Skip to content

Exposure and shooting

Exposure index (EI)

The speed you actually set on the meter or camera, which may differ from the film’s box speed.

Photographers choose an EI to expose a little more or less than the box speed suggests, for a particular look or for a developer that gives a different effective speed. Development times for an EI other than the box speed are published separately; the film is not simply developed for the same time.

On 35mm.org

‹ All terms