What is shutter speed? In what cases is this function used and is it needed in the camera?

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

Quality photos cannot be obtained in automatic mode with standard settings. Of course, they can be beautiful and interesting for a certain circle of people, but it is difficult to call them works of art.

A function such as shutter speed in a camera is required for shooting moving objects, to obtain clarity, sharpness or, conversely, blurring of certain elements (for example, water flow).

So what is shutter speed? From a technical point of view, this is the period of time during which the light rays pass the lens opening, falling on the photosensitive element.

From a scientific point of view, we have explained what shutter speed is. And now let's take a closer look at what it happens and how to achieve the desired effect.

Calculate this parameter in seconds: 1/30sec, 1/60sec. Often only the denominator is displayed on the camera, so don't be scared. In compact cameras, the row is displayed like this: 1, 1/2, ¼, 1/8, and so on.

In any photographic apparatusthere is such a function as shutter priority. This means that the aperture is automatically selected for the selected value.

Short exposure

Now you know what shutter speed is. Consider the cases in which the above values \u200b\u200bare used? We point out right away that a fast shutter speed is intended for shooting animals, races, sports, so that the moving object in the photo does not look “blurred”. The faster the object moves, the smaller the parameter is set. But remember that in this case good lighting is required, as less light enters the shutter. The aperture will help correct the situation, the degree of which we increase in proportion to the decrease in shutter speed.

Long exposure

Use this shutter speed in low light and for special effects. But here you definitely need to use a tripod, otherwise the blur will be on the whole photo. If you set the sensitivity to high, then expect that at night there will inevitably be “noise” in the photo. You can fix this in Photoshop, but the quality is reduced.

Shutter speed is of particular importance when shooting water, whether it's a fountain or a river. A shutter that is too fast can create the effect of a frozen surface, while a shutter that is too slow can create a lack of sharpness. So, for slow rivers and streams, a degree from 1/30 to 1/125s is suitable. In windy weather, set the parameter from 1/125 to 1/250. Rushing streams must be filmed onindicators about 1/1000s.

If you have a high-quality SLR or professional camera, you can shoot a night landscape of the starry sky with an exposure of up to several hours. So you get not only an interesting photo, but also the trajectory of the Earth. Don't forget light sensitivity, otherwise noise can be unbearable.

Short shutter speeds are used when shooting underwater, no more than 1/30s, since you are constantly moving, which means that there is a high probability of getting a blurry image.

Now it has become clear to you what exposure is and in what cases it is used. If desired, interesting effects can be obtained even on advanced compact cameras, and if we talk about professional equipment, then masterpieces are provided here. Consider the features of your camera, as well as the shooting conditions, because even sunny or cloudy weather drastically changes the result.