Tag: Sunny 16

Sunny 16

The Sunny 16 rule may seem old fashioned in the modern age of auto-everything-what-you-see-is-what-you-get digital cameras. But if your photographic tool of choice is a legacy film camera, many of which either didn't have light meters or had first-generation light meters that were sometimes inaccurate, the Sunny f/16 rule can you estimate which camera settings to use for a balanced exposure.

One of the challenges of using a 35mm film camera is many of the older models do not have electronic light meters, and the ones that do have Light-meters require batteries. When the battery for my Fujifilm X-T2 digital camera is exhausted, I can quickly pop in a new one. Changing the battery in some film camera, e.g. the Pentax ES II, is a bit more challenging.

To get around the need for a light meter, some photographers use a rule called “sunny 16” or "sunny f/16 rule". This "rule" recommends that, on a clear and sunny day with distinct shadows, the photographer set the camera exposure (aka shutter speed) to the inverse of the film ISO when the lens aperture is set to f/16. For example, if shooting a roll of Ilford HP5 Plus 400, a good starting point for shutter speed would be 1⁄400 sec; for Kodak Ektar 100 it would be 1⁄100 sec.

But what if you want to shoot at f/8 instead of f/16? Reduce the exposure time by a quarter or \tfrac{1}{x^2} \ where x is the change in the aperture, which in this case was two full f-stops. On a clear and sunny day, a roll of Ilford HP5 Plus 400 at f/8 could be exposed at ½2 x 1⁄400 = ¼ x 1⁄400 = 1/1600 sec. But what if the sky is cloudy or I am shooting indoors? It gets complicated. Some photographers are good at mental math or maybe memorised a table of possible values or with experience, have just learned what to do for most situations.

I have no intention of doing the mental math required. Despite a college minor in mathematics (differential equations, algebra and other abstract math are required for engineering students), I'm not good at mental arithmetic. It's my Kryptonite. Fortunately, I don't have to do any math. There is an app for that; the Sunny16 exposure calculator. I installed this app on my iPhone. Whenever I need to use the Sunny f/16 rule, I will consult this app to find the combination of aperture and exposure for the given screen.

I copied the following table from Wikipedia and added a column for exposure at ISO 100.

Aperture Lighting Conditions Shadow Detail Shutter speed at ISO 100
f/22 Snow/sand Dark and sharp edges 1⁄50 sec
f/16 Sunny Distinct 1⁄100 sec
f/11 Slight overcast Soft around edges 1⁄200 sec
f/8 Overcast Barely visible 1⁄400 sec
f/5.6 Heavy overcast No shadows 1⁄800
f/4 Open shade/sunset No shadows 1/1600

When I first learned about the Sunny 16 technique I was sceptical and critical. In fact, I was downright antagonistic in my comments on the blog post. But a recent experience with a roll of improperly exposed Kodak Ektachrome 100 and a short email exchange with Hamish Gill made me reconsider. Had I learned more about the Sunny 16 rule I would have realised that the rule starts with the assumption that your lighting conditions are a clear sunny day. However, at the beach, the sunny sky and sand may have tricked the light meter in my Minolta X-700. Had I remembered to use the Sunny 16 rule, I might have had better results with this roll of Kodak Ektachrome 100 under these lighting conditions.

The Sunny 16 rule may seem old fashioned in the modern age of auto-everything-what-you-see-is-what-you-get digital cameras. But if your photographic tool of choice is a legacy film camera, many of which either didn't have light meters or had first-generation light meters that were sometimes inaccurate, the Sunny f/16 rule can help you estimate which camera settings to use for a balanced exposure.

Submitted for the 100DaysToOffload project.

Ilford HP5 Plus 400 | Pentax Spotmatic SPII | SMC Takumar 55mm F:2

This roll of film is the second roll of Ilford HP5 Plus 400 that I developed with The Darkroom. This roll was shot on my Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II and Asahi Optical Co. SMC Takumar 55mm f/2 lens.

NOTE: I'll begin this experience report with a brief disclaimer. It's been less than two years since I returned to shooting 35mm film after switching to digital photography over 20 years ago. I've inundated myself with as much film education as possible between web articles and advice from experienced film shooters. But, with my former experience way in past and limited recent experience, this review is coming from a relatively novice point of view.

UPDATE 13 April 2020: Hamish Gill of 35mmc suggested I may have a faulty shutter. In March, I had the camera CLA'd (Clean, Lube and Adjust) by Eric Hendrickson. Soon, I'll shoot another roll of film to see the difference.

This film is the second roll of Ilford HP5 Plus 400 that I developed and scanned at The Darkroom Lab. This Ilford HP5 Plus 400 roll was shot on my Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II and Asahi Optical Co. SMC Takumar 55mm f/2 lens.

Using the Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II camera was more challenging than using the Pentax P3. The Pentax P3 has a shutter priority mode, and my unit has a working light meter. When I shot using the Pentax P3 camera, I set the shutter speed to 1/250s, and the camera adjusted the aperture as needed. However, while the Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II has a working light meter, the plastic to move the lever broke, and the rest of the camera settings must be set manually. I used the Sunny 16 technique to estimate the shutter speed on the Spotmatic II to expose each Ilford HP5 Plus 400 frame properly. The Sunny 16 technique is something I only learned about relatively recently. I practised a little at home, but this was my first time using it in the field.

I took the Spotmatic II and a cartridge of Ilford HP5 Plus 400 to the client’s office building at Old Slip, about a block from Wall Street in Manhattan, and exposed some frames during my lunch hour. I walked around Front Street, Gouverneur Lane, and South Street. The rain was light which made for a challenging walk. I was concerned about the camera getting wet, so I walked across South Street and under FDR Drive along the East River Esplanade. It's an area I explored with my Fujifilm X-T2 last year using an Ilford HP5 Plus 400 film recipe.

Photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as of a precise organisation of forms which give that event its proper expression.Henri Cartier-Bresson

I expected all my frames to be severely under or overexposed. The shutter speed of the Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II is limited to 1/1000s, but fortunately, it was a rainy, overcast (and cold) day in Manhattan. The images are slightly over or underexposed, but I'm pleased with the results. I feel proud I had the skills to use this old camera, but I want a small, handheld light meter to make metering easier. Given the shutter speed limitation, I have purchased a roll of ADOX Scala 100 for use in brighter conditions.

The images were developed and scanned by The Darkroom.

South Street, Manhattan, New York City
11 February, 2020 · Gouverneur Lane, Manhattan, New York City · Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II · Asahi Optical Co. SMC Takumar 55mm f/2
South Street, Manhattan, New York City
11 February, 2020 · South Street, Manhattan, New York City · Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II · Asahi Optical Co. SMC Takumar 55mm f/2
South Street, Manhattan, New York City
11 February 2020 · East River Esplanade, South Street, Manhattan, New York City · Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II · Asahi Optical Co. SMC Takumar 55mm f/2
South Street, Manhattan, New York City
11 February 2020 · East River Esplanade, South Street, Manhattan, New York City · Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II · Asahi Optical Co. SMC Takumar 55mm f/2
South Street, Manhattan, New York City
11 February 2020 · East River Esplanade, South Street, Manhattan, New York City · Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II · Asahi Optical Co. SMC Takumar 55mm f/2
South Street, Manhattan, New York City
11 February, 2020 · Wall Street Ferry and Pier 11. South Street, Manhattan, New York City · Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II · Asahi Optical Co. SMC Takumar 55mm f/2
South Street, Manhattan, New York City
11 February 2020 · CitiBike and Slip B at Pier 11, South Street, Manhattan, New York City · Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II · Asahi Optical Co. SMC Takumar 55mm f/2
South Street, Manhattan, New York City
11 February 2020 · Bumper, East River Esplanade, South Street, Manhattan, New York City · Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II · Asahi Optical Co. SMC Takumar 55mm f/2
South Street, Manhattan, New York City
11 February, 2020 · NY Waterway Ferry, East River, New York City · Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II · Asahi Optical Co. SMC Takumar 55mm f/2
South Street, Manhattan, New York City
11 February 2020 · East River Esplanade, South Street, Manhattan, New York City · Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II · Asahi Optical Co. SMC Takumar 55mm f/2
South Street, Manhattan, New York City
11 February, 2020 · Looking up at FDR Drive. East River Esplanade, South Street, Manhattan, New York City · Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II · Asahi Optical Co. SMC Takumar 55mm f/2
South Street, Manhattan, New York City
11 February, 2020 · Have a wet seat. East River Esplanade, South Street, Manhattan, New York City · Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II · Asahi Optical Co. SMC Takumar 55mm f/2
South Street, Manhattan, New York City
11 February, 2020 · Strutting pigeon. East River Esplanade, South Street, Manhattan, New York City · Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II · Asahi Optical Co. SMC Takumar 55mm f/2
South Street, Manhattan, New York City
11 February, 2020 · Pigeon in flight. East River Esplanade, South Street, Manhattan, New York City · Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II · Asahi Optical Co. SMC Takumar 55mm f/2
South Street, Manhattan, New York City
11 February 2020 · East River Esplanade, South Street, Manhattan, New York City · Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II · Asahi Optical Co. SMC Takumar 55mm f/2
South Street, Manhattan, New York City
11 February, 2020 · Seagulls but not the seashore. East River Esplanade, South Street, Manhattan, New York City · Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II · Asahi Optical Co. SMC Takumar 55mm f/2