EV (Exposure Value): 1
Subject lit by weak artificial light
| aperture | shutter speed | |
| f/1 | 1/2s | use tripod |
| f/1.4 | 1s | use tripod |
| f/2 | 2s | use tripod |
| f/2.8 | 4s | use tripod |
| f/4 | 8s | use tripod |
| f/5.6 | 15s | use tripod |
| f/8 | 30s | use tripod |
| f/11 | 60s | use tripod |
| f/16 | 2m | use tripod |
| f/22 | 4m | use tripod |
| f/32 | 8m | use tripod |
| f/45 | 15m | use tripod |
| f/64 | 30m | use tripod |
Enter a film speed (or digital equivalent) and ambient lighting conditions. We will give you a table of apertures (f/stop) and shutter speed for the given exposure value (EV). This table allows you to use a camera with manual control in conditions outside the range of the built-in light meter, which is common in available light photography. The table does not account for reciprocity failure which reduces the sensitivity of film for very long exposures (this does not apply to digital sensors).
For more information, see the application help pages.
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Running on Windows ( : 5.0 537.36 (KHTML,; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com), built on Thu Aug 08 2024 19:57:22 GMT+0100 (British Summer Time), using Available Light framework version 2.1.0). AppId= 9wzdncrdlvbx.
User agent: WebKit - 537.36
OS: Windows
Type: desktop
Language: en-US
Commit: 45067312eceb70874523980d2b86db49c1cd4ad6
Available light photography is the practice of taking photographs without the use of artificial light sources such as flashguns or studio lights. This often gives a more natural effect, especially when compared to flash photography. The built in metering system of cameras is often unable to give accurate exposure values under extreme conditions, particularly under low light levels. Even external exposure meters have limited usefulness under low lighting levels. In this case an alternative is to estimate the exposure based on the prevailing lighting conditions.
The home page (house icon in menu bar) is the main application page. The first item is a drop-down list where you can choose the prevailing light conditions. Rather than use a light-meter, we are simply going to observe the ambient lighting conditions and then select from the list of options.
As you select the conditions the light level in lux will be displayed along with the Exposure Value (EV).
The light level is a fixed quantity for each set of conditions, but the EV will vary depending on the film speed. EV is simply a set of combinations of aperture (f-stop or f-number) and shutter speed. The classic handheld lightmeter design shows the EV value in a window at the bottom of the dial. For example, an EV of 16 represents an aperture of f/8 combined with a shutter speed of 1/1000s. But it also corresponds to an aperture of f/11 and a shutter speed of 1/500s and so on. We can keep changing the aperture as long we make a corresponding adjustment to the shutter speed, and it will still be the same exposure value. A difference of 1 EV corresponds to an exposure step, commonly referred to as a stop. Each increase in the f-stop or shutter speed halves the amount of light reaching the film or sensor and each step decrease doubles the amount of light. This is more obvious with the shutter speed which increases in steps 1/30s, 1/60s, 1/125s (note that the steps aren't always exactly double). The aperture settings go in steps f/8, f/11, f/16 which is a logarithmic scale because it relates to the diameter of the aperture although the amount of light is governed by the area of the iris. For example, f/8 means that the diameter of the iris is one eighth of the focal length of the lens.
Below these numbers is an illustrative photograph and a summary of the camera settings (see settings, below). Finally, there is a table of exposure settings in the Exposure Table. This shows pairings of aperture and shutter speed settings that will give the correct exposure. If you are photographing a static subject, for example a landscape, and the camera is mounted on a tripod, you will probably want to choose an aperture for the required depth of field. If the subject is moving then the shutter speed may be the critical setting and the aperture setting may be a compromise. If the shutter speed is too slow, given the sensor size and lens characteristics, then a third column in the table will advise to use some camera support or suggest using a tripod.
Most of the time with available light photography you will be using a tripod. When using a camera without support, or photographing moving subjects, it is usually a challenge to manage the correct exposure. Typically you will need a lens with a large aperture and consequently a very narrow depth of field which makes focussing critical. Where support is needed, or if a tripod isn't available, it is a good idea to rest the camera on a convenient surface or at least bring it into contact with a wall, lampost or any convenient structure you can find. Resting the camera in this way reduces the degree of freedom of movement of the camera. Other techniques include holding one's breath while taking the exposure and taking several shots in succession so that you can pick the best one. With care it is often possible to get an acceptable photograph even when a stop or two into the range of shutter speeds where technically a tripod is required.
On the search page (magnifying glass icon) you can enter a description of the prevailing light conditions. As you type you will see a list of photographic subjects and situations that match the search string.
Select one of the subjects to be directed to the home page with the appropriate set of conditions selected.
Clicking on the ellipsis brings up additional menu options. The Settings page allows you to configure the camera settings (film speed, sensor size, lens focal length and if the lens has image stabilization). The film speed is critical. The other settings affect the recommendations of when to use additional camera support or a tripod. On the settings page you can also customise the colour and background theme.
The About page shows the version information and legal details, as well as links to rate the application and give us feedback, which is always welcome.
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