Exposure
IMPORTANT
Your camera exposure meter thinks everything is mid-grey (Zone 5)
Zone system
11 zones from Pure Black to Pure white For practical purposes only use zones II (2) to VIII (8), 7 zones total
II Textured black; the darkest part of the image in which slight detail is recorded
III Average dark materials and low values showing adequate texture
IV Average dark foliage, dark stone, or landscape shadows
V Middle grey, clear north sky, dark skin, average weathered wood
VI Average Caucasian skin; light stone; shadows on snow in sunlit landscapes
VII Very light skin; shadows in snow with acute side lighting
VIII Lightest tone with texture: textured snow
Educating your meter
Manual exposure ONLY spot metering.
- Identify the darkest and brightest part of the scene
- Meter the brightest part of the scene, the meter will show exposure for zone V (5)
- Adjust the recommended exposure so that the area is placed on Zone VIII rather than Zone V. To do this, use an exposure 3 stops more than the meter's recommendation. (+3)
- Check the shadow detail, this should be in zone II (2) not more than 3 stops under exposure. (-3)
- Make use of the histogram to check full tonal range.
If you cannot satisfy the highlight and shadow zones then you may need to bracket the exposure
Alternatively, spot meter on something mid grey, dark grass, road surface, or best to use a 18% grey card.
Then ignore what your meter tells you - this is the hardest part*
This method also works in any auto mode, just use the exposure lock AEL (this may be an a separate button or on the half press of the shutter)
Exposure Value (EV)
Exposure value is a base-2 logarithmic scale defined by:
where:
N is the f-number
t is the exposure time ("shutter speed") in seconds
EV 0 corresponds to an exposure time of 1 s and an aperture of f/1.0
EV Table
| EV | 1 | 1.4 | 2 | 2.8 | 4 | 5.6 | 8 | 11 | 16 | 22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16m | -10 | -9 | -8 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -4 | -3 | -2 | -1 |
| 8m | -9 | -8 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -4 | -3 | -2 | -1 | 0 |
| 4m | -8 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -4 | -3 | -2 | -1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2m | -7 | -6 | -5 | -4 | -3 | -2 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1m | -6 | -5 | -4 | -3 | -2 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 30 | -5 | -4 | -3 | -2 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 15 | -4 | -3 | -2 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 8 | -3 | -2 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 4 | -2 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 2 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| ½ | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| ¼ | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 1/8 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 1/15 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 1/30 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 1/60 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 1/125 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 1/250 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 1/500 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 1/1000 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 1/2000 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 1/4000 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 1/8000 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
Sunny 16 Rule
The basic rule is, "On a sunny day set aperture to f/16 and shutter speed to the [reciprocal of the] ISO film speed [or ISO setting] for a subject in direct sunlight."
ie. ISO 100, 1/100s, f16
Aperture Table
Shutter speed = 1/ISO
| Aperture | EV | Lighting | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| f22 | 16 | Snow/sand | Dark with sharp edges |
| f16 | 15 | Sunny | Distinct |
| f11 | 14 | Slight overcast | Soft around edges |
| f8 | 13 | Overcast | Barely visible |
| f5.6 | 12 | Heavy overcast | No shadows |
| f4 | 11 | Open shade/sunset | No shadows |
Other Lighting
| Lighting Conditions | EV |
|---|---|
| Light sand or snow in full or slightly hazy sunlight (distinct shadows)a | 16 |
| Typical scene in full or slightly hazy sunlight (distinct shadows)a,b | 15 |
| Typical scene in hazy sunlight (soft shadows) | 14 |
| Typical scene, cloudy bright (no shadows) | 13 |
| Typical scene, heavy overcast | 12 |
| Areas in open shade, clear sunlight | 12 |
| Outdoor, Natural light | |
| Rainbows | |
| Clear sky background | 15 |
| Cloudy sky background | 14 |
| Sunsets and skylines | |
| Just before sunset | 12–14 |
| At sunset | 12 |
| Just after sunset | 9–11 |
| The Moon, altitude > 40° | |
| Full | 15 |
| Gibbous | 14 |
| Quarter | 13 |
| Crescent | 12 |
| Moonlight, Moon altitude > 40° | |
| Full | −3 to −2 |
| Gibbous | −4 |
| Quarter | −6 |
| Aurora borealis and australis | |
| Bright | −4 to −3 |
| Medium | −6 to −5 |
| Outdoor, Artificial Light | |
| Neon and other bright signs | 9–10 |
| Night sports | 9 |
| Fires and burning buildings | 9 |
| Bright street scenes | 8 |
| Night street scenes and window displays | 7–8 |
| Night vehicle traffic | 5 |
| Fairs and amusement parks | 7 |
| Christmas tree lights | 4–5 |
| Floodlit buildings, monuments, and fountains | 3–5 |
| Distant views of lighted buildings | 2 |
| Indoor, Artificial Light | |
| Galleries | 8–11 |
| Sports events, stage shows, and the like | 8–9 |
| Circuses, floodlit | 8 |
| Ice shows, floodlit areas | 7–8 |
| Home interiors | 5–7 |
| Christmas tree lights | 4–5 |
ND Filters
| ND | -EV |
|---|---|
| 1000 | 10 |
| 64 | 6 |
| 16 | 4 |
Backlinks: Photography:Photo Maths
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