what is ev in photography

Exposure Value (EV) in photography is a numerical scale that represents different combinations of shutter speed, aperture, and ISO sensitivity that yield the same exposure. It is a way to combine shutter speed and aperture to a single value that relates only to exposure, not to other side effects like motion blur or depth of field. The EV scale ranges from about -6 to +17, with different EV values corresponding to different lighting conditions. A higher EV value indicates less light, while a lower EV value indicates more light. Photographers can use EV to determine the correct exposure settings for a given scene, and there are often many ways to expose a scene properly. While modern cameras do not allow direct setting of EV, it can still be helpful when used to transfer recommended exposure settings from an exposure meter to an exposure calculator. Additionally, some cameras are advertised as metering or autofocusing down to certain EV conditions, which is important to understand when evaluating a cameras capabilities.