Sunny 16 Rule?

[mom2aidan]

I saw this today on another forum I visit. Is there any truth to it? Can someone explain a bit more about it?

Here is what I found:


Sunny 16 rule

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For the EP by Ben Folds, see Sunny 16 (EP)

In photography, the sunny 16 rule (or, less often, the "sunny f/16 rule") is a method to estimate correct daylight exposures without using a light meter.

The basic sunny 16 rule, applicable on a sunny day, is this:

* Set aperture to f/16 and shutter speed (reciprocal seconds) to ISO film speed.

For example, for ISO 100 film, choose shutter speed of 1/100 second (or 1/125 second)

The elaborated form of the sunny 16 rule for more general situations is:

1. Set the shutter speed to the setting nearest to the ISO film speed

2. Set the f-number according to the table below:

Aperture

Lighting Conditions

Shadow Detail

f/16

Sunny

Distinct

f/11

Slight Overcast

Soft around edges

f/8

Overcast

Barely visible

f/5.6

Heavy Overcast

No shadows

f/4

Sunset



[1]

For example, to shoot ISO 100 film in sunny conditions, set the shutter speed to 1/100 or 1/125 and the f-stop to f/16. With ISO 200 film, set the speed to 1/200 or 1/250. For ISO 400 film, 1/400 or 1/500. As with other light readings, the shutter speed can be changed, as long as the f-number is compensated. For example, 1/250th of a second at f/11 would be equivalent to 1/125th at f/16.

[Hogleg 44]

It is true. Basically, it is a general rule for film, before auto cameras. Using ASA 100 film, in full sunshine, shooting a landscape, set the shutter to 1/100th sec (the ASA number). and the aperture to f16, and you should get a properly exposed image.
With todays fully auto cameras, it really is a bit obsolete.
As a test, Try it on your digital and it should still produce a properly exposed image.

[brad]

Originally Posted by Hogleg 44

It is true. Basically, it is a general rule for film, before auto cameras. Using ASA 100 film, in full sunshine, shooting a landscape, set the shutter to 1/100th sec (the ASA number). and the aperture to f16, and you should get a properly exposed image.
With todays fully auto cameras, it really is a bit obsolete.
As a test, Try it on your digital and it should still produce a properly exposed image.

Obsolete?

That's like saying Oil Paint is obsolete now that Acrylics are available.

[J Eddington]

Originally Posted by Hogleg 44

It is true. Basically, it is a general rule for film, before auto cameras. Using ASA 100 film, in full sunshine, shooting a landscape, set the shutter to 1/100th sec (the ASA number). and the aperture to f16, and you should get a properly exposed image.
With todays fully auto cameras, it really is a bit obsolete.

Well for those of us who do not use the program mode on our cameras, it works very well.

[Hogleg 44]

Well! ...a bit, meaning nearly obsolete!!!

[12stones]

Originally Posted by brad

Obsolete?

That's like saying Oil Paint is obsolete now that Acrylics are available.

I think he meant that with today's cameras (even film) being able to meter the exposure for you, that having to estimate using this technique is not as necessary. That being said it's still good knowledge to know as a guideline, but it is not a hardfast rule concerning exposure.

Originally Posted by mom2aidan

For example, 1/250th of a second at f/11 would be equivalent to 1/125th at f/16.

That's correct concerning proper exposure, but the pictures won't look the same as you change aperture size. Following your same example, still at ISO 100, if you shoot at f/5.6 then you're looking at 1/1000th of a second, and your pictures will look different because of DOF.

Bryan Peterson explains this excellently in his book Understanding Exposure, but here's a quick link by Mike Turner if you want to read more... http://www.miketurner-photography.co...r_pictures.htm

[mdparthum]

Has anyone sat down and done this to see if it coverts over to the digital world? Just curious!

[12stones]

Originally Posted by mdparthum

Has anyone sat down and done this to see if it coverts over to the digital world? Just curious!

It does in a loose sense. The way the digital cameras are designed, they are made to reflect the ISO, aperture and shutter speed settings just as film cameras do, so in theory, when you take a film camera (35mm) and a digital camera (full frame 35mm sensor) and put them side-by-side on the same settings shooting the same subject from the same angle, the picture should pretty much look the same.

So, based on that alone, this should convert over to the digital world.

[JohnT]

Originally Posted by mdparthum

Has anyone sat down and done this to see if it coverts over to the digital world? Just curious!

Just shot this from my driveway. ISO=100, Tv=1/100, Av=16. JPEG straight from camera with only resizing and sharpening for web.

[brad]

Originally Posted by JohnT

Just shot this from my driveway. ISO=100, Tv=1/100, Av=16. JPEG straight from camera with only resizing and sharpening for web.

That would be a Yes.


I teach Sunny/16 in my basic camera class when we talk about exposure. It is still very valid in our digital world... digital meters are easily fooled. It takes the meter in your brain to make it all work.

For example, your digital meter is going to mess up a shot of the moon, every time.. it will try to make the moon white and the sky gray.... BUT the moon is a sunlit object... apply Sunny/16 to it and you'll get a near perfect exposure.... Sunny/16 is not a hard and fast rule (never was), but it is a guideline to give you a good starting place on exposure and understanding it.

[mdparthum]

Hey John...Thanks for doing that! It's cool when the old rules carry over.

[JohnT]

Originally Posted by brad

That would be a Yes.


I teach Sunny/16 in my basic camera class when we talk about exposure. It is still very valid in our digital world... digital meters are easily fooled. It takes the meter in your brain to make it all work.

The camera's meter was showing an under-exposure by one full stop due to all the shadows. Overriding that with Sunny 16 produced a proper exposure. Pretty cool...

[Cope]

Originally Posted by brad

That would be a Yes.


.... Sunny/16 is not a hard and fast rule (never was), but it is a guideline to give you a good starting place on exposure and understanding it.

I have also read that for cloudy days you can use a "cloudy 8" (halving all the values from sunny 16) and do a good job. I tried it a few times and it worked.

[luis_relampago]

Sunny/16 is a golden rule and still applies, If you are letting the camera decide what is best for an exposure, you might get stock with an image that isn't what you really wanted to capture. In a sunny day move the camera mode to Manual and set up the F-stop the Shutter speed and the ISO to the rule f-16, 1/100, ISO 100 and you will get a propper exposure 95% of the time.

[mom2aidan]

here is my try at it. although my battery was beeping at me
I had ISO 100, Shutter 1/90 (dont have 1/100), and f/16 ( I believe I should have tried f/11 maybe?)

this is also from my driveway

all i did was sharpen and resize