Discovering Exposure the Old-School Way – On a clear, cloudless day at Silchester Roman Wall (Calleva Atrebatum), I decided on using the Sunny 16 Rule for the very first time. Armed with my Bronica ETRSi medium format camera and the 75mm lens, I loaded up a roll of Kentmere Pan 100 and left the light meter behind, Using the Sunny 16 Rule.
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🌞 What Is the Sunny 16 Rule?
The Sunny 16 Rule is a classic method for estimating exposure in bright sunlight—perfect for film photography, especially when using manual cameras without built-in meters.
The idea is simple:
- On a sunny day, set your aperture to f/16.
- Then choose a shutter speed that’s the reciprocal of your film ISO.
Since I was shooting Kentmere Pan 100, I used:
- Aperture: f/16
- Shutter Speed: 1/100 sec (rounded to 1/125 sec, the closest on the Bronica)
This approach works surprisingly well when the light is consistent, and at Calleva, it couldn’t have been more perfect.
🏛️ The Shoot: Silchester Roman Wall
Walking among the ancient stones of Calleva, the light was intense and steady. The strong sun made it an ideal setting to put the Sunny 16 Rule into practice without worrying about shifting exposure.
Since I wasn’t fiddling with a meter, I found myself focusing more on:
- Composition
- Framing
- Subject interaction with light and shadow
The Bronica’s waist-level finder made the process feel slower and more deliberate, which suited the thoughtful nature of the shoot.
🎞️ Why Kentmere Pan 100 Was a Good Match
Kentmere Pan 100 has a classic look with good sharpness and contrast, making it a solid film for a high-contrast day. It held up beautifully in the highlights, and even in shaded stone textures, it kept detail without falling apart.
And since it’s ISO 100, it was a perfect match for the Sunny 16 Rule’s default settings.
✅ First-Time Verdict: Success!
This was my first time using the Sunny 16 Rule in the field, and I have to say—it worked beautifully.
Out of the 12 exposures on that 120 roll, I was happy with the results from every frame. No blown highlights, no muddy shadows. Just balanced, natural exposures that felt true to the scene and the light.
It was liberating to shoot without metering, to trust the light, and to trust myself.
🛠️ Film Processing & Scanning Workflow
After the shoot, I developed the roll at home using Ordinal (1:50 dilution) for 9 minutes. Kentmere Pan 100 responded well to this developer, giving me clean negatives with smooth contrast and nice tonal separation—perfect for scanning.
I digitised the negatives using my Canon EOS 5DS R (50MP) paired with the Sigma 105mm Macro lens. This setup might be old-school compared to dedicated film scanners, but it’s been my reliable workhorse for years and still delivers crisp, high-resolution results.
All editing and final touches were done in Adobe Lightroom for tonal adjustments and Photoshop for spot removal and fine-tuning.
This hybrid workflow gives me the tactile joy of film with the flexibility of digital post-processing—and for this roll, it all came together beautifully.
💬 Final Thoughts
Shooting with the Sunny 16 Rule gave me a stronger connection to the process of photography. I wasn’t relying on a meter—I was reading the light with my eyes and making decisions based on feel and understanding.
If you’re into film photography and haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend giving the Sunny 16 Rule a go. It’s not just a technique—it’s an experience.
