If you’re a fan of night photography, you know that capturing stunning images after the sun goes down can be challenging.
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One of the essential skills you need to master to take great night shots is the 500 rule. This rule helps you calculate the right shutter speed for your camera when using long exposures to capture more light and create dramatic effects. In this article, we’ll explain what the 500 rule is and how to apply it to your night photography.
What is the 500 Rule?
The 500 rule is a simple formula that helps you calculate the maximum shutter speed you can use for a given focal length and ISO setting without getting star trails in your photos. Star trails are the streaks of light that appear in your image when you use a shutter speed that’s too slow, and the stars move across the sky during the exposure.
The 500 rule is based on the principle that the longer the focal length of your lens, the faster the shutter speed you need to avoid star trails.
The 500 rule is calculated as follows:
500 ÷ (focal length x crop factor) = maximum shutter speed
In this formula, the crop factor adjusts the focal length of your lens to your camera’s sensor size. For example, if you’re using a full-frame camera, the crop factor is 1, but if you’re using an APS-C camera, the crop factor is usually around 1.5 or 1.6, depending on the brand.
Let’s say you’re using a 50mm lens on a full-frame camera, and your ISO setting is 1600. To use the 500 rule, you would calculate the maximum shutter speed as follows:
500 ÷ (50 x 1) = 10 seconds
This means that you can use a shutter speed of up to 10 seconds without getting star trails in your photos.
Calculating Shutter Speed for the 500 Rule
To apply the 500 rule, you should know the focal length of your lens and the crop factor of your camera as well as your ISO setting, as this affects the amount of light your camera can capture in a given exposure.
For example, if you’re using a 24mm lens on a full-frame camera and your ISO setting is 3200, you would calculate the maximum shutter speed as follows:
500 ÷ (24 x 1) = 20.83 seconds
In this case, you can use a shutter speed of up to 20.83 seconds without getting star trails in your photos.
If you’re using a crop-sensor camera, you’ll need to adjust the focal length of your lens to take the crop factor into account. For example, if you’re using a Canon APS-C camera with a crop factor of 1.6 and a 35mm lens, you would need to adjust the focal length to 56mm (35mm x 1.6) to calculate the maximum shutter speed using the 500 rule.
Here’s a table that shows the maximum shutter speed you can use for different focal lengths and ISO settings:
Focal Length | ISO 1600 | ISO 3200 | ISO 6400 |
14mm | 31.25 s | 15.63 s | 7.81 s |
16mm | 27.34 s | 13.67 s | 6.84 s |
18mm | 24.31 s | 12.16 s | 6.08 s |
20mm | 22.22 s | 11.11 s | 5.56 s |
24mm | 18.52 s | 9.26 s | 4.63 s |
28mm | 15.87 s | 7.94 s | 3.97 s |
35mm | 12.70 s | 6.35 s | 3.17 s |
50mm | 8.93 s | 4.46 s | 2.23 s |
85mm | 5.26 s | 2.63 s | 1.32 s |
100mm | 4.44 s | 2.22 s | 1.11 s |
135mm | 3.29 s | 1.64 s | 0.82 s |
200mm | 2.22 s | 1.11 s | 0.56 s |
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Tips for Using the 500 Rule
Here are a few tips you can follow to get the best results while using the 500 rule:
- Use a tripod: When using long exposures, even the slightest shake can ruin your shot, so you must use a sturdy tripod to keep your camera steady.
- Use a remote shutter release: A remote shutter release will avoid any shake that may occur when you press the shutter button. You can also use the self-timer function.
- Take test shots: Before you start shooting, you’ll want to take a few test shots to make sure you’re happy with the exposure and composition.
- Use manual focus: It can be challenging for your camera to autofocus in low-light conditions. Using manual focus ensures that your subject is sharp and in focus.