Difference between revisions of "Sunny 16"
m (links) |
m (Moved Glossary to the top of the page) |
||
(12 intermediate revisions by 4 users not shown) | |||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
− | + | {{glossary}} | |
+ | '''Sunny 16''' ([[Andreas Feininger]] called it "''magic 16''") is a rule-of-thumb guideline that says proper exposure on a sunny day is achieved with aperture set to f/16, combined with shutter speed set to the reciprocal of your [[film speed]]. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ''Exposure control by aperture setting:''<br> | ||
+ | Aperture should be wider in less bright light situations, i.e. half to full [[f-stop]] wider (f/13-f/11) for sunny but hazy, two f-stops (f/8) for clouds, and three f-stops wider (f/5.6) for strongly clouded sky, or even an f-stop smaller, i.e. f/22 for snow or white sands in bright sunshine. Of course small format cameras will produce diffraction unsharpness at such small aperture. | ||
+ | |||
+ | {| rules="all" | ||
+ | |-align=center | ||
+ | |'''Condition''' | ||
+ | |'''Aperture''' for shutter speed<br/>set reciprocal to film speed | ||
+ | |-align=center | ||
+ | |Bright sun | ||
+ | |f16 | ||
+ | |-align=center | ||
+ | |Hazy sun | ||
+ | |f11 | ||
+ | |-align=center | ||
+ | |Cloudy | ||
+ | |f8 | ||
+ | |-align=center | ||
+ | |strongly clouded,<br>Overcast,<br />Dull | ||
+ | |f5.6 | ||
+ | |} | ||
− | + | ''Exposure control by shutter speed setting:''<br> | |
+ | Of course a small aperture might be fine for landscape photos. So let it be set to f/16 and control exposure by shutter speed, setting it higher for bright snow, or lower for hazy or cloudy weather. | ||
+ | If we use a good ISO 100 film it has a fine color grain, allowing sharpest analog photographs. Thus a camera with a good [[lens]] will be prefered to shoot that film. But a good lens usually has its finest sharpness at an aperture wider than f/16! The third sample in the following table is given for a lens with optimal sharpness at aperture f/5.6 | ||
− | { | + | {| rules="all" |
+ | |-align=center | ||
+ | |'''Condition''' | ||
+ | |'''Shutter speed''' for f/16<br/>with [[film speed]] ISO 100 | ||
+ | |'''Shutter speed''' for f/16<br/>with [[film speed]] '''ISO 400''' | ||
+ | |Shutter speed for '''f/5.6'''<br/>with [[film speed]] '''ISO 100''' | ||
+ | |-align=center | ||
+ | |Bright sun | ||
+ | |1/100 sec. | ||
+ | |1/400 sec. | ||
+ | |1/800 sec. | ||
+ | |-align=center | ||
+ | |Hazy sun | ||
+ | |1/50 sec. | ||
+ | |1/200 sec. | ||
+ | |1/400 sec. | ||
+ | |-align=center | ||
+ | |Cloudy | ||
+ | |1/25 sec. | ||
+ | |1/100 sec. | ||
+ | |1/200 sec. | ||
+ | |-align=center | ||
+ | |strongly clouded,<br>Overcast,<br />Dull | ||
+ | |1/12.5 sec. | ||
+ | |1/50 sec. | ||
+ | |1/100 sec. | ||
+ | |} | ||
+ | For f/16 in bright sun use the closest match to the film speed's reciprocal value as shutter speed. For example 1/125 instead of 1/100 if speed scale doesn't offer 1/100, or 1/300 instead of 1/400 if the speed scale ends at 1/300. | ||
− | {{ | + | == Weather Symbols == |
+ | {{Flickr_image | ||
+ | |image_source= http://www.flickr.com/photos/24225011@N04/2661810635/in/pool-camerawiki/ | ||
+ | |image= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3273/2661810635_fabf54c272_m.jpg | ||
+ | |image_align= right | ||
+ | |image_text= Weather symbols on the shutter speed<br>ring of a [[Cosmic Symbol]]. The aperture of<br>this camera is preset depending on film speed. | ||
+ | |image_by= AWCam | ||
+ | |image_rights=with permission | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | Sunny 16 is sometimes formalised onto a camera as weather symbols. The exposure controls are marked with sunny/cloudy (etc) symbols, mainly for aperture setting on cameras with single-speed-shutter. |
Latest revision as of 04:03, 23 March 2023
Sunny 16 (Andreas Feininger called it "magic 16") is a rule-of-thumb guideline that says proper exposure on a sunny day is achieved with aperture set to f/16, combined with shutter speed set to the reciprocal of your film speed.
Exposure control by aperture setting:
Aperture should be wider in less bright light situations, i.e. half to full f-stop wider (f/13-f/11) for sunny but hazy, two f-stops (f/8) for clouds, and three f-stops wider (f/5.6) for strongly clouded sky, or even an f-stop smaller, i.e. f/22 for snow or white sands in bright sunshine. Of course small format cameras will produce diffraction unsharpness at such small aperture.
Condition | Aperture for shutter speed set reciprocal to film speed |
Bright sun | f16 |
Hazy sun | f11 |
Cloudy | f8 |
strongly clouded, Overcast, Dull |
f5.6 |
Exposure control by shutter speed setting:
Of course a small aperture might be fine for landscape photos. So let it be set to f/16 and control exposure by shutter speed, setting it higher for bright snow, or lower for hazy or cloudy weather.
If we use a good ISO 100 film it has a fine color grain, allowing sharpest analog photographs. Thus a camera with a good lens will be prefered to shoot that film. But a good lens usually has its finest sharpness at an aperture wider than f/16! The third sample in the following table is given for a lens with optimal sharpness at aperture f/5.6
Condition | Shutter speed for f/16 with film speed ISO 100 |
Shutter speed for f/16 with film speed ISO 400 |
Shutter speed for f/5.6 with film speed ISO 100 |
Bright sun | 1/100 sec. | 1/400 sec. | 1/800 sec. |
Hazy sun | 1/50 sec. | 1/200 sec. | 1/400 sec. |
Cloudy | 1/25 sec. | 1/100 sec. | 1/200 sec. |
strongly clouded, Overcast, Dull |
1/12.5 sec. | 1/50 sec. | 1/100 sec. |
For f/16 in bright sun use the closest match to the film speed's reciprocal value as shutter speed. For example 1/125 instead of 1/100 if speed scale doesn't offer 1/100, or 1/300 instead of 1/400 if the speed scale ends at 1/300.
Weather Symbols
Weather symbols on the shutter speed ring of a Cosmic Symbol. The aperture of this camera is preset depending on film speed. image by AWCam (Image rights) |
Sunny 16 is sometimes formalised onto a camera as weather symbols. The exposure controls are marked with sunny/cloudy (etc) symbols, mainly for aperture setting on cameras with single-speed-shutter.