Can someone please explain the 'sunny f16' rule to me?

thanks

-- Noel Hannan (noel@pnw.co.uk), March 23, 1999

Answers

The Sunny 16 Rule is a way of estimating exposure. If using ISO 100 speed film the base exposure would be 1/125 at f/16 on a sunny day. You can change this exposure for example, for low depth of field, by opening the lens up 5 stops to f/4 and increasing the shutterspeed by 5 stops to 1/4000 of a second or any other combination.

Other estimated exposures: BRIGHT SUN ON SNOW OR SAND = 1/ISO @ f/22, BRIGHT BUT CLOUDY = 1/ISO @ f/8, OPEN SHADE OR BACKLIT = 1/ISO @ f/5.6, OVERCAST = 1/ISO @ f/4, DUSK OR DAWN = 1/ISO @ f/2.8.

These are all estimates. If in doubt use slight underexposure for slide films and slight overexposure for negative films. A light meter is still the way to go but this is a way to check your light meter or estimate exposure if you forget or loose your light meter.

-- Jeff White (zonie@computer-concepts.com), March 23, 1999.

Jeff,

When you wrote the "another exposures ... ", I didn4t got the ISOs, could you explain ???

Thanks,

Charles

-- Charles (deepblue97a@hotmail.com), March 23, 1999.

You use 1 over the ISO film speed for your shutterspeed. 100 speed film would be 1/125, 200 speed film would 1/250 and so on.

-- Jeff White (zonie@computer-concepts.com), March 23, 1999.

Bright sun or hazy/bright with distinct shadows: f/16 @ 1/ISO

Cloudy Bright with softer shadows: f/11 @ 1/ISO

Cloudy with no shadows or in open shade f/5.6 @ 1/ISO

Subject lit from the side: open up 1/2 to 1 stop

Subject backlit open up 2 to 3 stops

Change the shutter speed if necessary to make the exposure adjustment.

-- Tony Brent (ajbrent@mich.com), March 25, 1999.

I have a printed out list of the entire sunny 16 rule exposure variations, and believe me, they are very accurate. One of my former teachers uses it without a meter in his camera (he has it all memorized) and his exposures are perfect.

-- mark lindsey (lindseygraves@msn.com), April 26, 1999.

To Mark Lindsey: That wouldn't be in postable form, would it? (hint hint).

Don Minton

-- don minton (minton2@mindspring.com), April 26, 1999.

maybe if you are nice to me and buy me ice cream...:)

I'll dig it out of storage

-- mark lindsey (lindseygraves@msn.com), April 28, 1999.