BV(RI)c photometry of S5 0716+714

To this purpose a long-term observational campaign was carried out, from 1996 to 2003, which allowed the collection of a very large data set, containing 10675 photometric measurements obtained in 102 nights. The source brightness varied in a range of about 2mag, although the majority of the observations were performed when it was in the range 13.0<R<13.75.

Variability time scales were estimated from the rates of magnitude variation, which were found to have a distribution function well fitted by an exponential law with a mean value of 0.027mag/h, corresponding to an e-folding time scale of the flux {tau}_F_=37.6h. The highest rates of magnitude variation were around 0.10-0.12mag/h and lasted less than 2h. These rates were observed only when the source had an R magnitude <13.4, but this finding cannot be considered significant because of the low statistical occurrence.