Available light photography

exposure calculator

Enter a film speed (or digital equivalent) and ambient lighting conditions. We will give you a table of apertures and shutter speeds.


Film speed:   12 25 50 100 200 400 800 1600 3200 6400     ISODIN 

Light level:     Landscape lit by starlight only Landscape lit by crescent moon Meteors (open shutter), close-up lit by full moon, landscape lit by half moon Landscape lit by full moon Snowscape lit by full moon Subject lit by dim or indirect artificial light Subject lit by weak artificial light Distant view of city skyline or floodlit buildings Lightning (open shutter), lunar eclipse Fireworks (open shutter), Christmas lights Subjects by candle light, floodlit buildings and structures, subject under bright street lighting Domestic interiors at night, subject lit by campfire or bonfire Brightly lit domestic interiors at night, computer screens, fairgrounds and amusement parks Brightly lit streets, indoor sports, stage shows, circuses, interior of dense forest Brightly lit shop windows, bonfires, floodlit sports, bright fluorescent lighting Skylines 10 minutes after sunset, neon lights, stage lighting, spotlighting Skylines immediately after sunset, subjects in deep shade Sunsets, subject in open shade Subject in heavy overcast (sun location not visible) Subject in bright daylight (no shadows, sun makes bright area in clouds) Subject in weak, hazy sun (soft shadows, sun visible through clouds), full moon (as subject) Bright or strong hazy sun (distinct, sharp shadows) Subject in bright sunlight on light sand or snow White buildings or subjects in bright sunlight Subject lit by high pressure mercury vapor lamp Subject lit by high intensity xenon arc lamp