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← Creative Hut LibraryPhotography basics · Aperture

Part 11 of 13 in the aperture guide

Does a smaller aperture always make a sharper picture?

Written by Abin Alex, Founder and Director, and Anu Joseph, Faculty, Creative Hut Academy. Reviewed 29 October 2026.

Short answer. No. A very small opening bends light at its edge and softens the picture, and a very wide one shows lens flaws. Most lenses are sharpest a few stops below their widest, around the middle of their range.

  • Diffraction: light spreads as it passes a small opening, so each point becomes a small disc. The disc is about 2.44 × wavelength × f-number wide.[3] For green light (0.55 micrometres) at f/16 that is about 21 micrometres, several times the width of a typical camera pixel, so the blur spreads over neighbouring pixels.[3]
  • Wide open: lens flaws called aberrations are strongest at the widest openings.
  • Sweet spot: most lenses are sharpest a few stops down from the widest opening, around the middle of their range.[2]
  • Test your own lenses, because every lens is different.
In photography
For a landscape, f/8 to f/11 usually gives a deep and sharp picture. Going to f/22 buys little extra depth and costs sharpness.
In cinematography
DOPs avoid the smallest stops for the same reason, and use ND filters, which cut the light so the iris can stay open.[1]
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Sweet spotWide openAberrations soften the pictureSmall openingDiffraction softens the picture Sharpness
Figure 8. Schematic, not a measurement. Sharpness is usually best in the middle of a lens’s range; the exact peak differs from lens to lens.[2]
[Lecture example slot: 100% crops of the same scene at f/2, f/8 and f/22 to show softness at both ends]

Questions people ask

Why are my photos soft at f/22?

At a very small opening light bends around the edges of the blades, which is called diffraction. It reduces fine detail.

Which aperture is sharpest?

Most lenses are sharpest a few stops down from the widest opening, around the middle of their range. Test your own lenses, because every lens is different.

References

  1. Wheeler, P. (2005) Practical Cinematography, 2nd edn. Oxford: Focal Press, pp. 101, 130, 139 to 140.
  2. Langford, M. and Bilissi, E. (2008) Langford’s Advanced Photography, 7th edn. Oxford: Focal Press, ch. 3, “Choosing lenses”, Fig. 3.19.
  3. Edmund Optics. Limitations on Resolution and Contrast: the Airy Disk. edmundoptics.com/knowledge-center/application-notes/imaging/limitations-on-resolution-and-contrast-the-airy-disk

All 13 questions in this guide

  1. What is aperture, and what does it do?
  2. What is a diaphragm, and how does it work?
  3. What is the difference between absolute and relative aperture?
  4. How is the f-number written, and why does a bigger number mean a smaller opening?
  5. Why does each f-stop multiply by 1.4 and not by 2?
  6. What are full, half and third stops of aperture?
  7. What is effective aperture?
  8. What is lens speed, and what does maximum aperture mean?
  9. How do I set the aperture on my camera?
  10. What is the difference between an f-stop and a T-stop?
  11. Does a smaller aperture always make a sharper picture?
  12. How does aperture affect depth of field?
  13. How do cinematographers use aperture?
Previous: part 10Next: part 12
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Guide by Abin Alex and Anu Joseph, Creative Hut Academy.