Learn the essential role of shutter speed in photography and its impact on conveying motion and exposure. Discover how this crucial setting affects the outcome of your images, whether freezing action or introducing captivating motion blur
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Shutter speed is the length of time the camera shutter is open, exposing light onto the camera sensor. Essentially, it’s how long your camera spends taking a photo. This has a few important effects on how your images will appear.
When you use a long shutter speed (also known as a “slow” shutter speed), you end up exposing your sensor for a significant period of time. The first big effect of it is motion blur. If your shutter speed is long, moving subjects in your photo will appear blurred along the direction of motion. This effect is used quite often in advertisements of cars and motorbikes, where a sense of speed and motion is communicated to the viewer by intentionally blurring the moving wheels.
On the other hand, shutter speed can also be used to do just the opposite – freeze motion. If you use an especially fast shutter speed, you can eliminate motion even from fast-moving objects, like birds in flight, or cars driving past. If you use a fast shutter speed while taking pictures of water, each droplet will hang in the air completely sharp, which might not even be visible to our own eyes.
Shutter speeds are typically measured in fractions of a second when they are under a second. For example, 1/4 means a quarter of a second, while 1/250 means one-two-hundred-and-fiftieth of a second (or four milliseconds).
Most modern DSLRs and mirrorless cameras can handle shutter speeds of 1/4000th of a second at the fastest, while some can handle even quicker speeds of 1/8000th of a second and faster. On the other hand, the longest available shutter speed on most DSLRs or mirrorless cameras is typically 30 seconds. You can use a longer shutter speed by using external remote triggers, if necessary.
The other important effect of shutter speed is on exposure, which relates to the brightness of an image. If you use a long shutter speed, your camera sensor gathers a lot of light, and the resulting photo will be quite bright. By using a quick shutter speed, your camera sensor is only exposed to a small fraction of light, resulting in a darker photo.
However, shutter speed is not the only variable that affects the brightness of an image. There are also Aperture and ISO, along with the actual brightness of the scene in front of you. So, you have some flexibility when you’re deciding on a shutter speed, but you need to pick your other settings carefully.
Shutter speed can be a vital tool to capture a photo of the proper brightness. On a sunny day, you may need to use a fast shutter speed so that your photo isn’t overexposed. Or, if it is dark out, a long shutter speed may be necessary to avoid a photo that is too dark (which, in turn, could require a tripod, due to motion blur from handholding the camera). For many people, this is the main reason to adjust shutter speed: to make sure your photos are the proper brightness. Still, motion blur concerns are also very important, and should not be overlooked.
A fast shutter speed is typically whatever it takes to freeze action. If you are photographing birds, that may be 1/1000th second or faster. However, for general photography of slower-moving subjects, you might be able to take pictures at 1/200th second, 1/100th second, or even longer without introducing motion blur.
Long shutter speeds are typically above 1 second – at which point, you will need to use a tripod to get sharp images. You would use long shutter speeds for certain types of low-light / night photography, or to capture movement intentionally. If anything in your scene is moving when you use long shutter speeds, it will appear very blurry.
In between, shutter speeds from 1/100th second to 1 second are still considered relatively slow. You may not be able to handle them without introducing camera shake from your hands, especially close to the one-second mark.
Most cameras handle shutter speeds automatically by default. When the camera is set to “Auto” mode, the shutter speed is selected by the camera without your input (and so are aperture and ISO). However, you can still set the shutter speed manually if necessary:
Within both of these modes, you can choose to set ISO manually or automatically.
In most cases, we recommend letting the camera select the correct shutter speed for you. Still, watch to be certain that you aren’t introducing too much motion blur in a photo (or freezing motion that you want to be blurred). I cover more of this in an article on camera modes, but I tend to shoot in “Aperture Priority” mode 95% of the time, letting the camera calculate the shutter speed automatically.
Below are some of the frequently asked questions related to shutter speed:
What is a Slow Shutter Speed?
A long shutter speed is typically around 1 second and longer. In comparison, a slow shutter speed can refer to a fraction of a second, such as 1/2 or 1/4.
What is a Fast Shutter Speed?
A fast shutter speed is often referred to as the shutter speed that is fast enough to freeze action. Typically, photographers refer to small fractions of a second, such as 1/250th of a second or faster when talking about fast shutter speed.
How Do I Find My Shutter Speed?
Shutter speed is often displayed on your camera’s top or rear LCD as a number or fraction. If you half-press the shutter release, then move your camera towards a brighter area, the number that changes is typically your shutter speed.
Which Shutter Speed is the Slowest?
Depending on your camera, the slowest shutter speed that is allowed to use without using a remote shutter release is typically 30 seconds.
What is the Fastest Shutter Speed I can Use on My Camera?
That depends on the camera’s capabilities. Most DSLR and mirrorless cameras can shoot as fast as 1/4000 of a second using the mechanical shutter. Some of the more advanced cameras can shoot as fast as 1/8000 of a second with mechanical shutters, and even faster when using electronic shutters.
How is Shutter Speed Written?
Shutter speed is always written in seconds or a fraction of a second. For example, a 1-second shutter speed is typically displayed as a single number with a quote sign or a letter “s” at the end of it, such as 1″ or 1s. Whereas a fraction of a second such as 1/250 is typically displayed as 1/250 or simply 250 on most cameras.
What is the Best Shutter Speed?
There is no such thing, as it really depends on what you are trying to achieve.
How Do I Change Shutter Speed on My Phone?
While some smartphones allow changing shutter speed using the built-in phone app, most require installing a third-party camera app to allow changing the shutter speed. If you use an iPhone, try out some apps like Camera+.