Shutter Speeds

 

The shutter speeds are controlled by the camera, as opposed to the apertures, which are controlled by the lens. 

The range of shutter speeds vary from camera to camera, but many of today’s cameras have a fastest shutter speed of 1/8000 of a second, usually referred to 8000th, with the slowest shutter speed of 2 seconds and / or bulb. Bulb is a term for the shutter remaining open for as long as the shutter button (or remote release or control) is pressed.  Shutter speed, or more literally exposure time, is measured in seconds but often marked in reciprocal seconds. A typical exposure time for photographs taken in sunlight is 1/250th of a second, typically marked as 250 on a shutter speed setting dial. In addition to its effect on exposure, shutter speed changes the way movement appears in the picture. Very short shutter speeds are used to freeze fast moving subjects, for example at sporting events. Very long shutter speeds are used to intentionally blur a moving subject for artistic effect.

Fast shutter speeds are normally used to capture action, for example a footballer kicking the ball that scored a goal or a fast jet flying past, in both cases where the subject is fast moving but for the photograph it is essential that the subject is captured with no or very little movement. Although excessively fast shutter speeds can cause a moving subject to appear unnaturally frozen. For instance, a running person may be caught with both feet in the air with all indication of movement lost in the frozen moment or a helicopter is captured with its rotor blades seemingly frozen and motionless.

Below are two photographs showing how a too high shutter speed can ruin a photograph:

1/200’	1/45’

As you can see the first photograph looks false because the helicopters rotor blades are frozen by the high shutter speed, where as second photograph looks better as the motion of the rotor blades is captured.  Although the second photograph looks better extra care must be taken due to the use of such a low shutter speed whilst using a high focal length, to avoid camera shake.

Slow shutter speeds are often used in low light conditions, extending the time until the shutter closes, and increasing the amount of light gathered. This basic principle of photography, the exposure, is used in film and digital camera, the image sensor effectively acting like film when exposed by the shutter. As opposed to faster shutter speeds, movement can be captured, also slower shutter speeds can be used for a more artistic image.

 

7/10’

Generally, a good rule of thumb for knowing the slowest shutter speed you can use with a particular lens, without using a tripod or any anti-shake technology, is to use the focal length of the lens as a guide to the slowest shutter speed. For example, a 300 mm lens can be hand held at shutter speeds of 1/300th of a second and faster. Note that the minimum hand held speed should never be below 1/60th of a second without image stabilization assistance from your camera or lens, or without the use of a support, like a tripod. Although like any rule of thumb this can be broken for several reasons including the inability to use a tripod (at a concert or a museum for example where a tripod would not be allowed).

Like the use of apertures, shutter speeds can be used creatively, for example a photograph of a waterfall or river taken with a very slow shutter speed and a tripod, can create a picture which looks very different to a photograph taken with a fast shutter speed which would freeze the motion of the droplets.

With mechanical shutters common shutter speeds are: 1/8000, 1/4000, 1/2000, 1/1000, 1/500, 1/250, 1/125, 1/60, 1/30, 1/15, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 1, 2, and bulb, although with modern cameras with their program modes the camera creates it’s own shutter speeds, for example 1/350 and 1/750.