What is Shutter speed ?
Inside the camera there is a shutter mechanism , which is a mechanical system having two curtains ( doors in simple words) which opens and closes in a fraction of seconds to register the image on the sensor. Shutter speed is the measure of time in which the shutter curtains open and close when you press the capture button in your camera. In the mirrorless cameras there is an electronic shutter also , which functions similar to the document scanners. Thus the camera sensor is scanned from one end to the other in the set shutter speed value to register the image. Advantage of an electronic shutter is that it’s silent , as there are no moving parts involved !
How is Shutter speed measured ?
Shutter speed is measured in fraction of seconds in higher speeds , while it will be seconds in slower shutter speeds. For some genres of photography, say Astro photography the shutter is left open for a few seconds to minutes. So shutter speed can be creatively utilised to take a picture. Values of shutter speed in seconds is as below :
| 1 | 1/2 | 1/4 | 1/8 | 1/16 | 1/30 | 1/60 | 1/125 | 1/250 | 1/500 | 1/1000 | 1/2000 | 1/4000 | 1/8000 |
In general DSLR/Mirrorless have shutter speed ranging slower of value 30 seconds and fastest of 1/8000 of a second. At shutter speed of 1/8000 the camera shutter opens and closes at a speed of 1/8000 of a second to capture the image. Yes it’s very fast !
To keep shutter open for more than 30 seconds , Bulb mode is a feature available in some cameras which leaves the shutter open as long as the button is kept pressed or can use a shutter trigger accessory. Shutter speed of more than 1/8000 is available in special high speed cameras which are built for scientific or military purposes such as tracking projectiles or surveillance aircrafts. For general purpose photography the available shutter range is good enough to be used creatively to make pictures.
How to set Shutter speed ?
When shooting in Manual mode shutter speed can be set in the camera using your shutter dial or from the quick menu. In auto modes the camera sets the shutter speed by itself.
How does shutter speed affect a picture ?
Shutter speed influences two things in a picture :
1. Freezing an action
2. The amount of light/brightness.
A slower shutter speed will create motion blur for moving/action subjects whereas a faster shutter speed will freeze the subject.
A faster shutter speed lets in less light in comparison to a slower shutter speed , where the aperture and ISO values are kept constant.
Which Shutter speed works best ?
I often get to hear this question a lot of time , but “ there is no fixed shutter speed as such “.
Shutter speed has to be chosen as per the situation /subject you are shooting and the amount of light available. A combination of shutter,ISO and aperture should be selected to have a good picture. This combination is often called the Exposure triangle.
Now , if you adjust the Aperture and ISO appropriately then we have some reference shutter speed which may help you with an acceptable shooting shutter speed in the below scenario:
NB:- These recommendations are only to get you start shooting , and as you keep shooting explore the shutter speeds creatively. Also this shutters work only if there is a good amount of available light.
Now you are ready to explore the shutter speeds .If you are not so familiar with the Aperture and ISO settings, you can utilize the Shutter priority mode ( Tv or S). In shutter priority mode you can set the shutter speed and the camera will adjust the aperture according to the available light. Leave the ISO to auto settings so that you can play around with the shutter speed.