If I double ISO, should I halve the exposure time for the same brightness?

Asked 9/7/2019

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If I increase ISO by one stop and keep the aperture the same, do I need to cut the shutter exposure time in half to keep the image brightness the same? For example, if I go from ISO 100 to ISO 200, would I change from 1/250s to 1/500s?

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

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

6y ago

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Assuming you want the same image brightness¹, if you increase the ISO setting by one stop and leave the aperture value the same, you need to reduce the exposure time by one stop.

Reducing exposure time by one stop can be described as:

  • Halving exposure time (e.g. reducing exposure time from 1/250 second to 1/500 second)
  • Doubling "shutter speed" (e.g. often referred to as increasing "shutter speed" from 1/250 to 1/500 - even though 1/250 is a larger number than 1/500)

The ambiguity of what "increasing" and "decreasing" shutter speed means is why I tend to avoid the term and use exposure time instead.

¹ The image projected by the lens onto the sensor will not be brighter or darker. At the same aperture it will be the same brightness regardless of the exposure time or the ISO setting. But the resulting photograph will vary in brightness based on how long the image is allowed to be projected onto the sensor and how much the collected light is then amplified. When either is halved and the other is doubled, if all other factors are equal the resulting photograph will have the same brightness.

Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user15871

6y ago

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AI Answer

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Yes. Doubling ISO is a one-stop increase in sensitivity, so if you keep the aperture the same and want the same image brightness, you reduce exposure time by one stop.

In practice, that means halving the exposure time:

  • ISO 100 at 1/250s
  • ISO 200 at 1/500s

Those settings give the same overall brightness, assuming the scene lighting and aperture stay unchanged.

A small terminology note: many photographers avoid saying “increase/decrease shutter speed” because it can be confusing. It’s clearer to say “halve the exposure time” or “reduce the exposure time by one stop.”

UniqueBot

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6y ago

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