Help! Sunny 16 variation.

Jordon Brooker

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Jordon
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Hey guys,

Just wondering if anyone can help me figure this out as I just can't get my head around it...

The Scenario
Film Speed: 200
Shutter Speed: 1/500
Aperture: F/1.7 - F/16

The Question
Could you alter the "Sunny 16" rule to fit those specs?


 
What do you mean? You want to keep your ISO at 200 and shutter at 1/500th then calculate your aperture?

1/500th is a stop and a third faster than 1/200th (which is what you would set according to 'Sunny 16' in full sun) so your aperture would be f/10 (open up a stop and a third from f/16) if you want to keep your shutter speed at 1/500th.
 
What do you mean? You want to keep your ISO at 200 and shutter at 1/500th then calculate your aperture?

1/500th is a stop and a third faster than 1/200th (which is what you would set according to 'Sunny 16' in full sun) so your aperture would be f/10 (open up a stop and a third from f/16) if you want to keep your shutter speed at 1/500th.

So for a bright sunny day if I wish to keep my SS at 1/500 with ISO 200 film then my shutter speed should be f/10

The reasoning is that with an AV camera that had no battery the shutter speed is forced at 1/500, only thing I can adjust is the shutter speed and ISO/ASA.

And from there how would it go?

Very Sunny: F/10
Sunny:
Slightly Overcast:
Overcast:
Very Overcast:
Shadows/Shade:
 
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So for a bright sunny day if I wish to keep my SS at 1/500 with ISO 200 film then my shutter speed aperture should be f/10

Assuming that was a typo, yes, there or thereabouts for an 'average' exposure.

Sunny 16 says at f/16 your shutter speed is 1/ISO. So at 200 ISO you would be at 1/200th (or 1/250th if that's all your camera gives you).

1/500th is one stop less light than 1/250th or one and a third stops less light than 1/200th. So you need to open up from f/16 by one stop or one and a third stops.

One stop open from f/16 is f/11 one third more is f/10. (y)
 
@Jordon Brooker .
uncle Ken says you can use it on the flash setting and it gives you another manual setting (30th)
 
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So for a bright sunny day if I wish to keep my SS at 1/500 with ISO 200 film then my shutter speed should be f/10

The reasoning is that with an AV camera that had no battery the shutter speed is forced at 1/500, only thing I can adjust is the shutter speed and ISO/ASA.

And from there how would it go?

Very Sunny: F/10
Sunny: 7.1
Slightly Overcast: 5
Overcast: 3.5
Very Overcast: 2.5
Shadows/Shade: 1.8

Filled in the blanks.
 
Negative film will generally have plenty of exposure latitude to let you get away with a stop or 2 under or over exposure so the Sunny, f/16 rule of thumb should be well within tolerance to get useable results. Slide film is rather less tolerant, although the extra steps involved when scanning and printing (if that's your workflow) will allow a certain amount of rescuing of "wrong" exposure.

If you have a digital option that has a shutter priority mode, set it to S/Tv and 1/500th them take a few meter readings in assorted lighting conditions so you have an idea as to the correct aperture to use in similar conditions. Or bracket around sunny f/16!
 
Negative film will generally have plenty of exposure latitude to let you get away with a stop or 2 under or over exposure so the Sunny, f/16 rule of thumb should be well within tolerance to get useable results. Slide film is rather less tolerant, although the extra steps involved when scanning and printing (if that's your workflow) will allow a certain amount of rescuing of "wrong" exposure.

If you have a digital option that has a shutter priority mode, set it to S/Tv and 1/500th them take a few meter readings in assorted lighting conditions so you have an idea as to the correct aperture to use in similar conditions. Or bracket around sunny f/16!

This is true, however if you're not sure always go with the over exposure. Underexposing neg film generally makes it look a bit naff.
 
or get a battery for it
 
Get hold of THIS LOT with the original battery part number and if it's possible to fit a modern replacement, they'll be able to supply the batteries and adaptors to do so.
 
So for a bright sunny day if I wish to keep my SS at 1/500 with ISO 200 film then my shutter speed should be f/10

The reasoning is that with an AV camera that had no battery the shutter speed is forced at 1/500, only thing I can adjust is the shutter speed and ISO/ASA.

And from there how would it go?

Very Sunny: F/10
Sunny:
Slightly Overcast:
Overcast:
Very Overcast:
Shadows/Shade:
no your aperture should be f10 ;)
 
no your aperture should be f10 ;)

Sunny 16 isn't that accurate. It's normally ISO 100 at 1/125 and f16. At ISO 200 the shutter speed would be 1/250 so if you double the speed to 1/500, you would need to open up by one stop... i.e. f11.

1/500th is a stop and a third faster than 1/200th (which is what you would set according to 'Sunny 16' in full sun)

Sunny 16 was widely used before people owned light meters and at the time, shutter speeds were spaced by one stop. e.g. 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, etc.

Sunny 16 states that you should use the closest speed to the reciprocal of the film speed - but it was with this series of speeds in mind, not the 1/3 stop spacings available on modern cameras.


Steve.
 
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Sunny 16 isn't that accurate. It's normally ISO 100 at 1/125 and f16. At ISO 200 the shutter speed would be 1/250 so if you double the speed to 1/500, you would need to open up by one stop... i.e. f11.



Sunny 16 was widely used before people owned light meters and at the time, shutter speeds were spaced by one stop. e.g. 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, etc.

Sunny 16 states that you should use the closest speed to the reciprocal of the film speed - but it was with this series of speeds in mind, not the 1/3 stop spacings available on modern cameras.


Steve.
yeah the main point about the sunny 16 was it is "just a guide" not acurate at all cheers mike
 
AAMOI.....sunny 16, incident light reading and reflective reading from a Kodak grey card, are all the same....of course in the same light conditions.
 
Sunny 16 isn't that accurate. It's normally ISO 100 at 1/125 and f16. At ISO 200 the shutter speed would be 1/250 so if you double the speed to 1/500, you would need to open up by one stop... i.e. f11.

Sunny 16 was widely used before people owned light meters and at the time, shutter speeds were spaced by one stop. e.g. 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, etc.

Sunny 16 states that you should use the closest speed to the reciprocal of the film speed - but it was with this series of speeds in mind, not the 1/3 stop spacings available on modern cameras.
Steve.

Yes, which is why I explained it in 'full stops' as well as the more accurate settings of exact reciprocals. It's obviously not an exact science anyway, so whether you're able to choose a third of a stop difference or not, likely isn't going to be that important.
 
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