• Welcome to Photrio!
    Registration is fast and free. Join today to unlock search, see fewer ads, and access all forum features.
    Click here to sign up

Sunny 16 with a filter help.

Tree with Big Shadows

Tree with Big Shadows

  • 2
  • 0
  • 25
Everal Barn

A
Everal Barn

  • 0
  • 0
  • 26

Forum statistics

Threads
203,450
Messages
2,854,906
Members
101,848
Latest member
DLelandC
Recent bookmarks
2

Hubigpielover

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Dec 24, 2016
Messages
405
Location
Thibodaux, La
Format
Multi Format
Ok, just finally got everything for my OM-1 body but the meter is kaput. I think this would be a good time to learn Sunny 16 but I want to make sure I understand the idea. Really don't want to waste some Efke film.

Perfect sunny 16 day, camera is loaded with 50 iso with a filter. The filter correction is 2 which means 1 stop.

So without the filter it would be

f/16 @ 60

with the filter

f/16 @ 30

To continue w/ filter

f/11 @ 60
f/8 @125
f/5.6 @250

Do I have a grasp on it. Also, I have a light meter coming in but how good are the iPhone meters. Something to get me buy before my meter comes.

Thanks.
 
So without the filter it would be
f/16 @ 60
with the filter
f/16 @ 30
f/11 @ 60
f/8 @125
f/5.6 @250
Do I have a grasp on it.
Yep, that's correct.
I know nothing about the iPhone.

- Leigh
 
Exactly what is this iPhone of which he speaks???
 
By George (Eastman), I think he's got it!

My own experience with a smartphone meter (Android) is that in incident mode it matched my Minolta Autometer Vf with incident dome...but in reflective mode it did NOT match my Minolta Spotmeter F even though both were pointed at the same 18% grey target area!

I do not inherently trust a smartphone metering app, I have to prove it against known standard photographic meters! And I do not trust rules of thumb about metering green grass and trees, or blue sky, or concrete vs. standard grey cards made for metering purposes.

But Sunny 16 can be pretty accurate at beating wild*ss guesses!
 
Last edited:
The problem with Sunny 16, at least in my experience, is that it will underexpose by 1-2 stops based on incident light readings. Lots of people don't trust meters; I don't trust Sunny 16. YMMV.
 
The problem with Sunny 16, at least in my experience, is that it will underexpose by 1-2 stops based on incident light readings.
If that's true, there's something wrong with your measurement technique or your processing.

A slightly more formal version of "Sunny 16" is the basis for determining film speed in the first place.

- Leigh
 
Ok, just finally got everything for my OM-1 body but the meter is kaput. I think this would be a good time to learn Sunny 16 but I want to make sure I understand the idea. Really don't want to waste some Efke film.

Perfect sunny 16 day, camera is loaded with 50 iso with a filter. The filter correction is 2 which means 1 stop.

So without the filter it would be

f/16 @ 60

with the filter

f/16 @ 30

To continue w/ filter

f/11 @ 60
f/8 @125
f/5.6 @250

Do I have a grasp on it. Also, I have a light meter coming in but how good are the iPhone meters. Something to get me buy before my meter comes.

Thanks.
you have your calculations right
but if you expose at sunny 11 you might be better off... 16 works great in certain geographic locations ..
but maybe not where you live. if you bracket a little you will be able to figure out for sure which is best for you.
im in southern new england and sunny 11 is perfect for me.
 
Sunny 16 has worked for me when I did not have a light meter with me or if the light meter battery died and I had not found a replacement.
 
When I bought my first "meterless" camera years ago (M2), I decided to go old school and shoot the first dozen or so rolls of TriX using Sunny-16. For the most part, the exposures were more consistent than I had had with other cameras with supposedly accurate meters. I think a big benefit is that using Sunny-16 forces you to think about the lighting situation and adjust the camera settings accordingly, rather than just blindly depending on the meter. This time of year it's more like Sunny-11 or even Sunny-8 if it's a bit cloudy.
 
you have your calculations right
but if you expose at sunny 11 you might be better off... 16 works great in certain geographic locations ..
but maybe not where you live. if you bracket a little you will be able to figure out for sure which is best for you.
im in southern new england and sunny 11 is perfect for me.

Thanks, I am in South Louisiana so I think it will still be Sunny 16 but will bracket and write what I do in my notebook.
 
By George (Eastman), I think he's got it!

My own experience with a smartphone meter (Android) is that in incident mode it matched my Minolta Autometer Vf with incident dome...but in reflective mode it did NOT match my Minolta Spotmeter F even though both were pointed at the same 18% grey target area!

I do not inherently trust a smartphone metering app, I have to prove it against known standard photographic meters! And I do not trust rules of thumb about metering green grass and trees, or blue sky, or concrete vs. standard grey cards made for metering purposes.

But Sunny 16 can be pretty accurate at beating wild*ss guesses!
I don't either but wanted to make sure I wasn't being biased. Hopefully my meter will come in soon. Thanks for the help.
 
If that's true, there's something wrong with your measurement technique or your processing.

A slightly more formal version of "Sunny 16" is the basis for determining film speed in the first place.

- Leigh
There might be something "wrong" with the latitude, and maybe the month.
 
When I bought my first "meterless" camera years ago (M2), I decided to go old school and shoot the first dozen or so rolls of TriX using Sunny-16. For the most part, the exposures were more consistent than I had had with other cameras with supposedly accurate meters. I think a big benefit is that using Sunny-16 forces you to think about the lighting situation and adjust the camera settings accordingly, rather than just blindly depending on the meter. This time of year it's more like Sunny-11 or even Sunny-8 if it's a bit cloudy.


First, let me say I only spent a 5 hours awake in your city and I love it. One of the best airports. Anyways, Sunny 11 in San Diego?
 
There might be something "wrong" with the latitude, and maybe the month.
That's certainly possible.

I __assumed__ the comment was based on climatological conditions where one would expect Sunny 16 to be valid.

- Leigh
 
Ok, just finally got everything for my OM-1 body but the meter is kaput. I think this would be a good time to learn Sunny 16 but I want to make sure I understand the idea. Really don't want to waste some Efke film.

Perfect sunny 16 day, camera is loaded with 50 iso with a filter. The filter correction is 2 which means 1 stop.

So without the filter it would be

f/16 @ 60

with the filter

f/16 @ 30

To continue w/ filter

f/11 @ 60
f/8 @125
f/5.6 @250

Do I have a grasp on it. Also, I have a light meter coming in but how good are the iPhone meters. Something to get me buy before my meter comes.

Thanks.
You've got it!
 
First, let me say I only spent a 5 hours awake in your city and I love it. One of the best airports. Anyways, Sunny 11 in San Diego?
Yep - the wife and I have a hard time deciding where to go on vacation cause it's so nice here all year-round.

The sun's low enough this time of year that an extra stop of exposure seems to work out, for me anyway.

Cheers!
 
The problem with Sunny 16, at least in my experience, is that it will underexpose by 1-2 stops based on incident light readings. Lots of people don't trust meters; I don't trust Sunny 16. YMMV.
It sure does.sunny 16 works well;the sun is a very constant light source and varies little during the day or from one place on earth to another.
 
How good are iPhone meter apps? I recently compared the one on my iPhone against several reliable camera meters, and the results matched almost exactly every time.
 
Photrio.com contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
To read our full affiliate disclosure statement please click Here.

PHOTRIO PARTNERS EQUALLY FUNDING OUR COMMUNITY:



Ilford ADOX Freestyle Photographic Stearman Press Weldon Color Lab Blue Moon Camera & Machine
Top Bottom