Photography Essentials: The Sunny 16 Rule

General Joe October 26th 2012 6:00 PM 3 Comments Tweet

With all the sophistication of mo ern meterin! s"stem# it seems li$e the !oo ol% &'nn" 16 ('le can be ismisse as one of the ol relics of the film era) *'t it is still a +ali an 'sef'l r'le nonetheless# an one that can teach !rowin! photo!raphers abo't the principles of meterin!) &o if "o' ha+en%t hear abo't the &'nn" 16 ('le or ,'st nee to br'sh 'p on it a!ain# here%s a -'ic$ primer on this classic meterin! r'le)

WHAT IS THE SUNNY 16 RULE

The &'nn" 16 ('le is a wa" to meter for correct e.pos're 'rin! a"li!ht witho't 'sin! the camera%s meter) The basic r'le of th'mb states that if "o' ha+e a clear# s'nn" a" an "o'r apert're is at f/16# whate+er 0&O "o' are 'sin!# "o'r sh'tter spee will be the reciprocal +al'e of that 0&O +al'e 10&O 2 3 1/2 secon s sh'tter spee 4 &o for e.ample# if "o'r 0&O is 200 at f/16# then "o'r sh'tter spee will be 1/200 secon s) 0f "o'r 0&O is 100# then "o'r sh'tter spee will be 1/100 secon s) &imple# ri!ht5

WHAT A!"UT "THER APERTURE #ALUES

O$# so now that we ha+e f/16 o't of the wa"# how can we 'se the &'nn" 16 ('le to calc'late sh'tter spee +al'es with other apert're +al'es5 0f "o' recall from m" t'torial on e.pos're# "o' ma" remember that apert're# sh'tter spee # an 0&O ma$e 'p the three6wa" balancin! act in eterminin! e.pos're) &o the wa" this wor$s is that if "o' increase/ ecrease one +ariable# "o' ha+e to increase/ ecrease at one of the other +ariables in or er to $eep the e.pos're the same) 0f one factor !oes 'p b" one stop# another factor sho'l !o own b" one stop# an +ice +ersa) &o let%s sa" that "o'r apert're is f/16# "o'r 0&O is 200 an "o'r sh'tter spee is 1/200) 0f "o' want to open 'p "o'r apert're b" a stop b" !oin! from f/16 to f/11# then "o' ha+e to !o own a stop in either "o'r sh'tter spee to 1/700 sec or 0&O to 0&O100) &o here%s a -'ic$ r'n6 own of what sh'tter spee that "o' will nee if "o' open 'p "o'r apert're one stop at a time) The 0&O is $ept at 0&O200) $hange in Aperture f/16 f/11 f/: f/;)6 f/7 f/2): Stop %i&&eren'e 0 91 stop 92 stops 93 stops 97 stops 9; stops $hange in Shutter 1/200 80&O200 1/700 8 0&O200 1/:00 80&O200 1/1600 8 0&O200 1/3200 80&O200 1/6700 80&O200 Stop %i&&eren'e 0 61 stop 62 stops 63 stops 67 stops 6; stops

WHAT A!"UT "THER WEATHER $"N%ITI"NS

<or other weather con itions besi es clean an s'nn"# "o' can also compensate with the apert're in or er to $eep 0&O an sh'tter spee at the same +al'e) =ere is a table from James Martin%s >i!ital Photo!raph" O't oors: ? <iel G'i e for Tra+el an ? +ent're Photo!raphers) Weather $on(ition &now"/&an " Clear @ &'nn" &li!htl" o+ercast O+ercast =ea+" o+ercast Open sha e/&'nset Sha(o) %etail >ar$ with sharp e !es >istinct &oft aro'n e !es *arel" Ao sha ows Ao sha ows Aperture f/22 f/16 f/11 f/: f/;)6 f/7

H"W IS THE SUNNY 16 RULE USE*UL

<irst of all# the &'nn" 16 ('le is a !oo wa" to chec$ if "o'r camera is spot on with e.pos're or oes it consistentl" 'n er or o+er e.pose) &ome cameras ha+e a ten enc" to sli!htl" 'n er e.pose# an this is a !oo wa" to test that camera) ? itionall"# 'nli$e the camera meterin! s"stem# the &'nn" 16 ('le is base on inci ent li!ht instea of reflecte li!ht# which means that it%s base on the bri!htness of

the li!ht onl"# an not how the li!ht that is bein! reflecte off the s'b,ect an into the camera) 0 wrote an e.tensi+e test on the a +anta!es of inci ent li!ht meterin! +ers's reflecte meterin! before# b't to s'm it 'p# inci ent li!ht meterin! cannot be foole b" +er" li!ht or +er" ar$ clothin! an +er" li!ht or ar$ bac$!ro'n ) &o as a -'ic$ e.ample# a bri e%s white we in! ress can throw off a camera%s reflecte li!ht meterin! the more an more of that ress fills the frame) &o the &'nn" 16 ('le is can help "o' o'ble chec$ "o'r camera%s meterin! to ma$e s're it%s not !ettin! thrown off) That%s all there is to it for the &'nn" 16 ('leB 0t%s another !oo tool to ha+e in "o'r photo!raph" $nowle !e ba!)