Why can EXIF show different values for shutter speed vs. exposure time, and aperture vs. f-number?
Asked 1/2/2016
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2 answers
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I noticed some image metadata that seems inconsistent:
- Shutter Speed: 1/16 sec
- Exposure Time: 1/11 sec
- Lens Aperture: f/1
- F-Number: 2.8
I expected shutter speed to match exposure time, and lens aperture to match f-number. Why can these EXIF fields be different?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
6
That is quite common in EXIF data but the values are usually closer. It is possible the EXIF data for that photo is telling us a lens with a maximum aperture of f/1.0 was used at f/2.8 and the shutter speed was set to 1/16 and that resulted in an actual exposure time of 1/11.
Here is an example where the shutter speed and aperture selected were 1/500 and f/1.8 but the actual shutter speed value and aperture value were 1/512 and f/1.76
Originally by user39427. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user39427
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
These EXIF fields can refer to different things.
- Shutter Speed may be the camera’s selected or reported setting, while Exposure Time can be the actual measured exposure. Those can differ slightly because cameras often use rounded display values, but the true timing may be a nearby exact value.
- Lens Aperture can describe the lens’s maximum aperture (for example, an f/1-capable lens), while F-Number is the aperture actually used for the shot (such as f/2.8).
So a file can legitimately show a lens capable of f/1 but shot at f/2.8, and a nominal shutter setting like 1/16 s with an actual exposure closer to 1/11 s. EXIF often stores both user-facing rounded values and more exact underlying values, which is why they do not always match exactly.
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