Simple Calculator Tools

Exposure Triangle Calculator

Change your aperture or ISO and instantly see the shutter speed needed to keep the same exposure, in full stops of light.

Exposure settings

Enter your current settings, then the new aperture and ISO you want to use.

New shutter speed needed—Enter your settings above.
Current shutter speed—
Aperture change—
ISO change—
Shutter adjustment—
Quick insight

Exposure Triangle Calculator

Enter your current and new settings to see the equivalent shutter speed.

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Let’s understand your Exposure Triangle Calculator result.

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What Is an Exposure Triangle Calculator?

The exposure triangle is the relationship between aperture, shutter speed and ISO — the three settings that together control how much light reaches your camera's sensor. This calculator finds the shutter speed you need after changing your aperture and/or ISO, so the resulting photo keeps the same overall brightness.

This is the same math your camera's built-in light meter uses when you switch between manual and semi-automatic modes — it just makes the trade-off visible so you understand it instead of guessing.

How to Read Your Results

New Shutter Speed Needed

This is the shutter speed that produces an equivalent exposure to your original settings, given the new aperture and ISO you entered.

Aperture Change (in stops)

A positive number means the new aperture lets in less light (a narrower opening, higher f-number) and the shutter will need to slow down to compensate. A negative number means more light is getting in.

ISO Change (in stops)

A positive number means the new ISO is more sensitive to light, which lets you use a faster shutter speed. A negative number means less sensitivity.

Real-World Example

Say your correctly-exposed shot is f/5.6, 1/125s, ISO 400 — but you want more depth of field, so you close the aperture to f/11 (about 2 stops less light) while keeping ISO at 400.

SettingOriginalNew
Aperturef/5.6f/11
ISO400400
Shutter speed1/125s≈1/32s

Closing the aperture by roughly 2 stops means the shutter has to stay open roughly 4× longer — from 1/125s to about 1/32s — to let in the same total light.

Tips for Using Stops of Light

  • One full stop always doubles or halves the light. That's true whether it comes from aperture, shutter or ISO.
  • Raising ISO lets you use a faster shutter in low light, at the cost of more visible noise.
  • Narrowing the aperture (higher f-number) increases depth of field but needs a slower shutter or higher ISO.
  • Use a tripod if the calculated shutter speed is slower than about 1/60s and you're shooting handheld.

Related Calculators

Depth of Field Calculator

Recommended resources

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Note: This calculator estimates exposure equivalence using standard photographic stops math. It does not account for reciprocity failure at very long exposures or scene-specific metering.

Last updated: August 2026 · Reviewed by: Simple Calculator Tools Editorial Team