Exposure Triangle Calculator

What is the Exposure Triangle?

The exposure triangle describes the relationship between three camera settings that control how much light reaches the sensor: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Changing one requires compensating with another to maintain the same overall brightness.

The Three Parameters

• Aperture (f-stop): Controls the size of the lens opening. Lower f-numbers (f/1.4, f/2) let in more light and produce shallow depth of field. Higher f-numbers (f/11, f/16) let in less light but increase sharpness throughout the scene.
• Shutter Speed: Controls how long the sensor is exposed to light. Faster speeds (1/1000 s) freeze motion but let in less light. Slower speeds (1/30 s) let in more light but can introduce motion blur.
• ISO: Controls sensor sensitivity. Lower ISO (100) produces cleaner images with less noise. Higher ISO (3200+) brightens the image but introduces noise/grain.

Exposure Value (EV)

Exposure value is a single number representing the combination of aperture and shutter speed at ISO 100. Each full stop change in any parameter doubles or halves the amount of light:

• Opening aperture by 1 stop (e.g., f/4 → f/2.8) = +1 EV = 2× light
• Doubling shutter speed (e.g., 1/125 → 1/60) = +1 EV = 2× light
• Doubling ISO (e.g., 100 → 200) = +1 EV sensitivity

Equivalent Exposures

Two sets of settings are "equivalent" when they produce the same brightness. For example, f/2.8 at 1/250 s ISO 100 has the same brightness as f/4 at 1/125 s ISO 100 — the narrower aperture is compensated by a slower shutter speed.

Practical Tips

• Bright daylight: EV 14–16. Use low ISO, fast shutter, moderate aperture.
• Overcast / shade: EV 11–13. Open up aperture or slow down shutter.
• Indoor lighting: EV 7–9. Raise ISO or use a wide aperture.
• Night / low light: EV 0–4. Use high ISO, wide aperture, and slow shutter or a tripod.
• Handheld rule: Keep shutter speed at least 1/(focal length) to avoid camera shake (e.g., 1/50 s for a 50 mm lens).

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