How to effectively use shutter speed on a camera

There are three basic settings on a DSLR camera that you need to master if you are going to take great photos: ISO, aperture and shutter speed. Of the three, shutter speed is the easiest to understand and master, in our opinion.

Your shutter speed is what controls how long the shutter is open for light to enter the camera and touch the sensor (or film, in the old days). Modern digital sensors collect light the same way that film did some years ago. The more time your shutter is open, the more light is collected and the more brighter the picture will end up being.

The most important question regarding the shutter speed is, which shutter speed is best? As with most things, it’s a complex question that comes down to what you are doing with the camera and what you are shooting. First you need to determine if you are shooting an object that is moving or is still. If you are wanting to cause your subject to freeze and be very sharp, you are going to need to figure out how fast it is moving. The faster the subject moves, the faster your shutter speed is going to need to be. If the object in the photo is moving away, the speed it’s moving does not matter as much as if it is moving left to right.

Next, you need to think about which focal length you are using in your picture. Your focal length is going to affect the blur of the image. Blur is what happens when you move your hand in the frame when the shutter has opened. The more time that the shutter is open, the more firm you hand will need to be so you do not get blur. The thing to remember is that your shutter speed should be 1 over the focal length. So, if you have a 500 mm lens, you will want to have your shutter speed at 1/500 or greater.

You also should think about if you are going to use a tripod or any sort of image stabilizer. Using these devices will help you get rid of most blur problems. If you have a tripod, you can make your shutter speed almost anything you wish. An image stabilizing product is going to allow you to set up your shutter speed about 8x slower than we mentioned above. Another nice way to be able to use slower shutter speeds is to use a cable release to take your picture.

Another thing to consider is how you want your photo to look. Do you want it to look static and still, or dynamic and moving? If your picture has blurred objects and objects that are still, it is going to make the image look more dynamic.

The big key to getting good effects with shutter speed is to practice a lot. That is the great think about modern digital cameras. You can take an endless number of pictures. Try a photo at 5 or 6 different shutter speeds to see which gives you the best effect.

When you come time to purchase a good SLR camera, please take a look at our excellent offerings at www.focuscamera.com.

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