EV 21
Exposure value at ISO 100
5,242,880 lux
Approx. illuminance
—
Typical scene
Every exposure for EV 21#
All of these combinations give the same exposure for a scene metering EV 21 at ISO 100.
| Aperture | ISO 100 | ISO 400 | ISO 1600 | ISO 6400 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| f/1.4 | too bright | too bright | too bright | too bright |
| f/2 | too bright | too bright | too bright | too bright |
| f/2.8 | too bright | too bright | too bright | too bright |
| f/4 | too bright | too bright | too bright | too bright |
| f/5.6 | too bright | too bright | too bright | too bright |
| f/8 | too bright | too bright | too bright | too bright |
| f/11 | too bright | too bright | too bright | too bright |
| f/16 | 1/8000 s | too bright | too bright | too bright |
| f/22 | 1/4000 s | too bright | too bright | too bright |
Exposure value scale#
| EV (ISO 100) | Typical lighting |
|---|---|
| EV 16 | Sun on snow or white sand |
| EV 15 | Bright sun, distinct shadows (Sunny 16) |
| EV 14 | Hazy sun, soft shadows |
| EV 13 | Cloudy-bright, no shadows |
| EV 12 | Heavy overcast / open shade |
| EV 11 | Sunset, shade on a bright day |
| EV 10 | Just after sunset |
| EV 9 | Neon signs, floodlit buildings |
| EV 8 | Bright interior, city street at night |
| EV 7 | Indoor sports arena |
| EV 6 | Home interior, daytime |
| EV 5 | Home interior at night |
| EV 4 | Candle-lit close-up, Christmas lights |
| EV 3 | Fireworks, floodlit distant buildings |
| EV 2 | Distant city lights |
| EV 1 | Distant city skyline at night |
| EV 0 | Dim interior, Milky Way in moonlight |
| EV -1 | Bright moonlit landscape (full moon) |
| EV -2 | Moonlit landscape |
| EV -3 | Half-moon landscape |
| EV -4 | Aurora (bright) |
| EV -5 | Quarter-moon landscape |
| EV -6 | Milky 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