What do these numbers mean?

[Scott Watts]

This is probably going to sound like a dumb question.


On a lens, what do these numbers mean: 1:1:1 ?

 

[A. Bastaki]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macro_photography

1:1 is just like when you buy a toy car that goes like 1:17.. meaning that the model is 1/17th the size of the original.
1:1 photography is like the bug or the coin you are shooting is exactly the same size on the film/sensor pane. so a 1 inch coin.. would have a size of 1 inch on the sensor. and the last digit is the aperture.

 

[Martin Weiss]

totally off subject, but I had to smile when reading "OldBoy" and "Junior Member".

Have no idea what 1:1:1 stands for. Do you have a picture of the lens?

 

[Scott Watts]

totally off subject, but I had to smile when reading "OldBoy" and "Junior Member".

Have no idea what 1:1:1 stands for. Do you have a picture of the lens?

An Old Boy is a name for a scholar in British slang I believe. But the name came from my favorite movie OldBoy.

And no, I don't have a picture. I've just read about it somewhere before and can't remember where.

 

[Charles Angus]

Are you sure its not 1:11 or 1:1.1?

1:11 would be the zoom ratio (ie, 10mm-110mm or 20mm-220mm).

1:1.1 would be the aperture (ie, very fast).