Use this chart when you have a good exposure, but the settings don’t work for what you are trying to capture. Change the critical setting, note the change in Stops, and adjust the other settings accordingly.
Example: Starting settings F/8, 1/100, and ISO 100.
You want to freeze motion, so you need to increase the shutter speed.
New shutter speed 1/400, 2 Stops darker, you need to compensate, you have three options:
- F/4, 1/400, ISO 100 - The Aperture column shows F/4 is 2 Stops brighter than F/8
- F/8, 1/400, ISO 400 - The ISO column shows ISO 400 is 2 Stops brighter than ISO 100
- F/5.6, 1/400, ISO 200 - F/5.6 is 1 Stop brighter + ISO 200 is 1 Stop brighter = 2 Stops brighter
Not every situation will have three possible solutions, but the logic is the same: set the important setting and then adjust the other two.
Aperture 1/3-Stops
F/1.0
F/1.1
F/1.2
F/1.4
F/1.6
F/1.8
F-Stop values of the same color represent a 1-Stop difference
Most Common F-Stops
F/1.0
F/1.1
F/1.2
F/1.4
F/1.6
F/1.8
F/2
F/2.2
F/2.5
F/2.8
F/3.2
F/3.5
F/4
F/4.5
F/5
F/5.6
F/6.3
F/7.1
F/8
F/9
F/10
F/11
F/13
F/14
F/16
F/18
F/20
F/22
F/25
F/29
F/32
F/36
F/40
F/45
F/51
F/57
F/64
Shutter Speed 1/3-Stops
1" sec
1/0.3
1/0.6
1/2
1/2.5
1/3
Shutter speed values of the same color represent a 1-Stop difference
Most Common Hand Held Shutter Speeds
1" Sec
1/0.3
1/0.6
1/2
1/2.5
1/3
1/4
1/5
1/6
1/8
1/10
1/13
1/15
1/20
1/25
1/30
1/40
1/50
1/60
1/80
1/100
1/125
1/160
1/200
1/250
1/320
1/400
1/500
1/640
1/800
1/1000
1/1250
1/1600
1/2000
1/2500
1/3200
1/4000
ISO 1/3-Stops
25,600
20,000
17,600
16,000
12,500
10,000
8800
8000
ISO values of the same color represent a 1-Stop difference
25,600
20,000
17,600
16,000
12,500
10,000
8800
8000
6400
5000
4400
4000
3200
2500
2200
2000
1600
1250
1100
1000
800
640
560
500
400
320
280
250
200
160
140
125
100
