Exposure Value Chart
The complete EV reference for film photographers. Sunny 16, aperture/shutter combinations, scene values, and ISO conversions.
The Sunny 16 Rule
The oldest and most reliable exposure estimation technique. On a bright sunny day at ISO 100, set your aperture to f/16 and your shutter speed to 1/ISO (1/100 or 1/125). Then adjust aperture for different lighting conditions.
| Lighting Condition | Aperture | EV (ISO 100) | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bright sun, sand/snow | f/22 | 16 | Beach, ski slopes, desert |
| Bright sun | f/16 | 15 | Clear day, hard shadows |
| Slight overcast / hazy sun | f/11 | 14 | Soft shadows visible |
| Overcast | f/8 | 13 | No shadows, bright clouds |
| Heavy overcast | f/5.6 | 12 | Dark clouds, rain imminent |
| Open shade | f/4 | 12-13 | Shaded by building, open sky above |
| Sunset / sunrise | f/2.8 | 9-12 | Varies with sun angle |
How to use
Set shutter speed to 1/ISO (e.g. 1/125 for ISO 100, 1/500 for ISO 400). Then pick your aperture from the table above. For ISO 400 in bright sun: f/16 at 1/500. This rule has been reliable since the 1930s.
Exposure Value Chart
Every combination of aperture and shutter speed maps to an EV value at ISO 100. Find your row (shutter speed), find your column (aperture), and read the EV value. Scroll horizontally on mobile.
| Shutter | f/1.0 | f/1.4 | f/2 | f/2.8 | f/4 | f/5.6 | f/8 | f/11 | f/16 | f/22 | f/32 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/8000 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 1/4000 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 1/2000 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 1/1000 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 1/500 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 1/250 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 1/125 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 1/60 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 1/30 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 1/15 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 1/8 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 1/4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 1/2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 1s | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 2s | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 4s | -2 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 8s | -3 | -2 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 15s | -4 | -3 | -2 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 30s | -5 | -4 | -3 | -2 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
How to read this chart
Each cell shows the EV value at ISO 100 for that aperture/shutter combination. Yellow = bright daylight (EV 11+). White = moderate light (EV 7-10). Blue = low light (EV 3-6). Purple = very low / night (EV below 3).
EV formula
EV = log2(N^2 / t) where N = f-number, t = shutter speed in seconds. Example: f/8 at 1/125s = log2(64 / 0.008) = log2(8000) = 13.
Common Scene EV Values
Typical EV values at ISO 100 for common shooting situations. Use these as a quick sanity check against your meter reading.
| Scene | EV (ISO 100) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bright sun on snow/sand | 16 | Reflected light adds +1 stop |
| Bright sun | 15 | Clear sky, hard shadows |
| Hazy sun | 14 | Soft shadows visible |
| Open shade | 13 | Shade with open sky above |
| Overcast | 12 | Uniform cloud cover |
| Sunset / sunrise | 12 | Sun near horizon, facing sun |
| Golden hour | 9-11 | Warm directional light |
| Indoor, well-lit | 7-8 | Large windows, bright overhead lights |
| Indoor, normally lit | 5-6 | Typical room lighting |
| Indoor, dim | 4-5 | Table lamps, ambient light |
| Blue hour | 4-7 | 20-40 minutes after sunset |
| Night, street lit | 3-5 | Streetlights, shop windows |
| Night, neon signs | 4-6 | Close to illuminated signs |
| Full moon | -2 to 0 | Moonlit landscape, long exposure |
| Quarter moon | -4 to -2 | Very long exposure needed |
| Stars | -6 to -4 | Star trails, Milky Way |
ISO Conversion
The EV chart above is calibrated for ISO 100. To convert to a different ISO, add or subtract stops from the EV reading.
The rule
Each doubling of ISO adds +1 EV (or saves 1 stop). Each halving subtracts 1 EV. The effective EV for your film is:
EV_effective = EV_metered + log2(ISO / 100)
| Film ISO | EV Adjustment | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 25 | -2 EV | Need 2 more stops of light (e.g. Efke 25, ADOX CMS 20) |
| ISO 50 | -1 EV | Need 1 more stop (e.g. Velvia 50, Pan F, RPX 25) |
| ISO 100 | 0 (baseline) | Chart values as-is (e.g. Ektar, T-Max 100, FP4, Delta 100) |
| ISO 200 | +1 EV | Save 1 stop (e.g. Fuji C200, SFX 200, Gold 200) |
| ISO 400 | +2 EV | Save 2 stops (e.g. Portra 400, HP5, Tri-X, Delta 400) |
| ISO 800 | +3 EV | Save 3 stops (e.g. Portra 800, CineStill 800T) |
| ISO 1600 | +4 EV | Save 4 stops (e.g. Natura 1600, pushed 400) |
| ISO 3200 | +5 EV | Save 5 stops (e.g. T-Max P3200, Delta 3200) |
Quick example
Indoor scene at EV 7 (ISO 100). With ISO 400 film (+2 EV), you effectively have EV 9. From the chart: that could be f/2.8 at 1/60s, or f/4 at 1/30s. With ISO 100, the same scene would need f/2.8 at 1/15s - risky handheld.
