The guide number represents an exposure constant for a flash unit. For example, a
guide number of 80 feet at ISO 100 means that a target 20 feet away will be correctly illuminated with an aperture of f/4 (80 = 20 × 4) using a sensitivity of ISO 100. For the same guide number and an aperture of f/8, the light source should be 10 feet from the subject (80 = 10 × 8). [1]
For instance, the Olympus FL-50 has a
guide number of 50m at ISO 100 when set to its narrowest setting, but significantly less when illuminating a wider area.
Guide numbers can be given in feet or metres, and are usually given for ISO 100 sensitivity. The guide number of
80 feet in the previous example corresponds to a guide number of approximately 24
metres. The calculations remain the same: a target 6 metres (20 feet) away requires an aperture of f/4 (24 = 6 × 4). Thus, when comparing flash units, make sure to compare the guide numbers, measured in the same unit, for the same ISO rating and the same focal length "zoom" setting of the flash.