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Exposure Triangle Balance Calculator

Work out exposure triangle balance instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Exposure Triangle Balance Calculator

The settings are converted to an ISO 100 exposure value and compared with the metered scene EV, so the difference is the error in stops. Because all three controls trade in stops, an error can be corrected by whichever leg matters least to the picture, and the shutter figure shows one such fix.

Formulas

Settings EV

EV100 = log2(aperture^2 / shutter) - log2(ISO / 100)

Correction

corrected shutter = current shutter x 2 ^ (settings EV - metered EV)

Worked example

With the default values below, Exposure Triangle Balance Calculator returns Exposure value of your settings of 9.966. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Apertureminimum 0.5 f
4 f
Shutter speedminimum 0 s
0.004 s
ISOminimum 1
400
Metered scene EV at ISO 100accepts -10–25
12

Results

Exposure value of your settings
9.966 EV
Stops away from the metered value
-2.034
Assessment
Overexposed by 2.03 stops
Shutter speed that would correct it
0.000977 s

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Settings EV
  3. 3Correction
  4. 4Exposure value of your settings= 9.966 EV
  5. 5Stops away from the metered value= -2.034
  6. 6Assessment= Overexposed by 2.03 stops
  7. 7Shutter speed that would correct it= 0.000977 s

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 6 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Exposure Triangle Balance figure worked out?

EV100 = log2(aperture^2 / shutter) - log2(ISO / 100). The settings are converted to an ISO 100 exposure value and compared with the metered scene EV, so the difference is the error in stops.

Why does this matter?

Because all three controls trade in stops, an error can be corrected by whichever leg matters least to the picture, and the shutter figure shows one such fix.

What do I need to enter?

Enter aperture, shutter speed, iso, metered scene ev at iso 100. The defaults shown are a realistic worked example — swap in your own figures to get a result you can use.

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Exposure Triangle Balance Calculator | Calcrivo