📷 Exposure Triangle Calculator
Dial in aperture, shutter speed, and ISO — see your Exposure Value and the trade-offs in real time.
| Scene | Aperture | Shutter | ISO | EV |
|---|
Understanding the Exposure Triangle
The exposure triangle is the relationship between three camera settings that control how much light reaches the sensor: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Changing one always requires compensating with another to maintain the same overall brightness.
Aperture (f-stop) controls the size of the lens opening. A lower f-number (e.g., f/1.4) means a wider opening, more light, shallower depth of field (blurrier backgrounds). A higher f-number (e.g., f/22) gives a narrower opening, less light, deeper depth of field.
Shutter Speed is how long the sensor is exposed to light. Fast speeds (1/1000s) freeze motion; slow speeds (1/30s or longer) create motion blur and let in more light.
ISO is sensor sensitivity. Low ISO (100) gives a clean, low-noise image but requires more light. High ISO (6400+) allows shooting in low light but introduces visible grain/noise.
Exposure Value (EV) is a single number representing a combination of aperture and shutter speed at ISO 100. EV 0 = f/1 at 1 second. Each stop up doubles the brightness.