14-6 I E S LIGHTING HANDBOOK

Light Quantity or Exposure

The quantity of light that a film receives is a function of object brightness,
of time, and of lens aperture.
Exposure equals illumination at the
film X time. This relationship fre-
quently is referred to as the reciprocity law. It holds true, fairly well, for
the exposure times encountered in most photographic work. Exposure
time may be governed by factors such as the necessity for stopping motion,
fiashlamp and flashtube characteristics, and subject reflectance, which fix
the amount of light available. In many situations the object brightness is
fixed and the time of exposure and lens aperture must be adjusted, as,
for example, out-of-doors.
Two major factors affecting the amount of light required are:
1. The light-transmitting ability of the camera lens.
2. The absolute sensitivity of the film.
The most common system of expressing the light-gathering power of a
lens is the /-system in which the /-value of a lens is given as the focal length
-f- the diameter
of
the lens opening. Since the light transmitted is propor-
tional to the area of the opening, the inverse
of
the square of the /-value is
a measure of the light-collecting ability of a camera lens. The illumination
on the film will be influenced also by surface reflections, glass absorptance,
and vignetting.
There are a number of systems in vogue for evaluating the absolute speed
of film and plates.
1
The American Standards Association has standardized
a procedure for determining film speed which appears to include all of the
factors necessary in obtaining satisfactory prints, and should eventually
come into general use.
2
The following formula, embodying the reciprocity law and the factors of
lens aperture and film rating, gives the relationship of the several elements
affecting exposure for objects of average reflectance
:
F
_
K X
f
TXS
where E
=
Illumination on subject being photographed (in footcandles).
/
=
/-value at which the lens aperture is set.
S
=
Speed of film, according to the A.S.A. system. (The older
Weston and G.E. exposure meter values also applicable with
adjustment of K.)
T
=
Time of exposure (seconds).
K
=
A constant based on the various elements used. 15 is a satis-
factory value for negatives of average density (A.S.A. ).
(Weston K
=
10)
(G.E. K
=
20)
Instead of basing the exposure on incident illumination, the average bright-
ness B may be substituted for E if a corresponding change is made in K.