Why???

[Chunk]

Why in the world do the manufacturers of digital cameras so often limit the aperture to about f8? The limited aperture range on my Canon S30 is one of its most frustrating 'features'.

I have been reading about the Panasonic FZ20 and liked everything I read in reviews and tests but found no mention of the aperture range other than its having an f2.8 max aperture throughout its 12x zoom range. When I went to look at one I found that the minimum aperture is f8. Why in the duece do they go to the trouble of having Leica design an otherwise seemingly good lens and have this limitation? Money? Size? Easier to limit the light with shutter speed? They just don't want their camera used for taking serious pictures? What?

Looking at other comperable cameras most had an f8 minimum with one having f11 and another having f11.6.

I know I can have a full range of aperture by simply buying an SLR and a couple lenses but I kinda like the convenience of having just a camera without having to haul a bag around too.

[Sebastian]

It's all relative, the size and focal length combos dictate minimum and maximum apertures, this is by no means an intentional crippling.

[another view]

Most of the compact digital cameras are like this - probably all of them for the reason Sebastian gives. My Coolpix only goes down to f8 or so but it's a tiny lens and even zoomed out it's about 21mm. Personally, I have a bigger problem with faster apertures - even at 2.8 the DOF is huge, again due to the 7-21mm lens.

[Chunk]

Most of the compact digital cameras are like this - probably all of them for the reason Sebastian gives. My Coolpix only goes down to f8 or so but it's a tiny lens and even zoomed out it's about 21mm. Personally, I have a bigger problem with faster apertures - even at 2.8 the DOF is huge, again due to the 7-21mm lens.

Thanks to both of you for your replies. I guess this is one itch that will never be adequately scratched. I think I will pick one of these cameras up anyway. While I know the quality of the whole package doesn't match something like a Rebel Digital with a good lens, it fits much more easily into my price ranges and is a huge improvement over my Canon S30. The Image stabilizantion, large zoom range, and much improved shutter response times will all be much welcomed and overcome the major frustrations that I feel with the S30. The online reviews also seem to be pretty good.

[Sebastian]

Chunk,

Why are you worried about it? How would it limit you? The f/8 on these cams is equivalent to f/16 or thereabouts on 35mm as far as depth of field goes. If anything, the only limiting factor is the open end, where even 2.0 gives you way more depth of field than you're used to, making portraits and selective focus tricks very difficult to pull off.

[Chunk]

Chunk,

Why are you worried about it? How would it limit you? The f/8 on these cams is equivalent to f/16 or thereabouts on 35mm as far as depth of field goes. If anything, the only limiting factor is the open end, where even 2.0 gives you way more depth of field than you're used to, making portraits and selective focus tricks very difficult to pull off.

I guess I may be making more of it than I should and didn't really consider how much different it is on these cameras compared to 35mm until Steve's answer got me thinking about it.
There are times when I'm taking scenic shots with nearby foreground stuff that I want in decent focus as well. (I wonder what the hyperfocal distance is on these cameras at the long end of the zoom.)

[Maury of Lowepro]

Another factor that I believe figures in more specifically is that with the small size of the glass on compact digital cameras, at the relatively tiny apertures below about f/8-11, the possibility of optical problems becomes more of a possibility.

[Photo-John]

Why are you worried about it? How would it limit you? The f/8 on these cams is equivalent to f/16 or thereabouts on 35mm as far as depth of field goes.

I don't like an f/8 minimum aperture and found it very frustrating with my G2. It's not because I wanted more depht-of-field, though. All the compact digitals have plenty of that - more than I want, actually. The problem is that in bright sunlight, even with the lowest ISO setting, there's too much light. Outdoor photography can be very difficult when you can't use small apertures - especially if you want to use slow shutter speeds.

However, starting with the G3, Canon added built-in neutral density filters to help solve my problem. As long as a compact digital has some way of decreasing light, besides a smaller aperture, I'm happy.