The “Yorkshire sunlight in autumn” hit my cross-Pennine genes like an emotional brick… – such a beautiful image: and however you exposed for it, it turned out perfectly! Thank you so much for finding it on your hard drive (just for me).
first time when i heard of "sunny 16" i've tried it with a digital camera (manual mode) and it worked. took about 5 photos at the time and that was my trial as i couldn't see the point of the rule for a digital camera. a reliable rule? not at all, i agree with your point. i rather rely on the integrated light meter in a camera (in a case where i don't have the phone with the lightmeter apps with me).
I will always rely on my camera meter or an external meter first. But there are some cameras that are easier to use with Sunny 16. Now I’m lucky here in southern Ontario that I do have some points in the year where it works. It’s a handy tool but not a catch all for every condition.
Even when I'm using a camera with a built-in meter, I often try to estimate the required exposure in my head, then take a meter reading and see how they compare. That helps me to build up a realistic assessment of how to expose without a meter, when the need arises.
The “rule” has its shortcomings here in the northeastern U.S., where it comes close on a bright sunny day in July on the Coney Island boardwalk—I checked, although not with film, which I rarely shoot any more. Otherwise, best to rely on a meter, either in-camera or external. I checked with a shot taken on the same day on the beach itself, when there was a lot of light reflected from the water and sand. Close enough. But apart from those conditions, I think a new rule is in order. Thanks for pointing this out, Andrew!
I think that being able to read the light with our Mk.1 eyeballs is a valuable skill to have. Once you get them dialed in your instinct grows and so does your confidence. Where I live the most common setting I use on sunny days is 1/250th at f/11. Once I am comfy with my settings the rest is pretty easy. I do check my guesstimate with my trusty Gossen Trisix and I get more right than wrong.
I shoot a lot with a meterless TLR and have used the sunny 16 as a guide line many times. That said, I almost always intentionally over expose, and, I live in California ☀️🙂
The “Yorkshire sunlight in autumn” hit my cross-Pennine genes like an emotional brick… – such a beautiful image: and however you exposed for it, it turned out perfectly! Thank you so much for finding it on your hard drive (just for me).
first time when i heard of "sunny 16" i've tried it with a digital camera (manual mode) and it worked. took about 5 photos at the time and that was my trial as i couldn't see the point of the rule for a digital camera. a reliable rule? not at all, i agree with your point. i rather rely on the integrated light meter in a camera (in a case where i don't have the phone with the lightmeter apps with me).
I will always rely on my camera meter or an external meter first. But there are some cameras that are easier to use with Sunny 16. Now I’m lucky here in southern Ontario that I do have some points in the year where it works. It’s a handy tool but not a catch all for every condition.
Even when I'm using a camera with a built-in meter, I often try to estimate the required exposure in my head, then take a meter reading and see how they compare. That helps me to build up a realistic assessment of how to expose without a meter, when the need arises.
That would definitely not work in Norway either. 😊
The “rule” has its shortcomings here in the northeastern U.S., where it comes close on a bright sunny day in July on the Coney Island boardwalk—I checked, although not with film, which I rarely shoot any more. Otherwise, best to rely on a meter, either in-camera or external. I checked with a shot taken on the same day on the beach itself, when there was a lot of light reflected from the water and sand. Close enough. But apart from those conditions, I think a new rule is in order. Thanks for pointing this out, Andrew!
I think that being able to read the light with our Mk.1 eyeballs is a valuable skill to have. Once you get them dialed in your instinct grows and so does your confidence. Where I live the most common setting I use on sunny days is 1/250th at f/11. Once I am comfy with my settings the rest is pretty easy. I do check my guesstimate with my trusty Gossen Trisix and I get more right than wrong.
I'm glad you have written about the sunny sixteen rule. I have never had much faith in it myself.
I think you have pretty much summed it up already.
I shoot a lot with a meterless TLR and have used the sunny 16 as a guide line many times. That said, I almost always intentionally over expose, and, I live in California ☀️🙂