What is the ‘Sunny Sixteen Rule?<\/p>\n
Short answer is, the easiest way to calculate exposure without using a light meter.<\/p>\n
We touched on using the Sunny Sixteen Rule in our review on 135mm lenses, please allow me to elaborate.<\/p>\n
How the ‘Rule’ works.<\/strong><\/p>\n ISO set equals the shutter speed set, intensity of daylight dictates the aperture used – ie. bright sun means an aperture of f16. (Hence Sunny Sixteen)<\/p>\n The full list goes like this:<\/p>\n Bright sun, hard shadows<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Bright with soft shadows<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Overcast, no shadows<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Sunrise and sunset<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n f16<\/p>\n<\/td>\n f11<\/p>\n<\/td>\n f8<\/p>\n<\/td>\n F5.6<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 100 ISO<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n 1\/100th sec<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 1\/100th sec<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 1\/100th sec<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 1\/100th sec<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 200 ISO<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n 1\/200th sec<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 1\/200th sec<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 1\/200th sec<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 1\/200th sec<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 400 ISO<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n 1\/400th sec<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 1\/400th sec<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 1\/400th sec<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 1\/400th sec<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 800 ISO<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n 1\/800th sec<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 1\/800th sec<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 1\/800th sec<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 1\/800th sec<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n The above figures are not hard and fast rules, if you are photographing in extremely bright conditions, such as snow or on a beach the shutter speed will need to be increased or a smaller aperture used. Additionally there may be a preference to use a faster or slower shutter speed or larger or smaller aperture, this just means recalculating, all the figures are linear. For example – 100 ISO with bright sun and hard shadows using a shutter speed of 1\/200th sec would use an aperture of f11.<\/p>\n The Sunny Sixteen Rule harks back to the days of film photography when most cameras were totally manual, a lot of film boxes even to this day still have an exposure guide printed on the inside.<\/p>\n The last film cameras and all digital cameras have very advanced light meters built in and usually if the meter is not functioning, then there may be problems beyond just a meter malfunction. In saying this, the Sunny Sixteen Rule can be applied as a rough guide if you doubt the reading your meter is giving.<\/p>\n As an experiment, try using the rule and compare with your camera’s built in meter.<\/p>\n Colin<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What is the ‘Sunny Sixteen Rule? Short answer is, the easiest way to calculate exposure without using a light meter. We touched on using the Sunny Sixteen Rule in our review on 135mm lenses, please allow me to elaborate. How … Continue reading \n\n
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