Sunny 16 Metering: beginner/intermediate tutorial

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►CHAPTER MARKERS
00:00 - Introduction
01:44 - Lesson 1: Finding Baseline
03:54 - Understanding "Sunny 16"
05:20 - Lesson 2: Equivalent Exchange
07:15 - A note on "equivalent exchange"
08:01 - Recap so far
09:00 - Sponsor
09:58 - Lesson 3: Getting Granular
11:43 - A note on "correct" exposure
12:07 - Scene Analysis 1
12:50 - Scene Analysis 2
13:44 - Scene Analysis 3
14:44 - Scene Analysis 4
16:10 - A note on overexposure
16:17 - Final scene breakdowns
16:40 - Scene Analysis Summary
16:58 - About light meters
18:04 - Conclusion
#sunny16 #filmphotography #streetphotography

[@shootswithcoops]

I hope everyone realises that this sort of thing usually cost money to watch Hash is a legend for going so in-depth and providing this for free

[@pushingfilm]

Thanks brother 😁

[@malypavel25]

This was probably the best video about sunny 16 I’ve seen. I actually feel confident to go and try it out myself with a test roll soon.

[@pushingfilm]

Good luck! 😁

[@LaskeyHart]

100% agree

[@camerafusion]

Agreed

[@spdaltcap5433]

Agreed, well done

[@michaelhair7828]

I was not expecting the FMA references, but I'm here for it!

[@pikasauce96]

THIS TECHNIQUE HAS BEEN PASSED DOWN THE ARMSTRONG FAMILY LINE FOR GENERATIONS!

[@jonathanbriu]

This is the best breakdown of sunny 16 rules also FMA brotherhood has to be one of the best anime to date.

[@Nedumgottil]

Thanks for putting together this high quality guide. Really didn’t expect to get an FMA reference at 5:51 😂

[@cabugs]

Probably the best video on the sunny 16 while mentioning the concept of equivalent exposure in detail ("equivalent exchange") with matching text/info for better presentation. Your videos are always a treat! More power, my g.

[@pushingfilm]

Thanks mate! Appreciate the the support 🙂

[@leedeleon2745]

The FMA reference further reinforces that Hashem is truly that mf. 🤝🏽 Loved it! Always need a nice lil refresher.

[@iphoneskidad]

very helpful. i really like the practical walk around examples

[@roywilkinson9879]

A really fantastic video; I’ve not seen one better; thank you, yes would love to see your next vid - delving deeper; thanks again

[@davidmill7289]

Brilliant tutorial, thank you.

[@bagelmaster8]

Super helpful, thank you for the scene breakdowns

[@marcusineson]

Thanks for this video I’m just starting out with film and wasn’t sure I had worked out reciprocity correctly. Turns out I had but great to have it confirmed so clearly.

[@unknownartdivision]

This is probably the best video I saw on the sunny 16 rule. Really well explained and with great examples.

[@pushingfilm]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@vinovidiviccie]

Thanks a lot! Great stuff. Really helpful. Recently started shooting the Leica M-A - so all pointers are welcome! All the best from The Netherlands and keep up the good work! Love the channel!

[@Doofens]

I love that nowdays we get serious photography tutorials with anime references. 10 years ago - unthinkable.

[@pushingfilm]

Glad I dropped that reference 😁

[@didiMao]

Thanks Hashem, I started s16 nine months ago and it’s helped me so much. Your video was one of the best videos out and this one is a must watch for all photo creators 🙏🏼

[@pedroaochoa]

Best sunny 16 video by far. Loved the detailed breakdowns.

[@pushingfilm]

Thank you!

[@joshuacotter4686]

the best breakdown I've seen so far. I really appreciate the in world examples with the f stops displayed over various parts of the image

[@pushingfilm]

Glad it helped!

[@frankthetank9513]

Thank you for the amazing lesson!

[@julianperkins81]

Superb exposition, thank you!

[@Leondrian]

Lovely video! Thank you so very much. Gave me some really useful tips and tricks.

[@pushingfilm]

Glad it helped!

[@bryangideon5822]

Great video thanks

[@natalie_l23]

Awesome video - I finally think i get it!!! Thanks so much!!

[@pushingfilm]

Happy to help!

[@_parkphoto]

This is fantastic, and yes I would love a more advanced video as well!

[@pushingfilm]

Thanks! Good to know 👍

[@tassadar1977]

Great video Hashem. Lots of practical examples that will help a lot of people.

[@pushingfilm]

Thanks John!

[@YoYoYo]

This was nice video. I loved the examples on the street and explanations.

[@pushingfilm]

Glad you liked it! 😀

[@rishabh.jangid]

Thank you for including Full Metal Alchemist's reference quote.

[@dayzpast]

Thanks Hashem! This guide is perfect!

[@pushingfilm]

My pleasure!

[@willinirschl]

beautiful tutorial! never seen the sunny 16 rule so accurately shown with examples, thank you! I would love an advanced video on that. In my personal case, I would really like to learn more about range/zone focusing. Maybe you can do a video about that one day too ;)

[@ZachBie]

This is a great video, one of the best I’ve seen on the subject. I made a video on the topic a few years ago, but this is far more detailed. It takes a lot of work to make a video like this and you knocked it out of the park. I’ve been using Sunny 16 for about 10 years now, and it is so freeing. I tape a chart to the top of my Leica’s or to the back of my Nikon cameras, and use that as a quick reference when shooting in quick or stressful situations. The only times I struggle a bit is indoors with artificial lighting, especially stage lighting, and in predawn light.

[@lpark8]

Great video - very practical and the examples were helpful. Thank you! 🙏

[@pushingfilm]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@GeNTooFReaK]

I can suggest any (film) photographer despite of sunny 16 to just always guess the exposure settings just before metering them with a light meter. Over some time your guesses become better and better and ocassionally are accurate enough to just omit the light metering. And it does not only improves your joy of photographing, it also adds up to your confidence in doing so.

[@sfenwick]

Thank you for this. You are a good teacher! Cheers from Chicago :)

[@pushingfilm]

Thank you very much! 🙂

[@astonyao2298]

Great video. Probably the most comprehensive Sunny 16 guide out there. I wish this video had been around when I started taking photos with film cameras. It's definitely very helpful for beginners. Love your work, Hashem.

[@pushingfilm]

Thanks, Aston!

[@tomhippely5194]

Very helpful thanks

[@daaknait]

Best video on the subject 👍

[@TheMishupo]

Thank you, I also try 1/1000 f/8 iso200 for sunny day

[@kieulannguyen1193]

Great video. I have not shot film for so long but learning these tips is so useful. Thank you.

[@pushingfilm]

Glad it helped!

[@thiagovelosolopes5563]

Congratulations on the video, it was very easy to absorb the knowledge!

[@pushingfilm]

Glad it was helpful!

[@user-qd8rc4qg5k]

This is awesome! Thank You for real life moments example. It’s so helpful! Thank You for This brilliant tutorial!!

[@pushingfilm]

Glad to hear that!!

[@klarkolofsson]

Brilliant video. Thanks!

[@pushingfilm]

Thank you!

[@christophercaballero9473]

this is exactly what I do! It's always hard explaining how to do it so I'm glad I can refer friends to this Hash!

[@pushingfilm]

Happy to hear that!

[@pavlatoar]

awesome, thank you

[@colomboluke]

Great Video man! really Informative and engaging! Need to catch up soon!

[@pushingfilm]

Thanks! Yeah it's overdue, I was thinking to organise a meetup for next week

[@sridharryalie2442]

Thank you for this short and very in depth brilliant tutorial. Exactly what I need to take my photography from snap-shooting on small digital cameras to a more considered shooting I want to learn as I graduate to film cameras.

[@pushingfilm]

No worries!

[@aidendominguez269]

thx for the great explanation and variety of examples! You got a new subscriber 😁

[@pushingfilm]

Glad it helped, and thanks!

[@jmagnuson17]

Great explainer on the sunny rule Hashem! The bits about the subtle adjustments you can make to the rule depending on your creative needs are more clear with the examples. This is the part that takes the longest to learn, but I think you’ve described it well.

[@pushingfilm]

Thanks! glad you thought so :-)

[@flyingo]

My father taught me the fundamentals of the sunny 16 rule in the mid 1960s. Understanding it has saved my photography more times than I can count, when I had no meter handy. Bottom line is that the math involved really isn’t very hard once Sunny 16 becomes part of your normal train of thought. Well, that and the old “f8 and be there” 😉Good explanation!

[@sdhute]

Very good

[@riswanc]

Superb video, alqays love your learning methodologies

[@pushingfilm]

Glad to hear that!

[@davidb_]

great video + that full metal alchemist shoutout was super based

[@SanTM]

Ah now this is very helpful! I shall rewatch and make notes

[@pushingfilm]

Glad it helped!

[@TheFilmFellow]

Objectively and invariable the most comprehensive video on the Sunny 16 rule. I can see this used in colleges. Well done Hashem!

[@pushingfilm]

Thanks man! Much appreciated

[@nathanjayrog]

I’m about 3 months into my film journey and I really needed this video! I’ve been struggling with quickly metering scenes and most of the time missing the shot. Very helpful!

[@pushingfilm]

Glad to hear that!

[@dl_gone]

That was a great video. I’m recently getting into film after years of point and click and letting the camera do the work for me. I feel much more confident already after watching this - now time to go and test the theory out in the wild!

[@pushingfilm]

Thanks, I'm glad to hear that!

[@renemies78]

This is the best video I've seen on Sunny 16. So many great examples! Thank you so much.

[@alexpappos5848]

Superb. I’m a newbie to all this and tried to get my head around it all. This is by far the best video I’ve watched . It JUST MAKES SENSE. New subscriber and already watched over 10 videos in 2 days . Keep up the awesome work.

[@pushingfilm]

Thanks very much!

[@lucafilms]

Very, i repeat, VERY well done. I hope my professors could communicate things so good. Thank you!

[@pushingfilm]

I appreciate it! :-)

[@lechewga]

This video is incredible. The scene breakdown was particularly helpful, I always have trouble with those little nuances of shadows and movement

[@pushingfilm]

Glad to hear it helped!

[@briansilcox5720]

I shot for many years with a Canon F-1, out of the open canopy or door of an airplane, doing inflight portraiture of WWII airplanes in formation. I found shooting Kodachrome 64 at f8/250 the most reliable baseline. This equated to f16 at 1/60th, another common speed. Backlit situations opened up to a stop, sometimes bracketing more. The meter in this type of shooting rarely would work with the narrow latitude K64 film. The advent of compensation wheels on the slr back made using shutter priority auto viable in digital, but constant override is still required.

[@JamieByrne1977]

Very helpful. Thanks

[@pushingfilm]

You're welcome!

[@timeforce1988]

Love the Fullmetal Alchemist reference!

[@patrick8035]

Great video!

[@pushingfilm]

Thanks!

[@antnguyen]

wow, didn't think watching that FMA intro would bring back some long forgotten feels lol

[@AselaArt]

Fantastic Video bud! incredibly helpful and I loved the FMA references 😀 I gave up my leg and arm to transmute a Leica MA..but got an M4-P ( ain't complaining...just walk with a limp now)😂I'm looking forward to any more videos in this series. Thanks for sharing!

[@pushingfilm]

Haha thanks man!

[@behindeachfilmgrain]

I love Sunny 16 as you may know Hashem. Had no idea you were into anime! Love that! Shooting Sunny 16 to me is like shooting Aperture priority, but it's all math and artistically breaking the rules of photography. Great tutorial as per usual my friend!

[@pushingfilm]

Thanks Lang! 😁

[@ColinMill1]

When I started photography in the 1950s this was pretty much what everyone did. Of course there was the advantage that B&W film is incredibly tolerant of a few stops of over-exposure so unless you were wildly optimistic about the conditions you were going to be fine. Since, here in the UK, sunny is not a term we have much use for one's baseline was going to be cloudy, overcast or worst much of the time. So, many of us would leave a camera set to 125th at f/8 with the zone focusing mark for f/8 against infinity and know you could just point and shoot and be in with a chance of something (with anything between about 5 metres and infinity in tolerable focus). Indeed this setting was so common that a pal of mine, on being asked a question on any topic for which he had no answer would reply "125th at f8" - not a joke that would work these days I'm sure. What about the film speed? Well, most people were using Ilford FP3 @ 125ASA but if the camera just happened to be loaded with, say HP3 @ 400ASA it would still be OK.

[@pushingfilm]

Haha yeah that's a good way to go! Its a nice bonus about FP4 being 125 ISO making it easier to meter with.

[@extremelydave]

For someone who has a mechanical (no battery) camera, this video is a godsend....I had never heard of the relationship of the ISO to shutter speed so that is going to really help me!!!! This was a great video Hasham, let's see that advanced one!!!

[@pushingfilm]

Thanks Dave! Glad you thought it was helpful

[@Lc-is8vn]

Excellent video very helpful, I'm a complete beginner and just picked up an at-1 can't wait to give it a whirl and this tutorial will help greatly 👍

[@pushingfilm]

Glad it was helpful!

[@wabildi]

I very like your fullmetal achemist analogy.

[@pushingfilm]

Haha thanks!

[@Jack-qn6vy]

Nice to see you got around to the follow up! I like the equivalent exchange idea! Nothing comes for free in the Bermuda Exposure Triangle, lol. I’m interested in how you handle indoor lighting, and how to fine tune the metering to give the most dynamic range to the image, like a lazy Ansley Adams approach. Thanks again for supporting the film community.

[@pushingfilm]

Happy to help! Yeah that might be a good segment for an advanced tutorial, let's see how we go with this one 🙂

[@emmanueltsI5]

Excellent lessons here. Like you, got that sunny 16 theory some years ago. Today, shooting film without any light meter and is a pure joy. Hope film will stay with us for a long time. It is really a beautiful hobby (or profession for some of us). Thx for the good videos🙏👍

[@pushingfilm]

It is indeed a joy! Thank you for watching

[@HasibulHasanBhuiyan]

Great video! Scene analysis actually helps a lot to understand! On a completely different topic, did I just see some photos from Bangladesh here? Respect man, not every photographer reaches those parts of the world! Hope you enjoyed your stays in my country!

[@pushingfilm]

Thanks, glad it helped 🙂 It was, I have some videos on the channel shooting there. Definitely enjoyed 👍

[@grandpascuba]

I’m glad to see you covering this topic. In my early photography as a poor high school student, I had a 100% no-electronics camera. I lived on the sunny 16 rule. Every box of film had the table printed on the inside. I would like to point out, at the beginning of you first lesson you say to use a light meter to get basic understanding. However, if you have a light meter, you don’t need the sunny 16 rule. (BTW, the light meter you were using looked like a Sekonic L308. I love the L308!)

[@pushingfilm]

Thanks! Not a must, but I still it can be good to use one to help supplement the learning process, and for other situations where sunny 16 isn't appropriate/sufficient.

[@Juleslshaw]

Great video,

[@pushingfilm]

Thanks!

[@helloharls_]

Key takeaway from this is that film photography is just alchemy! Amazing. But in all seriousness, great video super in depth without being too much!

[@pushingfilm]

😁 Thank you!

[@lux_lumen_]

I started guessing exposures then checking with a metre and over time by using these methods you really can get to a point where you’re rarely more than a stop off the mark. I swear some of my images are better exposed using these methods than relying on internal metres especially in my older bodies.

[@pushingfilm]

Exactly! You can point an in-camera meter scenes that have say a sky or bright artificial light (as examples) and it easily gets thrown off.

[@AI-Hallucination]

11:29 I am commenting again look at the way that kid looks at the light meter beautiful the curiosity

[@tomcat1112k]

glad to see you representing shots my homecountry, bangladesh. this tutorial just got more interesting.

[@pushingfilm]

Happy you liked it! It's cool to hear about many film enthusiasts there, and I'm looking forward to visiting again soon.

[@tomcat1112k]

@@pushingfilm Exciting to hear you're considering another visit! My city Bogura awaits with its five-star hotels, a waterpark, Mahastan's heritage charm, and a few spots for your 📸 shoot. You can recall me as your local friend for any help you may need. Can't wait to see more of Bangladesh through your lens! 🇧🇩

[@BreakfastEveryday]

Loved the video. I have watched so many sunny 16 videos and they always just stop at the basics. They rarely go into more advanced ways of using the technique and examples on the streets so thank you. I don't know if my method is good method or if someone else as heard of it before, but I have written a table on a note card. Shutter speed on the y axis and aperture on the x axis, Then I'll write down the numbers of stops they are away from the sunny 16. Each table corresponds to a different iso film. Ex; 400 iso film, 500 @ 16 = 0, 250 @ 16 = 1, 500 @ 11 = 1, 250 @ 11 = 2, 125 @ 16 = 2, 250 @ 11 = 2, 500 @ 8 = 2, etc every combo of equivalent exchange. Then I look at the scene and determine what is a 0, 1, 2, 3 etc and memorizing the chart helps do the math quicker. I don't know if this is an effective method, but maybe it could help those who struggle with the math in a pinch.

[@dominicwroblewski5832]

I started using the Sunny 16 rule earlier this year and now I rarely check my in camera meter. There is another aid and that is the gray card to verify your exposure. I find myself only using the meter is overcast situations as the light can really vary.

[@81mpact]

Please make an advanced version of the sunny 16!!!

[@luciengraetz]

I think I actually get it now. Maybe I won’t have to shoot full auto for the rest of my life. Equivalent exchange and full metal alchemist was a lovely addition too 🤌

[@albertogarcia1386]

Good explanation of the Sunny 16 rule. Anyhow I rather look at the shape of the shadows than the weather forecast, nevertheless the cloud cover can be a good starting point. Despite the fact that it is a good way to measure the light, from my point of view it may lead to missed exposure, for example in the sunset. I think on a clear sunny day during sunset and with the sun in your back f/4 is too open. So, as you say, it is something you need to get used to through visual exercise.

[@pushingfilm]

Good points! The nature of the shadows is definitely a great tool.

[@vaitranquilloarmadillo9774]

@pushingfilm Hello everbody! Great video! I only was wondering since I use an app to meter light that tells me exactly what shutter speed to use based on what iso and aperture I selected why in sunny 16 we set the shutterspeed close to the iso. Thanks aloto

[@valhala73]

Great video!! What do you meant when you said " it allows you to angle the light meter to shape of the things..." . Could you explain that?

[@RichardPilon]

Great video and explanation of the Sunny 16 rule. I’m getting a lot more comfortable not using a light meter with my M3 and often don’t use the light meter on my M6. What are your thoughts on the M6 light meter and also the Voightlander VCii meter?

[@pushingfilm]

Thanks! Check out my M6 video for my thoughts on the meter in detail. As for the Voigtlander VC meters, I think they're nice... and I like the idea of having the meter externally for the type of street shooting I do. They're a bit expensive though!

[@hyperbolikcreative8419]

Hashem you need to create some equivalent exchange sunny 16 themed merch using the transmutation exposure triangle 😉haha

[@pushingfilm]

Haha great idea!

[@markmuller3086]

Great video for planning the baseline and then adjusting from there, both for rounding and creative effects, as well as getting granular. Was wondering if you could go more into the reasons why it’s best to overexpose (vs underexpose) for negative film if you have a choice when rounding. Maybe another video for this. Great video!

[@pushingfilm]

Thanks! And sure, I'll note that down as a future video idea or talking point, it seems to trip people up sometimes.

[@AI-Hallucination]

5:56 yes

[@ckorange1025]

sunny 16 with anime reference!? Subscribed!!

[@armins9219]

thanks for the video! just starting with a canon-P and this is useful. may i ask what camera strap is that though?

[@pushingfilm]

Nice! It's a Tap and Dye strap

[@arifhaiqal]

Would it be possible to ask for a guide on how to guesstimate distance? Sold off my Rollei 35 because im bad at guessing distance, but i really love to get it one day

[@pushingfilm]

Hey! I'll add it to the list of possible ideas :-)

[@Odins.Valhall]

Servus, Kannst gerne mal ein Video dazu machen im Einsatz mit dem Sekonic L308s, wäre interessant auch für bestimmt viele andere, einschließlich mich. Cooles Video.👌👌✌✌ Lg Andderl

[@gusatvoschiavon]

Can you do a video about the zone system? I think i understand but a lot of videos just overcomplicates things

[@pushingfilm]

Hey, I've had a coupe of requests so I'll add it to the list and see if more people are interested. For now, I recommend checking out Jae Rose video on zone system!

[@Jerry10939]

I have two film cameras that I use the most one the light meter doesn’t work. So I always use sunny 16.

[@robertkerner4833]

How do you handle the 1/10 increment that is displayed next to the Aperture number on the meter? Even when meter set for full stop increments you’ll see that third digit. There are many long complicated explanations on how to apply that to adjust aperture. Would like to hear how you handle it?

[@djbernales6815]

As a newbie to film, this has been so helpful! Thank you! Does this also work with expired film (after adjusting the iso from the box speed based on number of years film was expired?)

[@pushingfilm]

Glad to hear that! Yep, you're correct regarding expired film. Expired film always carries more unpredictability though, depending on storage and other factors (part of the fun!)

[@djbernales6815]

@@pushingfilm thank you again for sharing your valuable knowledge!

[@ianroe1076]

I use a digital APSC camera. Should I adjust for APSC -> full frame equivalents, or should the difference between f/8 and f/16 on a lens intended for APSC be considered the same as one for full frame, or 35mm film?