Enquiry Now
Contact Us
Check Out
+44 20 4571 2395
PRINCE2® Foundation and Practitioner Training
Heather Buckley
6 Jan 2010
Shutter Speed Made Simple
Once you've taken some great photos why not consider our Photoshop training for Beginners, Advanced and Web Graphics?
1. What is Shutter Speed?
In the most basic terms possible, shutter speed is the length of time that your sensor is exposed, ie. the time that the shutter is open.
Shutter speed is set by fractions of a second as follows:
3", 2", 1", 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500.
Note: on Canon Cameras the camera does not accurately display a fraction of a second. So 30" means 30 seconds and 30 in the LCD refers to 1/30 of a second and NOT 30 seconds.
2. Why Does Shutter Speed Affect Motion in a Photograph?
The shorter the time your shutter remains open, the more motion it will freeze.
1/250 sec f16
The longer your shutter stays open the more motion it will have time to record.
1/25 sec f6.3
As a general rule shutter speeds usually under 1/60 sec are effective in blurring motion.
3. How do Aperture and Shutter Speed Work Together?
The aperture determines the AMOUNT of light that is let in within the amount of time determined by the shutter speed.
4. What shutter speed do I need to avoid camera shake?
Most people can hand hold their camera incurring camera shake with a shutter speed that corresponds with the focal length of the lens.
For example if you have a 50mm lens, then you will most likely be able to handhold your camera at shutter speeds of 1/60 sec or faster. If it’s a 200mm lens then you’re going to need 1/250 sec.
Experiment with shutter speed by putting your camera on Shutter Priority (TV for Canon and S for Nikon) and take 2 images of a moving object. For one image your goal is going to be to stop motion and for another, it will be to record motion.
Once you have got used to your camera you may want to treat yourself to our beginners Photoshop Course.
Posted under:
Need Any Help?
Recent Blogs
