stop down: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2 (Technical)Technical/Professional (Photography)
Quick answer
What does “stop down” mean?
To reduce the aperture (the size of the opening) of a camera lens to allow less light to enter, thereby increasing the depth of field.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To reduce the aperture (the size of the opening) of a camera lens to allow less light to enter, thereby increasing the depth of field.
In photography, to select a higher f-number (e.g., f/8, f/11, f/16) to make the lens opening smaller. This technical action is often used to ensure more of a scene is in sharp focus.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. Terminology is standardized in professional photography globally.
Connotations
Purely technical and neutral.
Frequency
Equally common in both dialects within the photography context; virtually non-existent outside of it.
Grammar
How to Use “stop down” in a Sentence
[Photographer] + stop down + [lens/aperture] + (to + f-number)It is advisable/necessary to stop down.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “stop down” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- For this landscape, you'll need to stop down to at least f/16 to get the foreground and background sharp.
- He stopped the lens down to increase the depth of field.
American English
- If the light is too bright, stop down to avoid overexposing the shot.
- She stopped down to f/8 for the portrait to keep the eyes and ears in focus.
adverb
British English
- Not used as an adverb.
American English
- Not used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- The stopped-down aperture resulted in a longer exposure time.
- A stopped-down lens is less susceptible to certain optical flaws.
American English
- We compared the shot at a stopped-down aperture versus a wide-open one.
- The viewfinder will get darker in stopped-down metering mode.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in technical textbooks, manuals, or papers on optics or photography.
Everyday
Not used. A layperson would say 'make the aperture smaller' or 'use a higher f-number'.
Technical
The primary and only context. Standard terminology among photographers, cinematographers, and optics engineers.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “stop down”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “stop down”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “stop down”
- Using it in non-photography contexts (e.g., 'The rain stopped down').
- Confusing with 'stop up' (which typically means to block a hole).
- Incorrect word order: 'down stop the aperture'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a technical term used almost exclusively in photography and related fields like cinematography or optics.
The opposite is 'open up' (or 'use a wider aperture'), meaning to select a lower f-number (e.g., f/1.4, f/2.8) to allow more light to enter.
Very rarely and only in highly analogous technical contexts (e.g., in some optical engineering). In general usage, it is incorrect.
It originates from early lenses which had physical 'stops' (plates with holes) that were inserted into the light path. Moving to a smaller hole was 'stopping down'.
To reduce the aperture (the size of the opening) of a camera lens to allow less light to enter, thereby increasing the depth of field.
Stop down is usually technical/professional (photography) in register.
Stop down: in British English it is pronounced /ˌstɒp ˈdaʊn/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌstɑːp ˈdaʊn/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a water tap (the lens aperture). To 'stop down' is to turn the tap handle clockwise to reduce the flow (of light), making the stream narrower (the aperture smaller).
Conceptual Metaphor
PHOTOGRAPHY IS VISION. The lens is an artificial eye; 'stopping down' is like squinting to see more detail in bright light and bring more into focus.
Practice
Quiz
What does a photographer typically do when they 'stop down'?