Shutter Speed? Any Tips?

[nutsnbolts]

Anyone here have tips on what everyone aims for, in terms of, shutter speed?

One of the things I'm having trouble with is, I would set my ISO and Aperture and I'm not really sure if I should be aiming for a specific shutter speed that is nominal enough to get it nice and crisp.

In other words, although I may have the right exposure, should I aim for higher shutter?

I don't know if I'm explaining this correctly.

[liza]

You have to achieve the right balance of ISO, aperture, and shutter to achieve the correct exposure. If you increase shutter, you may also have to increase ISO for example to maintain the correct exposure. They're all interrelated.

And to stop motion, I usually aim for 1/500 or faster.

[SkipD]

Anyone here have tips on what everyone aims for, in terms of, shutter speed?

One of the things I'm having trouble with is, I would set my ISO and Aperture and I'm not really sure if I should be aiming for a specific shutter speed that is nominal enough to get it nice and crisp.

In other words, although I may have the right exposure, should I aim for higher shutter?

I don't know if I'm explaining this correctly.There is a rule-of-thumb about shutter speeds, and it relates to having a fast-enough shutter speed to reduce or eliminate blur that is due to moving the camera/lens around while hand-holding the rig for a shot. That rule-of-thumb, as applied to your type of camera (the size of the digital sensor is the most important detail for this) is generally used as a formula.

The formula, for APS-C format cameras, would be 1/(focal length X 1.6).

How is this applied? Assume you are using a 100mm lens. The slowest recommended shutter speed, based on the rule-of-thumb, would be 1/160 second. That's 1 divided by 160 (the focal length multiplied by the 1.6 "crop factor").

The "crop factor" is a value that defines field of view relative to using the same lens on a 35mm film camera.

[Cyth0n]

A faster shutter speed is used to help reduce the effects of motion. There are two types of motion, the first is motion of the actual subject. For example, if you were shooting a race car then you might want to use a fast shutter speed to freeze the action. How fast a shutter you need depends on how fast the subject is moving. I'm not really an action person, so someone else can fill in those details.

The second type of motion is motion of the camera whilst the sutter is open (I.E. camera shake). Camera shake blurrs the image uniformally and 99% of the time is very undesirable.The longer the lens you're using, the more pronounced it is. There are two and a half ways to eliminate this, first is to use a shutter speed that is equal to SkipD's formula: 1/(focal length X 1.6). Second way is to use a tripod which is usually a must for night time shots when long shutter speeds are required. The half a way is to use a lens which has image stabalisation. This reduces the effect of camera shake quite a bit (I can handhold with IS on down to about 1/15).

[Naturalist]

Having the "right" shutter speed - or even aperture - is all part of the creative process. Do you want the "right" combination for a good exposure, or to freeze action, or show action?

If you are hand holding the camera then you need to aim for a higher shutter speed - in this case higher would be anything at or above your lens focal length. So, if you are shooting a 200mm lens, you want to shoot at least 1/200" when hand-holding and faster is better.

So, do you want (or need) a faster shutter speed? It all depends. This moring I was out shooting US Civil War cannons and, since they were not being used at the time I was shooting at 30 seconds in the wee hours of the morning.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1172/1084806176_ee275de8a6.jpg

[nutsnbolts]

There is a rule-of-thumb about shutter speeds, and it relates to having a fast-enough shutter speed to reduce or eliminate blur that is due to moving the camera/lens around while hand-holding the rig for a shot. That rule-of-thumb, as applied to your type of camera (the size of the digital sensor is the most important detail for this) is generally used as a formula.

The formula, for APS-C format cameras, would be 1/(focal length X 1.6).

How is this applied? Assume you are using a 100mm lens. The slowest recommended shutter speed, based on the rule-of-thumb, would be 1/160 second. That's 1 divided by 160 (the focal length multiplied by the 1.6 "crop factor").

The "crop factor" is a value that defines field of view relative to using the same lens on a 35mm film camera.

I actually heard of this rule and before posting this, I didn't think of it. Anyway, this seems to be a good rule of thumb. I guess so that I can understand this, if I took out my 50m f/1.8 lens, I should be shooting at at least 1/80th second. Meaning, anything more than that is fine.

Of course, with the same rule applied, if I wanted to stop action, if I do it at 1/80th of a second, I'm not necessarily stopping action. I would have to say, at least 1/500 or higher to stop the motion. (At least from liza's rule of thumb).

Of course again, all this will have to ensure that I have the right combination of aperture and ISO to ensure the right exposure.

Is this correct?

[nutsnbolts]

Having the "right" shutter speed - or even aperture - is all part of the creative process. Do you want the "right" combination for a good exposure, or to freeze action, or show action?

If you are hand holding the camera then you need to aim for a higher shutter speed - in this case higher would be anything at or above your lens focal length. So, if you are shooting a 200mm lens, you want to shoot at least 1/200" when hand-holding and faster is better.

So, do you want (or need) a faster shutter speed? It all depends. This moring I was out shooting US Civil War cannons and, since they were not being used at the time I was shooting at 30 seconds in the wee hours of the morning.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1172/1084806176_ee275de8a6.jpg

Right now...I'm aiming for the right exposure. The creative process I understand if I move it either way to the left or right creates the creative exposure. I just want to ensure that I'm actually getting the right crisp pictures.

[SkipD]

I actually heard of this rule and before posting this, I didn't think of it. Anyway, this seems to be a good rule of thumb. I guess so that I can understand this, if I took out my 50m f/1.8 lens, I should be shooting at at least 1/80th second. Meaning, anything more than that is fine.

Of course, with the same rule applied, if I wanted to stop action, if I do it at 1/80th of a second, I'm not necessarily stopping action. I would have to say, at least 1/500 or higher to stop the motion. (At least from liza's rule of thumb).

Of course again, all this will have to ensure that I have the right combination of aperture and ISO to ensure the right exposure.

Is this correct?You're on the right path for sure.....

[Mark_Cohran]

Setting the shutter speed is a creative function just like setting the aperture for depth of field. Several people have already explained the thumbrule for hand-holding a shot, but you might want a very slow shutter speed when shooting moving water such as a waterfall or fountain to create a silky looking effect to the water, or when shooting rain or snow fall to create long streaks as the drops fall. You might want a fast shutter speed to freeze water droplet, a fast moving plane or car, or to capture a moving ball on the tips of a player's fingers. You may want a slow shutter speed when shooting with flash to allow a balance between the ambient lighting and the light from the flash.

Whatever choices you make, you still have to adjust the other two variables (three if you count the light on the subject) to get the proper exposure for your creative vision. This may require you to use a tripod.

Mark

[Naturalist]

I guess the point I am trying to make (and to answer your question) is that I do not aim for a particular shutter speed unless I am hand-holding the camera, then I shoot at least as fast as the lens is long, or I want to purposely blur an object or stop it dead on.

For sharpness, that comes to lens and focal point with the aperture secondary to describe the region of focus about the focal point.

[nutsnbolts]

Setting the shutter speed is a creative function just like setting the aperture for depth of field. Several people have already explained the thumbrule for hand-holding a shot, but you might want a very slow shutter speed when shooting moving water such as a waterfall or fountain to create a silky looking effect to the water, or when shooting rain or snow fall to create long streaks as the drops fall. You might want a fast shutter speed to freeze water droplet, a fast moving plane or car, or to capture a moving ball on the tips of a player's fingers. You may want a slow shutter speed when shooting with flash to allow a balance between the ambient lighting and the light from the flash.

Whatever choices you make, you still have to adjust the other two variables (three if you count the light on the subject) to get the proper exposure for your creative vision. This may require you to use a tripod.

Mark

Yes, to achieve the creative aspect...these things would have to be taken into consideration. All three things (ISO, Shutter speed, and aperture).