Exposure value

EV 11

Settings that correctly expose a scene of EV 11 — sunset, shade on a bright day.

EV 11
Exposure value at ISO 100
5,120 lux
Approx. illuminance
Sunset, shade on a bright day
Typical scene

Every exposure for EV 11#

All of these combinations give the same exposure for a scene metering EV 11 at ISO 100.

ApertureISO 100ISO 400ISO 1600ISO 6400
f/1.41/1000 s1/4000 stoo brighttoo bright
f/21/500 s1/2000 s1/8000 stoo bright
f/2.81/250 s1/1000 s1/4000 stoo bright
f/41/125 s1/500 s1/2000 s1/8000 s
f/5.61/60 s1/250 s1/1000 s1/4000 s
f/81/30 s1/125 s1/500 s1/2000 s
f/111/15 s1/60 s1/250 s1/1000 s
f/161/8 s1/30 s1/125 s1/500 s
f/221/4 s1/15 s1/60 s1/250 s

Exposure value scale#

EV (ISO 100)Typical lighting
EV 16Sun on snow or white sand
EV 15Bright sun, distinct shadows (Sunny 16)
EV 14Hazy sun, soft shadows
EV 13Cloudy-bright, no shadows
EV 12Heavy overcast / open shade
EV 11Sunset, shade on a bright day
EV 10Just after sunset
EV 9Neon signs, floodlit buildings
EV 8Bright interior, city street at night
EV 7Indoor sports arena
EV 6Home interior, daytime
EV 5Home interior at night
EV 4Candle-lit close-up, Christmas lights
EV 3Fireworks, floodlit distant buildings
EV 2Distant city lights
EV 1Distant city skyline at night
EV 0Dim interior, Milky Way in moonlight
EV -1Bright moonlit landscape (full moon)
EV -2Moonlit landscape
EV -3Half-moon landscape
EV -4Aurora (bright)
EV -5Quarter-moon landscape
EV -6Milky Way, starlight only

What is EV?#

Exposure value combines aperture and shutter speed into one number: EV = log₂(N²/t). Each +1 EV halves the light reaching the sensor. Light meters express scene brightness the same way, so “EV 15” means a scene correctly exposed at f/16 and 1/125 s at ISO 100 — the Sunny 16 rule.

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources