Camera
Exposure Calculator
Balance ISO, aperture and shutter, find the light level you need, and place your fixtures, lighting ratios included.
Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
How to use
- Pick your aperture, the f-stop that gives the depth of field you want.
- Pick a shutter speed, on video keep it near double your frame rate.
- Pick your ISO, the base ISO of your camera keeps noise lowest.
- Read the EV and the scene it suits, then use the ladder to swap aperture for shutter without changing brightness.
Examples
- f/2.8 at 1/50 and ISO 100 lands around EV 11, the right ballpark for open shade or a bright interior, with shallow focus for a clean single.
- f/8 at 1/125 and ISO 100 sits near EV 14, typical of hazy sun, holding most of the frame sharp for a wider establishing shot.
- The same brightness can be f/2 at 1/2000 or f/11 at 1/60, so trade one for the other to chase the look without re-lighting.
Frequently asked questions
What is EV?
Exposure Value is a single number that describes a brightness level. Every combination of aperture and shutter that gives the same EV exposes the image the same, which is why you can trade one for the other freely.
Why does the ladder keep brightness the same?
Each step down in aperture lets in half the light, and each step to a slower shutter lets in double. Moving both by one step in opposite directions cancels out, so brightness holds while depth of field and motion blur change.
How does ISO fit in?
ISO scales the signal after exposure. Raising it brightens the image without touching aperture or shutter, but adds noise, so set aperture and shutter for the look first and use ISO to reach the brightness you need.
