever I want. Shutter and ISO are no problem. I do not have a manual because I bought it used but I am reading a field guide when claims that I should be able to adjust my aperture to whatever I want. I am using a 3.5-5.6/18-70 lens. 
Thank you for any help you can give me!


----------



## Ysarex (Apr 18, 2013)

The lens on your camera has a variable maximum aperture. It's only capable of f/3.5 when zoomed to the widest end. As you begin to zoom the focal length toward the longer end the aperture eventually max's out at f/5.6

Joe


----------



## o hey tyler (Apr 18, 2013)

jessiecpt said:


> Hello all,
> 
> I just wrote a LONG post and it didnt post so this one is going to be short and sweet. I have a Sony A200 and in P,A,S an M I cannot get my aperture to go "lower" than 5 or 5.6. I can adjust everything else to whatever I want. Shutter and ISO are no problem. I do not have a manual because I bought it used but I am reading a field guide when claims that I should be able to adjust my aperture to whatever I want. I am using a 3.5-5.6/18-70 lens.
> Thank you for any help you can give me!



Zoom your lens out to 18mm and your maximum aperture will be f/3.5. If you zoom it in, it will be f/5.6.


----------



## jessiecpt (Apr 18, 2013)

Wow. Thank you both so much. This has been driving me insane all day!! This is my first DSLR camera and not having a manual is not fun. I study for at least two hours a day trying to get a grip on how everything works together. It's weird though because in A mode I can dial the aperture up to much higher than 5.6. It would seem that since I can't go below 3.5, it shouldn't let me how higher than 5.6? So confusing.


----------



## SCraig (Apr 18, 2013)

Might try a Google search for "Sony A-200 User Manual" and see what happens.



jessiecpt said:


> Wow. Thank you both so much. This has been  driving me insane all day!! This is my first DSLR camera and not having a  manual is not fun. I study for at least two hours a day trying to get a  grip on how everything works together. It's weird though because in A  mode I can dial the aperture up to much higher than 5.6. It would seem  that since I can't go below 3.5, it shouldn't let me how higher than  5.6? So confusing.




F/3.5 - 5.6 is the MAXIMUM aperture allowable at the wide and narrow end of the zoom range.  It has nothing to do with the MINIMUM aperture.


----------



## DiskoJoe (Apr 18, 2013)

SCraig said:


> Might try a Google search for "Sony A-200 User Manual" and see what happens.



Sony :


----------



## KmH (Apr 18, 2013)

You can download Sony camera and lens users manuals.

http://www.docs.sony.com/release/DSLRA200.pdf


----------



## DiskoJoe (Apr 18, 2013)

OP get yourself one of these too. 

Mint Minolta AF 50mm F 1 7 for Sony Alpha 0043325412950 | eBay


----------



## Mully (Apr 18, 2013)

Find the manual here:   

http://its.truman.edu/documentation...tal Still Cameras/Sony DSLR-A200/DSLRA200.pdf


----------



## DiskoJoe (Apr 19, 2013)

Mully said:


> Find the manual here:
> 
> http://its.truman.edu/documentation...tal Still Cameras/Sony DSLR-A200/DSLRA200.pdf



Why here instead of just the sony site?


----------



## Charmed (Apr 28, 2013)

I've Got the Minolta lens mentioned above from ebay for £45 and love it.


----------

