Question. Please help!

[floodedlungsx]

I haven't had my camera for very long (Canon, Rebel XT) and have a LOT of learning to do. This question will probably sound stupid, but oh well.

Sometimes, when in Manual Mode (which I'm trying to learn the ropes of), I'll try to take a picture and it'll snap shut, but won't open again for several seconds, maybe a minute. And then the picture comes out blurry.

It'd be wonderful if somebody could tell me how to rectify this.
(if you understand what I mean)

[hawkeye60]

What shutter speed are you using? Sounds like a long exposure, and with a long exposure any camera movement will cause it blur.

[jon.t.]

Could you have been playing with the shutter speed and possibly set it to a long exposure picture? Instead of 1/30 of the second you could be shooting 30 seconds...

[crn3371]

Sounds like a slow shutter speed (long exposure). Did this happen while shooting in low light? Slow shutter speed handheld = blurry pictures.

[Tee Why]

If you are in a manual mode, you select the shutter speed, it sounds like you picked a long shutter speed and the blurring is motion blur from the subjects moving around and/or the camera being moved.

As a rule of thumb, try to follow the shutter speed rule where you shoot at a shutter speed inverse the focal length. For example, if you shoot with a 50mm lens, you should shoot at a shutter speed faster than 1/50 sec's. For a 100mm focal length, 1/100 sec. Here is where it gets a bit complex. Since you are shooting with a 1.6x crop sensor, you have to also multiply the shutter speed by a 1.6x factor.

So if you are shooting with a 50mm focal length, then it's 1/50 x1.6= 1/80. So for a 100mm focal length 1/100x1.6= 1/160.

[PhotosGuy]

Manual Mode (which I'm trying to learn the ropes of) When you get that sorted out, try this for setting exposure: Need an exposure crutch? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=89123)

[20droger]

As said above, it sounds like a slow shutter speed.

It's easy to confuse the slow speeds. Referring you to page 83 of your manual, you will find a list of the shutter speeds in the LCD font format the camera uses.

A reading of «30» indicates the speed is set to 1/30 second, but a reading of «30''» indicates the speed is set to 30 seconds. Watch carefully for the «''» indicator. If it's there, you have a very slow shutter speed.