Using Shutter Speed in DSLR Camera
Shutter speed:
In photography, shutter speed or exposure time is the length of time when the film or digital sensor inside the camera is exposed to light, also when a camera's shutter is open when taking a photograph.The amount of light that reaches the film or image sensor is proportional to the exposure time. 1/500th of a second will let twice as little in as 1/250th.
To set your digital SLR camera on shutter priority, turn
your mode dial to TV like the image on the left. In case your wondering,
TV stands for time value. Now rotate the main dial until you have the
shutter speed your after.
Shutter speed is measured in seconds and looks like 1/500,
1/250, 1/2 or 1 as in one second etc. It can range anywhere from 1/8000
to B for bulb. Bulb keeps the shutter open for as long as the shutter
button is pressed down.
How shutter speed to use:
The shutter speed you will need to use depends on the type of photograph
you want to take. For example, if you want to take a photograph of
water frozen in action with every little bead in focus, then you would
choose a fast shutter speed like 1/500 of a second. If you want to blur
running water like the example below, then you would need to use a
slower shutter speed like 1/4 of a second. Often when you use a slow
shutter speed, you will also need a tripod to help avoid camera shake.
Now in contrast, here is a photograph of water taken with a faster shutter speed of 1/60 sec so every bead of water can be seen.
Short tips for using shutter speed in digital SLR photography
- Slow shutter speed, slows motion.
- Fast shutter speed, takes the image almost instantly as in frozen in time.
- Use slow shutter speeds of at least 10 seconds or more for night shots of cities, buildings and streets etc.
- When using a slow shutter speed it's also a good idea to use a tripod and remote shutter release to avoid camera shake.
- If for any reason you don't want to use a tripod, then a general rule to avoid camera shake is to never set your shutter speed slower than the reciprocal of the focal length value. For example, if your lens focal length is set at 50mm then don't use a shutter speed any slower than 1/60th of a second and so forth.
- To photograph a running child or animal while blurring the background, set the shutter speed to between 1/40 sec and 1/125 sec. Then follow the running child or moving animal as you press the shutter button. This is often referred to as panning.
Similar to Aperture Priority,
shutter speed also requires you to experiment so you can fully
understand this mode of photography. Find some running water and try
both fast and slow shutter speeds so you can see the results for
yourself. Over time, setting the correct speed for any specific
circumstance will become second nature.
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