Lichtstufe

Lichtstufe is a German term that translates roughly as light level or brightness step. In German technical writing it is used to describe a discrete level of illumination or exposure and appears in photography, cinematography, and lighting engineering. The concept is often discussed in the context of exposure control, where one Lichtstufe corresponds to one step on the exposure scale. In practice, one Lichtstufe roughly equates to a one-stop change in light—doubling or halving the amount of light reaching a sensor or film—though the exact equivalence can vary with equipment and calibration.

In photography and film, Lichtstufe appears in older manuals and meters as a user-facing way to describe brighter or darker settings. In modern equipment the idea persists in the form of exposure value steps, even if the specific term Lichtstufe is less common in English-language manuals.

In lighting design and stage lighting, Lichtstufe is used more as a qualitative descriptor of brightness levels on dimming controls or preset scenes. Dimmers and lighting consoles provide a number of levels or steps that are referred to as Lichtstufen, enabling quick, repeatable adjustments of illumination intensity.

Etymology: from Licht (light) and Stufe (step, level). See also Lichtwert, EV, illuminance.