Existing Light Photo


Exposure Guide for Existing Light Photography

Picture Subject ASA 64-100 ASA 125-200 ASA 400
Home Interiors at night
Areas with average light
Areas with bright light

1/4 sec f/2.8
1/15 sec f/2

1/15 sec f/2
1/30 sec f/2

1/30 sec f/2
1/30 sec f/2.8

Candlelight close-ups 1/4 sec f/2 1/8 sec f/2 1/30 sec f/2.8
Indoor and outdoor holiday lighting at night,
Xmas trees
1 sec f/4 1 sec f/5.61/15 sec f/2
Brightly lighted downtown street scenes
(Wet streets add interesting reflections.)
1/30 sec f/2 1/30 sec f/2.8 1/60 sec f/2.8
Neon signs and other lighted signs 1/30 f/4 1/60 sec f/4 1/125 sec f/4
Store windows 1/30 sec f/2.8 1/30 sec f/4 1/60 sec f/4
Subjects lighted by streetlights 1/4 sec f/2 1/8 sec f/2 1/15 sec f/2
Floodlighted buildings, fountains, monuments 4 sec f/5.6 1sec f/4 1/15 sec f/2
Skyline-distant view of lighted buildings at night4 sec f/2.8 1 sec f/2 1 sec f/2.8
Skyline-10 minutes after sunset 1/30 sec f/4 1/60 sec f/4 1/60 sec f/5.6
Fairs, amusement parks 1/15 sec f/2 1/30 sec f/2 1/30 sec f/2.8
Amusement park rides-light patterns 4 sec f/16 2 sec f/16 1 sec f/16
Fireworks-displays on the ground 1/30 sec f/2.8 1/30 sec f/4 1/60 sec f/4
Fireworks-aerial displays
(Keep shutter open on Bulb for several bursts.)
f/8 f/11 f/16
Lightning (Keep shutter open
for one or two streaks of lightning.)
f/5.6 f/8 f/11
Burning buildings, campfires, bonfires 1/30 sec f/2.8 1/30 sec f/4 1/60 sec f/4
Subjects by campfires, bonfires 1/8 sec f/2 1/15 sec f/2 1/30 sec f/2
Night football, baseball, racetracks 1/30 sec f/2.8 1/60 sec f/2.8 1/125 sec f/2.8
Moonlighted landscapes
Moonlighted snow scenes
30 sec f/2
15 sec f/2
15 sec f/2
8 sec f/2
8 sec f/2
4 sec f/2
Basketball, hockey, bowling 1/30 sec f/2 1/60 sec f/2 1/125 sec f/2
Boxing, wrestling 1/60 sec f/2 1/125 sec f/2 1/250 sec f/2.8
Stage shows-Average
Bright
1/30 sec f/2
1/60 sec f/2.8
1/30 sec f/2.8
1/60 sec f/4
1/60 sec f/2.8
1/125 sec f/4
Circuses-Floodlighted acts
Spotlighted acts (carbon arc)
1/30 sec f/2
1/60 sec f/2.8
1/30 sec f/2.8
1/125 sec f/2.8
1/60 sec f/2.8
1/250 sec f/2.8
Ice shows-Floodlighted acts
Spotlighted acts (carbon arc)
1/30 sec f/2.8
1/60 sec f/2.8
1/60 sec f/2.8
1/125 sec f/2.8
1/125 sec f2.8
1/250 sec f/2.8
Interiors with bright fluorescent light 1/30 sec f/2.8 1/30 sec f/4 1/60 sec f/4
School-stage and auditorium ---- 1/15 sec f/2 1/30 sec f/2
Swimming pool-tungsten light indoors 1/15 sec f/2 1/30 sec f/2 1/60 sec f/2
Church interiors-tungsten light 1 sec f/5.6 1/15 sec f/2 1/30 sec f/2