Photography Exposure Triangle Calculator
Set your ISO, aperture, and shutter speed to see the exposure value. Shows equivalent exposures at the same EV, plus depth-of-field and motion blur effects. Nothing uploaded.
Exposure Settings
Exposure Analysis
Equivalent Exposures
Learn more: the exposure triangle
A stop is a doubling or a halving
Fstoppers' explainer on what a stop means says one stop more light means twice as much light and one stop less means half as much. The same applies to aperture, shutter speed and ISO. That is why ISO 100 to 200 is the same size of change as f/2.8 to f/4.
The calculator turns the three settings into one number, exposure value: EV = log2(aperture squared / shutter time) - log2(ISO / 100). At ISO 100, f/2.8 and 1/125 s the EV is 9.94.
Equivalent exposures
Any settings with the same EV give the same brightness. Closing from f/2.8 to f/4 halves the light, so the shutter time doubles to about 1/61 s to compensate. f/11 needs about 1/8 s and f/16 about 1/4 s.
The list shows the exact shutter time for each aperture at your ISO. It can be a value your camera does not offer, such as 1/982 s, so choose the nearest setting. Entries outside the 1/4000 s to 30 s range are left out.
What changes when the exposure stays the same
Two combinations can share an EV and look quite different. The calculator rates apertures of f/2.8 and wider as very shallow depth of field and f/11 as deep. It flags shutter speeds of 1/30 s or slower as likely to show motion blur or camera shake, and speeds of 1/500 s or faster as freezing most action.
So f/2.8 at 1/125 s and f/11 at 1/8 s are the same brightness. The first blurs the background and the second keeps the scene sharp but is likely to blur anything that moves.
FAQ
Why do ISO, aperture and shutter speed all use "stops"?
Each one changes exposure by a doubling or a halving per step, so they share one unit even though f-numbers, ISO values and fractions of a second look unrelated.
What does an ND filter add?
A neutral density filter cuts the light reaching the sensor without changing ISO, aperture or shutter speed. That lets you keep a wide aperture or slow shutter in bright light. The calculator has no ND setting, so subtract the filter's stops from the EV yourself.
Is a higher ISO always worse?
A higher ISO usually adds visible noise. It can still be the better trade if the alternative is a blurred shot from a slow shutter or the wrong depth of field from a different aperture.