How does shutter speed affect exposure if ISO and aperture stay the same?

Asked 11/29/2016

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If ISO and aperture are fixed, can shutter speed be adjusted to compensate for changes in scene brightness so the recorded image stays at about the same average intensity? What is the relationship between shutter speed and the amount of light captured? I’m using a light sensor to measure scene brightness and want to set shutter speed accordingly.

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

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

9y ago

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The relationship is linear. Keep the shutter open for twice the time, get twice the light. This is known as "one stop", and you can use that in conjunction with your light meter to get the desired results.

The built-in light meter in DSLRs usually gives the value in stops — basically, the number of halvings-or-doublings from what the meter thinks is correct. (See What is one "stop"? for more on this concept.) So if it says "-1", simply double the exposure to bring it to 0. If it says -2, double twice (going from, say, ¹⁄₆₀th of a second to ¹⁄₁₅th). Or, the other way around, if the meter says you're overexposed by a stop, cut the shutter speed in half.

If you have a fancy external light meter, it may give you the option to fix the aperture and ISO and literally tell you what shutter speed to use. In that case, of course, do that.

You note in a comment above that you want to shoot manually rather than using aperture priority mode. There are plenty of good reasons for that, but whatever yours is, you might want to look at What is the relationship between ISO, aperture, and shutter speed? as you figure it out — answers to that question cover this and more.

Originally by user1943. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user1943

9y ago

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Yes. With ISO and aperture fixed, the amount of light recorded is directly proportional to shutter time: double the shutter time and you capture twice as much light; halve the shutter time and you capture half as much light.

In photographic terms, each doubling or halving of exposure time is one stop. For example:

  • 1/60 s → 1/30 s = +1 stop (twice the light)
  • 1/60 s → 1/125 s = -1 stop (half the light)
  • 1/60 s → 1/15 s = +2 stops (four times the light)

So if your light sensor indicates the scene is 1 stop darker, you can double the shutter time. If it is 2 stops brighter, you can quarter the shutter time.

This is exactly how a light meter works when aperture and ISO are held constant: it determines how many stops you need to add or subtract and you adjust shutter speed accordingly.

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