Rule of f16

"RolandRB" wrote in message
om...
"Q.G. de Bakker" wrote in message
li.nl...
RolandRB wrote:

I'm very surprised about that. I do most of my shots in bright
sunlight and I use the sunny 16 rule and exposure is exactly as I
expect it. I have a one degree spot meter and I know it agrees with
the sunny 16 rule so I don't bother to carry it around on a sunny day.

Uisng modern negative films, the "rule" should perhaps be called "Sunny
anywhere between f/5.6 and f/22".

He was talking about slide film. I would have thought overexposing by
two stops wouldn't have left him with much of a picture.

Well, maybe I overstated the case. (I didn't take notes.) But the experience
here is that when I meter the subject and expose to the meter, sunny 16 is
at least one stop underexposed. I'm not seeing overexposed slides. I'd love
to be able to shoot at f/11 at 1/250, but I find that f/8 at 1/125 is a lot
more common.

So my conclusion is that sunny 16 probably only applies when you have a
bright-colored subject in full sun, near 12:00 noon with no clouds anywhere
in the sky.

That's rare enough that the rule doesn't help in the slightest.

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

near 12:00 noon with no clouds anywhere
in the sky.

Don't forget also the time of year. Very important.


Larry

David J. Littleboy wrote:


So my conclusion is that sunny 16 probably only applies when you have a
bright-colored subject in full sun, near 12:00 noon with no clouds anywhere
in the sky.


The rule covers everything from full sun to total overcast. You just need
to remember the whole rule.

Nick

Hemi4268 wrote:
near 12:00 noon with no clouds anywhere
in the sky.

Don't forget also the time of year. Very important.

This depends a lot on your latitude.

In Toronto (43 degrees north) the correction for the winter
solstice is around one full stop. One month before or after
is within 1/2 stop of sunny f/16. So at 43 degrees at least
the Sunny f/16 rule requires little seasonal correction from
February to November. This is according to incident light
measurements with my Sekonic L-208.

Peter.
--

David J. Littleboy wrote:



So my conclusion is that sunny 16 probably only applies when you have a
bright-colored subject in full sun, near 12:00 noon with no clouds
anywhere in the sky.

That's rare enough that the rule doesn't help in the slightest.



I've found the same thing, sunny 11 seems closer to reality.

--

Stacey

In Toronto (43 degrees north) the correction for the winter
solstice is around one full stop. One month before or after
is within 1/2 stop of sunny f/16. So at 43 degrees at least
the Sunny f/16 rule requires little seasonal correction from
February to November. This is according to incident light
measurements with my Sekonic L-208.

Since Erie PA is a hop and skip from Toranto, on wonder your experience matches
my sunlight level lookup tables for Erie PA.

Larry

"Stacey" wrote:
David J. Littleboy wrote:
So my conclusion is that sunny 16 probably only applies when you have a
bright-colored subject in full sun, near 12:00 noon with no clouds
anywhere in the sky.

That's rare enough that the rule doesn't help in the slightest.

I've found the same thing, sunny 11 seems closer to reality.

With color _negative_ film, sunny f/5.6 would get you a printable negative
almost all the time.

(A magazine* at hand shows pro lab prints of a portrait in 2 EV steps
from -2 to +4 EV, and they're all fine.)

*: May 2004 edition of Nippon Camera.

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

David J. Littleboy wrote:

With color _negative_ film, sunny f/5.6 would get you a printable negative
almost all the time.

(A magazine* at hand shows pro lab prints of a portrait in 2 EV steps
from -2 to +4 EV, and they're all fine.)

So i was wrong. With modern film it even is "Sunny anywhere between f/4 and
f/32".
Good to have such well defined guidelines, "rules" even, isn't it? Makes
teaching photography a doddle.
;-)

So my conclusion is that sunny 16 probably only applies when you have a
bright-colored subject in full sun, near 12:00 noon with no clouds
anywhere in the sky.

That's rare enough that the rule doesn't help in the slightest.

I don't know where you live but full sun, no clouds, describes most days
here in Florida. Bright subjects are common and 12 noon rolls around every
day of the year. Actually I don't think the "rule" is limited to 12 noon,
it's pretty much applicable to any sunny day an hour or two after sun rise
and before sun set


"David J. Littleboy" wrote in message
...

"Stacey" wrote:
David J. Littleboy wrote:
So my conclusion is that sunny 16 probably only applies when you have
a
bright-colored subject in full sun, near 12:00 noon with no clouds
anywhere in the sky.

That's rare enough that the rule doesn't help in the slightest.

I've found the same thing, sunny 11 seems closer to reality.

With color _negative_ film, sunny f/5.6 would get you a printable negative
almost all the time.

(A magazine* at hand shows pro lab prints of a portrait in 2 EV steps
from -2 to +4 EV, and they're all fine.)

*: May 2004 edition of Nippon Camera.

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

David J. Littleboy wrote:



(A magazine* at hand shows pro lab prints of a portrait in 2 EV steps
from -2 to +4 EV, and they're all fine.)



But of course there are the on-line posters whowill claim that a color
negative shot 1 stop over is "unprintable"! :-) 2 stops under might end up
a little on the grainy side but 3-4 stops over should still print just
fine.

--

Stacey