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Exposure value (EV) calculator

Compute the exposure value (EV) from aperture, shutter speed and ISO.

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The Exposure value (EV) calculator turns Aperture (f-number), Shutter speed (seconds), ISO into Exposure value (EV), instantly and for free. For instance, with Aperture (f-number) = 8, Shutter speed (seconds) = 0.008 and ISO = 100 it returns Exposure value (EV) = 12.966.

How to use it

  1. Enter your values: Aperture (f-number), Shutter speed (seconds), ISO.
  2. Read the result instantly: Exposure value (EV).

Frequently asked questions

How does the Exposure value (EV) calculator work?

It takes Aperture (f-number), Shutter speed (seconds) and ISO and derives Exposure value (EV) from them. The calculation is live as you type, so the result updates on every change.

Which values does the calculator ask for?

3 values: Aperture (f-number), Shutter speed (seconds) and ISO. Nothing else is required — no account, no file upload.

What does a typical calculation look like?

With Aperture (f-number) = 8, Shutter speed (seconds) = 0.008 and ISO = 100, the calculator returns Exposure value (EV) = 12.966. Those figures come from running this exact tool, so you can reproduce them by entering the same values.

When would I actually use this?

Finding out how big a thing will be before you make it: how many gigabytes an hour of footage takes, how long a file needs on the connection you have, how large a photo prints before it goes soft, what bitrate fits the budget you were given.

What is the most common mistake?

Taking the advertised connection speed as the transfer speed. A 100 Mb/s line is megabits, the file is in megabytes, and the eight-fold difference between them is where most download estimates go wrong — before overhead and contention take their own share.

What is the difference between the Exposure value (EV) calculator and the Exposure Triangle Calculator?

This one returns Exposure value (EV); the Exposure Triangle Calculator returns Result. That is the whole difference — open the one whose figure you need.

Is there a tool for the next step?

Download time calculator is the closest one after this: Estimate how long a download takes from the file size and your connection speed.

What else is worth having open alongside it?

Bandwidth Calculator and Upload Time Calculator — they come up in the same task often enough to be worth a second tab.

Where do the figures come from, and how current are they?

Byte prefixes follow the IEC convention where a kibibyte is 1 024 bytes and a kilobyte is 1 000 — drive makers use the second, operating systems often report the first, and a disk that shrinks on arrival is that gap and nothing else. Print sizing assumes 300 dpi unless you change it.

Further reading

All guides →
ExplainerThe Exposure Triangle Is Three Routes to the Same StopA stop is a factor of two in light. The f-number scale is powers of √2 for a reason you can derive in one line, EV = log2(N²/t) puts a number on it, and the three controls are equivalent in brightness only — never in the picture.ExplainerThe Golden Hour and the Blue Hour Are Angles, Not HoursGolden hour runs from +6° to −4° of solar elevation and blue hour from −4° to −6°, which is why it lasts forty minutes at the equator, over an hour at mid-latitudes, and above 72.6° in June does not happen at all. The thresholds this calculator uses, checked against its own output.ExplainerDepth of Field: What Actually Controls ItFour variables set depth of field, and subject distance dominates the other three. The exact formulas, a computed table, why the circle of confusion is a decision rather than a measurement, and what "full frame has less depth of field" really means.How-toHow Long Does It Take to Upload a File? The Size Times 8 Divided by Speed FormulaEstimate upload time with one formula: file size in bits divided by your upload speed. Learn why upload is usually slower than download and how overhead affects the result.ExplainerHow Much Data Streaming Uses: SD, HD, and 4K per HourSee how many gigabytes per hour SD, HD, and 4K video use, and how to check a monthly streaming habit against a data cap.How-toHow Much Internet Speed Do You Need? A Household GuideWork out the internet speed your home needs by adding up Mbps per video stream, video call, and gamer, with clear examples.