How to Reduce Light Stops Entering Camera by Using F-Numbers

A few people have asked me about the correlation between the actual camera settings the F-Number on the camera and the actual available amount of light entering the camera or F-Stop, and how to know which F-Number to use to reduce the light by a certain amount of light.

So rather than try to write a description about the numbers I decide to draw up a chart.

Please feel free to download this chart for your own use, and if you do wish to share it, please credit me. Thanks

How to use the Chart

The chart is pretty simple to understand, along the top are 3 columns, starting with Full Stop, 1/2 Stop then 1/3 Stop, reading down each column you see the camera F Numbers. The gap between the F Numbers is the amount of light you are reducing or increasing into the camera.

Lets say you want to reduce the light by 1 Full Stop of light, simply look at the first column titled Full Stops and switching the F-Number on your camera between these settings will decrease or increase the amount of light accordingly. Using the second column and switching between these F-Numbers will reduce light by 1/2 Stop and finally switching between the F-Numbers in the 3rd column will reduce light by 1/3 Stop.

I hope this all makes sense, any questions just let me know in the comments.

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What is the difference between TimeLapse and HyperLapse Photography?

After posting about doing some TimeLapse photography and my test shots, I had a few people ask me what is the difference between Timelapse and HyperLapse.

So I thought I would answer them in a post, so here goes.

I will start by briefly explaining what the two are in their own right, and hopefully you will be able to see the difference.

What is TimeLapse Photography?

I will start by showing you a simple example of a TimeLapse sequence

As you can see the movement in this shot is done by the lapsing of time, hence the name TimeLapse. Simply put in a TimeLapse shot the camera position is fixed and a shot is taken at set intervals, during each interval time passes, which means when the next shot is taken the scene has changed.

These shots are then stitched together into a moving format, gif, movie or similar.

What is HyperLapse Photography?

Once again I will show you an example of a HyperLapse sequence

This time rather than the camera remaining in a fixed position, the shot is taken by the camera which is then moved between each shot, hence the name HyperLapse. So simply put we get the effect by having a moving camera position and a shot taken at each position, each time the camera is moved to a new position a new shot is taken, (at each shot the camera is fixed and doesn't move) after each the camera is moved and physical distance has passed, so the next time the shot is taken the scene has changed.

Again these shots are then stitched together into a moving format, gif, movie or similar.

So what is the difference between TimeLapse and HyperLapse?

Now you should already know the difference by to put it simple the difference is

1. Time-lapse photography allows time to pass between each shot, whilst the camera remains fixed.

2. Hyper-lapse photography allows distance to pass between each shot, the camera moves between each shot, but is fixed at the time of taking the shot, after all we are not making a movie here.

NOTE

TimeLapse is often also referred to as Time-lapse or Time Lapse Photography, as HyperLapse is often referred to as Hyper-lapse or Hyper Lapse Photography.

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