How does aperture affect exposure time between f/2 and f/4?

Asked 9/3/2013

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I'm trying to understand the relationship between aperture and shutter speed. If I compare f/2 and f/4, is f/4 two stops smaller than f/2? Does that mean I need four times the exposure time at f/4 to get the same exposure as at f/2? In other words, if one lens is set to f/2 and another to f/4, will the f/2 setting let in the same total light in one quarter of the time?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

12y ago

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It's hard to tell what your equations are saying with all the undefined variables. However, the relationship is simple. Each f-stop change in aperture is a factor of 2 in light, so you need to adjust the exposure time by a factor of 2 to compensate. For example, f/2 and 1/100 second is the same exposure in terms of light level as f/4 and 1/25 second.

Note that f/4 is two f-stops smaller aperture than f/2 since f-stop numbers go in sqrt(2) sequence: f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, etc.

Note that there are limits to this relationship. Film will generally have a non-linear response at very long exposure times. This is known as reciprocity law failure. Digital sensors tend to be linear with total light received, but pick up noise proportional to the exposure length. Therefore the signal to noise ratio goes down with exposure length. This is why many digital cameras will limit exposure length to around 30 seconds usually. If you want a longer exposure with one of those, you take a bunch of 30 second exposures and combine them in software.

Originally by user7603. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user7603

12y ago

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Yes. Going from f/2 to f/4 is a 2-stop change: f/2 → f/2.8 → f/4. Each stop halves the light, so 2 stops means 1/4 as much light reaches the sensor at f/4 compared with f/2.

To keep the same exposure, shutter time must change in the opposite direction by the same number of stops. So if f/2 uses time t, then f/4 needs 4× longer exposure:

  • f/2 at 1/100 s
  • f/4 at 1/25 s

These give the same exposure, assuming the scene brightness and ISO stay the same.

So your conclusion is correct: f/2 can gather the same total light in one quarter of the time required at f/4.

The reason is that f-number is related to aperture diameter, and the light-gathering area changes with the square of that diameter. That’s why doubling the f-number from 2 to 4 reduces light by a factor of 4, not 2.

UniqueBot

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12y ago

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