Tips / People Inside Your Camera /

3 - Mr. Shutter Speed

Mr. Shutter Speed controls metal blades that open and close quickly.

Or, he turns the sensor on and off quickly.

Mr. Shutter Speed speaks "words" like these: 2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000.

Mr. Shutter Speed

2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000

The words are called shutter speeds.

If the shutter blades are open a long time, more light hits the sensor.

That's called a long or a slow shutter speed.

2, 4, 8, 15, 30 are slow shutter speeds.

If the blades are open a short time, less light hits the sensor.

That's called a fast shutter speed.

Extra Benefit from Mr. Shutter Speed

As describeb, Mr. Shutter helps you to set the exposure.

He also enables you to freeze or blur motion.

If you select a fast shutter speed, such as 500th of a second, motion will be frozen.

picture here

Shutter Speed at 500th - Frozen Motion

If you select a slow shutter speed, such as 15th of a second, motion will be blurred.

picture here

Shutter Speed at 15th - Blurred Motion

Fractions

125

250

500

1000

2000

4000

The shutter speeds above are actually fractions.

But your camera doesn't show the numerator: 1/x.

Here's what they really are:

1/2

1/4

1/8

1/15

1/30

1/60

1/125

1/250

51/00

1/1000

1/2000

1/4000

For example, 2 on your camera, is really 1/2.

That's one-half of a second.

Warning

Your camera has super long shutter speeds: 30", 15", 8", 4", 2", and 1."

The quote marks mean the shutter speed isn't a fraction of a second.

Rather, the shutter speeds are full seconds.

For example, 2" is really two seconds.

Summary of the Shutter Speeds

Fast Shutter Speeds	250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000
Middling Shutter Speeds	60, 125
Slow Shutter Speeds	2, 4, 8, 15, 30
Extra Slow Shutter Speeds	30", 15", 8", 4", 2", 1"

In-between Shutter Speeds

Your camera has shutter speeds in-between those above.

Check your instruction manual.

How Do You Set the Shutter Speed?

You can set the shutter speed several ways.

Exposure Mode Dial

You may have an exposure mode dial on your camera.

Look for S or Tv.

That's the shutter speed setting.

Usually, you can adjust the shutter speed by turning a knob near your thumb or forefinger, as you hold the camera.

If there are two knobs, try one or the other.

ASM Button

If there's no exposure mode dial, look for the ASM button.

Pressing the ASM button will cycle the camera to S.

That's the shutter speed setting.

Usually, you can adjust the shutter speed by turning a knob near your thumb or forefinger, as you hold the camera.

Don't Have the Above?

Don't have an ASM button?

Check your instruction manual.

Somewhere on the menu you'll find shutter speed.

Hi & Lo

Hi or Lo may appear in the viewfinder or on the LCD screen.

Hi will appear when there's too much light.

You have to choose a faster shutter speed.

Memory Device

The bigger the number, the less light is reaching the sensor.

The above mnemonic can help you to understand what's happening as you change the shutter speed.

For example, the shutter speed 500 is a bigger number than the shutter speed 250.

So, at a shutter speed of 500, less light is reaching the sensor, than at 250th.

Next, let's look at how Ms. Lens Opening helps you to set the right exposure.