ND Filter Long Exposure Chart
Meter your scene without the filter, find your base exposure in the left column, then read across to your filter: that's your shutter time. Works for any scene — this is the same math as the ND filter calculator, pre-computed.
| Base exposure | ND2 | ND4 | ND8 | ND16 | ND32 | ND64 | ND100 | ND256 | ND400 | ND1000 | ND4000 | ND64000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2000 | 1/1000 s | 1/500 s | 1/250 s | 1/125 s | 1/62 s | 1/31 s | 1/19 s | 1/8 s | 1/5 s | 1/2 s | 2 s | 32.8 s |
| 1/1000 | 1/500 s | 1/250 s | 1/125 s | 1/62 s | 1/31 s | 1/16 s | 1/10 s | 1/4 s | 1/2 s | 1 s | 4.1 s | 1 min 5.5 s |
| 1/500 | 1/250 s | 1/125 s | 1/62 s | 1/31 s | 1/16 s | 1/8 s | 1/5 s | 1/2 s | 1/1 s | 2 s | 8.2 s | 2 min 11.1 s |
| 1/250 | 1/125 s | 1/62 s | 1/31 s | 1/16 s | 1/8 s | 1/4 s | 1/2 s | 1 s | 1.7 s | 4.1 s | 16.4 s | 4 min 22.1 s |
| 1/125 | 1/62 s | 1/31 s | 1/16 s | 1/8 s | 1/4 s | 1/2 s | 1/1 s | 2 s | 3.3 s | 8.2 s | 32.8 s | 8 min 44.3 s |
| 1/60 | 1/30 s | 1/15 s | 1/8 s | 1/4 s | 1/2 s | 1.1 s | 1.7 s | 4.3 s | 6.9 s | 17.1 s | 1 min 8.3 s | 18 min 12.3 s |
| 1/30 | 1/15 s | 1/8 s | 1/4 s | 1/2 s | 1.1 s | 2.1 s | 3.5 s | 8.5 s | 13.9 s | 34.1 s | 2 min 16.5 s | 36 min 24.5 s |
| 1/15 | 1/8 s | 1/4 s | 1/2 s | 1.1 s | 2.1 s | 4.3 s | 6.9 s | 17.1 s | 27.7 s | 1 min 8.3 s | 4 min 33.1 s | 72 min 49.1 s |
| 1/8 | 1/4 s | 1/2 s | 1 s | 2 s | 4 s | 8 s | 13 s | 32 s | 52 s | 2 min 8 s | 8 min 32 s | 136 min 32 s |
| 1/4 | 1/2 s | 1 s | 2 s | 4 s | 8 s | 16 s | 26 s | 1 min 4 s | 1 min 44 s | 4 min 16 s | 17 min 4 s | 273 min 4 s |
| 1/2 | 1 s | 2 s | 4 s | 8 s | 16 s | 32 s | 52 s | 2 min 8 s | 3 min 27.9 s | 8 min 32 s | 34 min 8 s | 546 min 8 s |
| 1 s | 2 s | 4 s | 8 s | 16 s | 32 s | 1 min 4 s | 1 min 44 s | 4 min 16 s | 6 min 55.9 s | 17 min 4 s | 68 min 16 s | 1092 min 16 s |
| 2 s | 4 s | 8 s | 16 s | 32 s | 1 min 4 s | 2 min 8 s | 3 min 27.9 s | 8 min 32 s | 13 min 51.7 s | 34 min 8 s | 136 min 32 s | 2184 min 32 s |
| 4 s | 8 s | 16 s | 32 s | 1 min 4 s | 2 min 8 s | 4 min 16 s | 6 min 55.9 s | 17 min 4 s | 27 min 43.5 s | 68 min 16 s | 273 min 4 s | 4369 min 4 s |
| 8 s | 16 s | 32 s | 1 min 4 s | 2 min 8 s | 4 min 16 s | 8 min 32 s | 13 min 51.7 s | 34 min 8 s | 55 min 27 s | 136 min 32 s | 546 min 8 s | 8738 min 8 s |
| 15 s | 30 s | 1 min | 2 min | 4 min | 8 min | 16 min | 25 min 59.5 s | 64 min | 103 min 58.1 s | 256 min | 1024 min | 16384 min |
| 30 s | 1 min | 2 min | 4 min | 8 min | 16 min | 32 min | 51 min 59 s | 128 min | 207 min 56.2 s | 512 min | 2048 min | 32768 min |
⚠️ Reality check: these times assume the filter's rated density. Budget filters can be off by a third of a stop, and long exposures suffer reciprocity failure on some films (not sensors). Bracket ±1 stop and check the histogram.