Exposure Triangle Calculator
Explore aperture, shutter, and ISO trade-offs: exposure value math, an equivalent-exposure table for every f-stop, and a live canvas brightness preview. Free.
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What is Exposure Triangle Calculator?
The Exposure Triangle Calculator turns aperture, shutter speed, and ISO into one exposure value, shows an equivalent-exposure table pairing every f-stop with its matching shutter speed, and previews the brightness change on a canvas - helping you trade depth of field, motion blur, and noise deliberately.
Key Benefits
- See EV as a single number instead of three competing dials
- Every equivalent f-stop and shutter pairing at a glance
- Brightness preview makes over- and under-exposure tangible
- Standard camera ladders keep the values realistic
- Instant and offline - a true field companion
Common Use Cases
- •Learning manual mode without wasting shots on guesses
- •Planning long-exposure or low-light settings before a shoot
- •Teaching photography students the exposure triangle
- •Quickly checking what f/8 costs you in shutter speed
How to Use the Exposure Triangle Calculator
- Set your camera settings: Pick the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO you plan to shoot - the EV updates instantly.
- Check the brightness preview: See whether the combination over- or under-exposes the baseline scene by the shown number of stops.
- Trade off with the table: Pick a different f-stop from the equivalence table to keep the same light while shifting depth of field or motion blur.
Key Features
- EV computed from aperture, shutter, and ISO with the standard formula
- Equivalent-exposure table for every f-stop at constant light
- Canvas brightness preview scaled by the stop difference
- Standard camera ladders: f/1.4-f/16, 1/4000-1 s, ISO 100-6400
- Current settings highlighted in the equivalence table
- Instant client-side rendering - a field companion that works offline
Frequently Asked Questions
What is exposure value (EV)?
EV combines aperture and shutter speed on one logarithmic scale: EV = log2(N squared divided by seconds), adjusted by ISO. Each one-step change halves or doubles the light.
What does the equivalent-exposure table show?
Every aperture paired with the shutter speed that lets in the same total light at your chosen ISO. Moving down the table deepens depth of field but needs slower shutter speeds.
How accurate is the brightness preview?
It is an illustration: each stop of overexposure brightens the scene and each stop of underexposure darkens it. Real rendering also depends on the scene and your metering.
Does ISO affect the equivalent shutter speeds?
Yes. Raising ISO one stop lets you use a one-stop faster (or smaller) aperture setting while keeping the same exposure, and the table adjusts automatically.