Light Exposure
EV number quick calculation table
- My Personal Experience

Light Exposure

At a Fixed ISO, you got a lens and camera; you need to consider a whole thing about what speed for what amount of light you encounter through a day.

Here is calculator I used: http://www.calculator.org/calculate-online/photography/exposure.aspx

(if you are using a DSLR, you can just use any ISO, such as 1600, 3200, even 6400 sometimes for extra 3 stops of light balance if needed, but for film camera, you can't change for faster film before you finish a roll.)

EV number quick calculation table

																	L-		L-
EV	-2	-1	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1	0	-1	-2
																	L+		L+
ISO											12800	6400	3200	1600	800	400	200	100	200	400	800	1600	3200	6400	12800
																	L+		L-
S					60“	30”	15“	8”	4“	2”	1“	2	4	8	15	30	60	125	250	500	1000	2000	4000	8000
																	L+		L+
F										1	1.4	2	2.8	4	5.6	8	11	16	11	8	5.6	4	2.8	2	1.4	1

Count			15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15

in Av, Tv, Sv mode.

125 1i	Tv						8	15	30	1/60	1.4	2	2.8	4	5.6	8	11	16	film			2i	+1	4i	+2
f2.8 1i	Av	-1	128i	64i	32i	16i	8i	4i	2i	30	60	125	250	500	1000	2000	4000	8000	Digi	f8	-3	f4	-1	f1.4	+2
																	L-		L-
EV	-2	-1	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1	0	-1	-2
																	L+		L+
ISO											12800	6400	3200	1600	800	400	200	100	200	400	800	1600	3200	6400	12800
																	L+		L-
S					60”	30“	15”	8“	4”	2“	1”	2	4	8	15	30	60	125	250	500	1000	2000	4000	8000
																	L+		L+
F										1	1.4	2	2.8	4	5.6	8	11	16	11	8	5.6	4	2.8	2	1.4	1

Count			15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15

My Personal Experience

EV number is amount of lux in environment, for chart refer to http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm

Lens requirement after 10pm

for under EV3, f1.4 lens required with ISO 800, achieve 1/30sec
with f1.8 lens, at ISO 1600, survive 1/40 sec

EV 1 and 0: for night sky with stars

on tripod, ISO 200, 30 sec, f8. (EV 0)
hand hold, ISO 6400, 1/30 sec, f2.8 (EV 1)

EV 2 (Light off): for screen light or almost tiny lights or indirect street light

with f1.7 lens, at ISO 1600, I shot at 1/20
with f1.4 lens, at ISO 800, you are risking at 1/15 sec
with f1.2 lens, at ISO 200 (a common negative), shoot at 1/4 sec
with f1.2 lens, at ISO 400 (a common negative), shoot at 1/8 sec
(1st shot I shot at ISO 1600 with f1.7 lens, 2nd shot at ISO1600 with f1.4)

EV 3 (night driving): far street nights, small room light

with f1.2 lens, at ISO 200 (a common negative), shoot at 1/8 sec
with f1.2 lens, at ISO 400 (a common negative), shoot at 1/15 sec
with f1.4 lens, at ISO 800, you are around 1/30
f2.8, ISO 3200, 1/30 sec

—————10pm—————————————————

EV 4 : close street light, close candle, small room light, indoor nature light

with f1.2 lens, at ISO 200 (a common negative), shoot at 1/15 sec
with f1.2 lens, at ISO 400 (a common negative), shoot at 1/30 sec
with f1.4 lens, at ISO 800 (a common negative), shoot at 1/50 sec
f2.8, ISO 3200, 1/60 sec

EV 5 (lighten) (dim shopping mall, public indoor light array condition, mrt)

with f1.2 lens, at ISO 200 (a common negative), shoot at 1/30 sec
with f1.2 lens, at ISO 400 (a common negative), shoot at 1/60 sec
with f1.4 lens, at ISO 800, 1/125 sec (125~250)

EV 6 (well lighten): bright shopping mall, bright public indoor light array condition, bright mrt

with f1.2 lens, at ISO 200 (a common negative), shoot at 1/60 sec
with f1.2 lens, at ISO 400 (a common negative), shoot at 1/120 sec
with f1.4 lens, at ISO 800, 1/250 sec

—————7pm—————————————————

EV 7 (over lighten): stadium lights, stage show, inside MRT train

with f1.2 lens, at ISO 200 (a common negative), shoot at 1/120 sec
with f1.2 lens, at ISO 400 (a common negative), shoot at 1/250 sec
with f1.4 lens, at ISO 400 (a common negative), shoot at 1/250 sec
with f1.4 lens, at ISO 800, 1/500 sec,
at f2.8, at ISO 800, 1/125
at f3.5, at ISO 800, 1/100

EV 8 (over lighten): fashion street, stadium lights, stage show

at f2.8, at ISO 200 (a common negative), shoot at 1/60 sec
at f2.8, at ISO 400 (a common negative), shoot at 1/125 sec

EV 9 (spotlight):

at f2.8, at ISO 200 (a common negative), shoot at 1/125 sec
at f2.8, at ISO 400 (a common negative), shoot at 1/250 sec

—————6pm————————————————

EV 10 : after sunset

at f4, at ISO 200 (a common negative), shoot at 1/125 sec
at f4, at ISO 400 (a common negative), shoot at 1/250 sec

EV 11 (Lovely 11, last of f1.4): Sunset soft warm light, deep shadow

at f4, at ISO 200 (a common negative), shoot at 1/250 sec
at f4, at ISO 400 (a common negative), shoot at 1/500 sec
at f2.8, at ISO 800, shoot at 1/2000 sec
at f1.4, at ISO 400, shoot at 1/4000 sec
(this shot at f1.4 at my kx top speed of 1/6000 at ISO 400)

—————-start of f4, end of f1.4——————-

EV 12 (Sunny Day): (half moon), open shade

at f2.8, at ISO 400, shoot at 1/2000 sec
at f4, at ISO 200 (a common negative), shoot at 1/500 sec
at f4, at ISO 400 (a common negative), shoot at 1/1000 sec

EV 13 (Cloudy sun): no shadow cloudy sun

at f4, at ISO 200 (a common negative), shoot at 1/1000 sec
at f4, at ISO 400 (a common negative), shoot at 1/2000 sec
at f8, at ISO 200 (a common negative), shoot at 1/250 sec
at f8, at ISO 400 (a common negative), shoot at 1/500 sec

EV 14 (Hazy Sun): Moonlight, hazy and week sun

at f4, at ISO 200 (a common negative), shoot at 1/2000 sec
at f4, at ISO 400 (a common negative), shoot at 1/4000 sec
at f8, at ISO 200 (a common negative), shoot at 1/500 sec
at f8, at ISO 400 (a common negative), shoot at 1/1000 sec

—————1pm————————————————

EV 15 : Sunny 16 rules, hot sun

at f16, at ISO 200 (a common negative), shoot at 1/250 sec
at f16, at ISO 400 (a common negative), shoot at 1/500 sec
at f4 (4 stops), at ISO 200 (a common negative), shoot at 1/4000 sec
at f4 (4 stops), at ISO 400 (a common negative), shoot at 1/8000 sec

EV 16 : Hot sun + Reflective ground

half of Sunny 16 rules

Table of Contents

Light Exposure

EV number quick calculation table

My Personal Experience