[gaweidert]

I am new to the forum but an old timer. Firing up the cameras after a long down time. I am curious. How many of you guys and gals out there ever heard of or have actually used the "Sunny 16 Rule". Every once in a long while I used to fire up one of my old folder 120 cameras for some B&W goodness. I am a big fan of those old triplet lenses. They have an quality all their own. Remarkable lenses.

In order to keep with the mood I used the sunny 16 rule to set exposure. Always seemed to work too. For you young whippersnappers the rule goes as follows. On a sunny day during the middle of the day you can get a good exposure by setting the shutter as follows: 1/ASA at f16.

ie: if the ASA of the film you are using is 125 you set your shutter for 1/125 of a second at a lens aperture of f16. You compensate accordingly for time of day, cloudiness etc.

[joe.penn]

I am curious. How many of you guys and gals out there ever heard of or have actually used the "Sunny 16 Rule"

What, the Fig rule? No, never heard of it...

[Docrwm]

Don't mind Joe he has not couth. Yes, it's still a rule that many photographers know and use.

[Dan]

I use an equivalent rule, the "sunny f/8 rule". The sunny 16 rule works well for larger formats, where you often want to shoot at f/16. With smaller formats (such as 35mm) it is more common to shoot at f/8 to lessen diffraction. (Remember the old National Geographic saying, "f/8 and be there"!) So what is the the sunny f/8 rule? It derives from the sunny 16 rule.

First, it is important to note that the sunny 16 rule typically required "rounding off", because typical film ASAs were 25, 50 (or 64), 100, 200, 400, etc. whereas film cameras typically had shutter speed settings of 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, etc. So we would use the following sunny 16 rule, with the implied settings for f/8 based on simple reciprocity:

ASA 25 => 1/30 at f/16 => 1/125 at f/8
ASA 100 => 1/125 at f/16 => 1/500 at f/8
etc.

In each case the shutter speed at f/8 is 5 times the ASA. This provides a "short cut". Simply multiply the ASA times 5:

ASA 25 => 1/125 at f/8
ASA 100 => 1/500 at f/8
etc.

I still use this rule. With digital cameras it tends to provide an image that is just slightly "dark", which helps to avoid clipping of highlights.

Dan

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Last edited by Dan; 03-24-2012 at 06:42 AM. Reason: Edited for for improved clarity.

[ismaelg]

I use it frequently. As part of this hobby I like to tinker with old cameras, bring them back to life and take them out for a spin whenever film is available (that means mostly 35mm now). I like to practice the Sunny 16 rule (and its variations) for the full experience.

Thanks,

[Na Horuk]

I used it with my old film Zenit. Doesn't have any kind of metering. But with digital, I don't even consciously look at the ratio between aperture, shutter, and iso, I just set the parameters I want and the camera does the rest (for example, if I want shallow DoF, or a high shutter speed. Also use the EV+/-)

[abmj]

For me, that is a nostalgic blast from the past. I haven't shot film in years but back in the day I used those old rules religiously. The handheld meter was a pain for quick shots out in the sun, so I started with "sunny 16" with Tri-X or the above-mentioned F8 rule with slower films and then adjusted by eye for conditions - shade, clouds, etc. With practice it was very accurate.

Thanks for an old memory.

[Brangdon]

I'm aware of it but don't really use it. If I'm working fully manual, I tend to keep taking photos, chimping and adjusting parameters until I'm happy with the exposure. Those times I do use it are when I don't have a camera, and am trying to sanity check eg when discussion photographing the moon in a forum like this.

[BigDave]

I have used both the "Sunny 16" rule and "Average Daylight" rule. They are about the same, but not as complicated as Dan's.

Sunny 16 works well when there are no clouds in the sky on a sunny day (maybe where they got the idea???). The Average Daylight rule is for days when there is both sun and clouds (partly cloudy). SS=ASA of the film at F8. So a 2 stop change from the Sunny 16 rule. It is amazing how well they both work!

As for large format or small (35mm), I have found it works equally well with both (both of them do). And if you look at Dan's formula, ASA25 goes to 1/30 sec. At f16, that will work, but open up two stops to f8 and the shutter speed is at 1/125. The "rule" is the starting point, you make your fstop shutter speed adjustments based on the shooting situation from there (off the base exposure).

NOTE: This worked really great when all of the cameras and lenses were mechanical. If you did not have a meter or the camera batteries were dead, you could still shoot. Now that modern cameras are all electronic, it becomes a moot point. If the batteries are dead, so is the camera!

Regards,

[Lowell Goudge]

the rule has been posted and referenced many many times on the forums.

It is a good sanity check if you think yoiur camera is telling you something crazy and can be especially useufl when using legacy lenses because the camera metering on some cameras has difficulty with legacy lenses that do not communicate the aperture to the camera body

[eddie1960]

I use it but i change it in winter up here it's more like the sunny f11 rule

by mid may it will be back to sunny 16

I typically though only use it when shooting an old camera, or like Lowell says when i am questioning the exposure the camera suggests.

I think the margin of error worked better on film where it had more exposure latitude (so not so hot for slides)

[redrockcoulee]

I use it more on medium format than large format just because LF takes more time to set up anyways. I also do use it when I question my meter, it is a good check as sometimes a setting is moved or you did change ISO for some reason and if the meter does not make sense than using the Sunny 16 or 11 rule is a relatively accurate check on that meter. Never heard of the Sunny f8 rule. However my medium format cameras are easy to sync shutter speeds and f stops so I just twist the locked settings until I get either the shutter speed or f stop I am wanting and have the correct exposure. Never use the rule on my 35mm camera as without the meter working the camera will not either.

With holgas and Diana's I use the good luck rule fro exposures; shoot and hope for the best

[eddie1960]

LOL, the Holgas are proof that we worry too much about it sometimes. shooting in daylight with 400 iso film loaded you pretty much always get a usable shot on them

[redrockcoulee]

LOL, the Holgas are proof that we worry too much about it sometimes. shooting in daylight with 400 iso film loaded you pretty much always get a usable shot on them

Or 100 ISO, or whatever is in the bag

[eddie1960]

Or 100 ISO, or whatever is in the bag

i save the 100 iso for the double/Triple exposure days