Meter an area of your scene. Choose how bright it should look in the final image. Get the exact camera setting. Three steps.
Use the spot meter to measure the brightness of the area you want to control. Or take a photo and tap the area - the analyzer will identify its zone for you.
Point your spot meter at one part of the scene. It gives you a shutter speed (at your chosen aperture) or an aperture (at your chosen shutter speed).
The meter assumes everything is medium grey. If the area should be dark (shadow, dark coat), choose "dark with full detail". If it is bright skin, choose "light with detail". This controls how that area appears in your photo.
The calculator adjusts the meter reading by the right number of stops and shows you exactly what to dial into your camera. One number, done.
Meter other parts of the scene. Use the lookup tool to see which zone each reading falls on. Zones II-VIII have usable detail. Outside that range, detail is lost.
Read our complete plain-language guide to exposure, metering, and the Zone System - covering everything from how a light meter works to placing and falling in the field, for both film and digital.
| Zone | Print Value | Subject Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Maximum black | Complete absence of density. No detail, no texture. |
| I | Near black | Effective threshold. Slight tonality but no texture. |
| II | Deep shadow | First suggestion of texture. Deep shadows in a portrait, dark foliage. |
| III | Dark detail | Full texture and detail in shadows. Dark fabric, dark stone, bark. |
| IV | Shadow detail | Well-lit shadow. Dark foliage, landscape shadow, dark skin. |
| V | Middle grey | 18% reflectance grey card. Weathered wood, dark sky, average stone. |
| VI | Light detail | Average Caucasian skin, light stone, clear north sky. |
| VII | Bright detail | Very light skin, bright concrete, snow in side light with full texture. |
| VIII | Near white | Lightest tone with texture. Snow in flat light, white painted wall. |
| IX | Specular | Slight tone without texture. Glare on water, bright clouds. |
| X | Pure white | Maximum paper white. Light sources, specular reflections. |