Master the Exposure Triangle, calculate exact EV ratings, find equivalent exposure combinations, determine safe handheld shutter speeds, and measure stops of light.
Choose which variable you want to solve for, or adjust parameters to see real-time EV.
All equivalent settings that produce the exact same overall exposure value (EV), detailing artistic depth-of-field and motion freeze trade-offs:
| Aperture | Shutter Speed | ISO | Target EV | Depth of Field (DoF) | Motion Characteristic |
|---|
Measure the exact stops of light difference between two shutter speeds.
Calculate the stops difference when opening or closing your lens aperture.
Calculate exposure change when boosting or reducing sensor ISO.
Measure scene contrast ratio and dynamic range between highlights and shadows.
Reciprocal rule calculator with sensor crop factor and optical/in-body stabilization.
Maximum shutter exposure time to prevent star trails in night sky astrophotography.
Exposure in photography is the total amount of light that reaches your camera's image sensor during the creation of a photograph. Getting the exposure right is both a technical requirement for crisp, clean images and a fundamental creative decision.
The size of the lens iris opening. Wider apertures (smaller f-numbers like f/1.4 or f/2.8) let in massive light and yield creamy background blur (shallow depth of field). Narrow apertures (f/8 to f/16) maximize scene sharpness from foreground to horizon.
How long the camera shutter remains open. Fast speeds (1/1000s or 1/4000s) freeze high-speed wildlife and sports action. Slow shutter speeds (1/2s to 30s) blur waterfalls and create light trails.
The electronic signal gain of the camera sensor. Base ISO 100 provides maximum dynamic range and zero grain. Higher ISOs (3200, 6400+) allow shooting in low light at the cost of digital luminance noise.
