[dcstep]

Are we using the term "fixed aperture" to mean "fixed focal length" or "prime" lenses.

I have actually worked with fixed aperture lenses, such as on my mother Kodak "Brownie" camera and the first pen-hole camera that I made in seventh grade, buy all my leses are variable aperture these days.

Dave

[rodi]

no, it should be constant aperture or, as you said, variable aperture.

[TurboFan]

Originally Posted by rodi

so then, what is a man who makes a good living doing shit-quality work? is he not a professional?
you're trying to strip the word of its status as a noun first and foremost; only secondly does it hold any use as an adjective. a subjective one, at that.
are you sure that you want to "completely" disagree?

They're someone that simply earns a wage. I most certainly would not consider him or her a professional, whether that person is a doctor, lawyer, carpenter or photographer.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by rodi

no, it should be constant aperture or, as you said, variable aperture.

Do you mean when zooming? I understand "constant" but not "fixed" aperture. So we're talking about zoom lenses that have constant apertures as you zoom, right?

Sorry for my confusion.

Dave

[rodi]

no worries.

that's correct. a constant aperture lens is a zoom lenses that can hold the same maximum aperture as you move from the wide end to the telephoto end. these are usually much more expensive than the consumer-grade lenses (i.e. f/3.5-5.6) because of the need for larger glass to maintain that larger opening for telephoto focal lengths.

aperture's are ratios of light transmission relative to the focal length. an f/2.8 on a 50mm doesn't need nearly as much area as an f/2.8 on a 200mm.

[rodi]

Originally Posted by TurboFan

They're someone that simply earns a wage. I most certainly would not consider him or her a professional, whether that person is a doctor, lawyer, carpenter or photographer.

so you're just disregarding the primary meaning of the word??

[TurboFan]

Originally Posted by rodi

so you're just disregarding the primary meaning of the word??

The primary meaning of the word doesn't mean that someone gets paid to do something. Check this out - http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/professional Primary definition is quality, secondary is whether or not someone gets paid to do it. The third and last definition also has to do with quality, not compensation.

[rodi]

fucking merriam webster.
here's what the American Heritage, Princeton and others have to say:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/professional
http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl...s=professional


at any rate, my point is this:
just because someone produces "professional" results, does not make them a professional.
my argument has never been about being "compensated" for or getting paid to do anything: it is about earning your income in its entirety from photography to be considered a professional photographer. see the difference?
just because someone paid you $100 to shoot something, doesn't make you a professional.