Editing Shutter speed

{{Short description|Length of time when the film or digital sensor inside a camera is exposed to light}}
{{use mdy dates |date=July 2020}}
[[File:Splashhhhh.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|A spoon falling in water, taken at {{frac|2000}}&nbsp;s]]
[[File:Shutter speed waterfall.gif|frame|Shutter speed can have a dramatic impact on the appearance and quality of photographs, especially when moving objects are involved. For instance a slow shutter-speed often results in a blurred image as the slight shudder of the shutter itself, or the motion caused to the whole camera by the index pressing on the shutter-release button create vibrations that are faster than the shutter itself; this will cause the appearance of the objects in the view-finder and on the photographs having moved when in fact it is the camera that moved.]] <!-- Don't thumb this, mediawiki animation  scaling is broken and will make it ugly and bigger -->
[[File:Nikkormat shutterspeeddial top.jpg|thumb|upright|The shutter speed dial of a [[Nikkormat|Nikkormat EL]]]]
[[File:Truck with motion blur.jpg|thumb|Slow shutter speed combined with panning the camera can achieve a motion blur for moving objects.]]

In [[photography]], '''shutter speed''' or '''exposure time''' is the length of time that the film or digital sensor inside the camera is exposed to light (that is, when the [[camera]]'s [[shutter (photography)|shutter]] is open) when taking a photograph.<ref name=ray>
{{cite book | title = Manual of Photography: A Textbook of Photographic and Digital Imaging | chapter = Camera Features | pages = 131–132 | author = Sidney F. Ray | editor = Ralph Eric Jacobson| chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=HHX4xB94vcMC&pg=PA132 |publisher = Focal Press | edition = Ninth | isbn = 0-240-51574-9 | year = 2000 |display-editors=etal}}
</ref>
The amount of light that reaches the [[Photographic film|film]] or [[image sensor]] is proportional to the exposure time. {{frac|500}} of a second will let half as much light in as {{frac|250}}.

==Introduction==
[[File:Shutter Speed Fan.gif|left|thumb|upright|Different shutter speeds for a CPU fan. Shutter speeds from first to last: 2&nbsp;s, 1&nbsp;s, {{frac|10}}&nbsp;s, {{frac|100}}&nbsp;s, {{frac|200}}&nbsp;s, {{frac|500}}&nbsp;s, {{frac|1000}}&nbsp;s, {{frac|2000}}&nbsp;s, {{frac|4000}}&nbsp;s]]{{Inline citations|date=May 2023|section}}
The camera's shutter speed, the lens's [[aperture]] or [[f-stop]], and the scene's [[luminance]] together determine the amount of light that reaches the film or sensor (the [[exposure (photography)|exposure]]). [[Exposure value]] (EV) is a quantity that accounts for the shutter speed and the f-number. Once the sensitivity to light of the recording surface (either film or sensor) is set in numbers expressed in "[[Film speed#ISO|ISOs]]" (e.g. 200 ISO, 400 ISO), the light emitted by the scene photographed can be controlled through aperture and shutter-speed to match the film or sensor sensitivity to light. This will achieve a good exposure when all the details of the scene are legible on the photograph. Too much light let into the camera results in an overly pale image (or "over-exposure") while too little light will result in an overly dark image (or "under-exposure").{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

Multiple combinations of shutter speed and f-number can give the same exposure value (E.V.). According to [[exposure value]] formula, doubling the exposure time doubles the amount of light (subtracts 1 EV).  Reducing the aperture size at multiples of one over the square root of two lets half as much light into the camera, usually at a predefined scale of {{f/|1}}, {{f/|1.4}}, {{f/|2}}, {{f/|2.8}}, {{f/|4}}, {{f/|5.6}}, {{f/|8}}, {{f/|11}}, {{f/|16}}, {{f/|22}}, and so on. For example, {{f/|8}} lets four times more light into the camera as {{f/|16}} does. A shutter speed of {{frac|50}}&nbsp;s with an {{f/|4}} aperture gives the same exposure value as a {{frac|100}}&nbsp;s shutter speed with an {{f/|2.8}} aperture, and also the same exposure value as a {{frac|200}}&nbsp;s shutter speed with an {{f/|2}} aperture, or {{frac|25}}&nbsp;s at {{f/|5.6}}.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

In addition to its effect on exposure, the shutter speed changes the way movement appears in photographs. Very short shutter speeds can be used to freeze fast-moving subjects, for example at sporting events. Very long shutter speeds are used to intentionally blur a moving subject for effect.<ref>{{cite book | title = The Complete Guide to Night and Low-Light Photography | author = Lee Frost | publisher = Amphoto Books | year = 2000 | isbn = 0-8174-5041-6 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=IugNeG0vIMcC&pg=RA1-PA142  }}</ref> Short exposure times are sometimes called "fast", and long exposure times "slow".{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

Adjustments to the aperture need to be compensated by changes of the shutter speed to keep the same (right) exposure.

In early days of photography, available shutter speeds were not standardized, though a typical sequence might have been {{frac|10}}&nbsp;s, {{frac|25}}&nbsp;s, {{frac|50}}&nbsp;s, {{frac|100}}&nbsp;s, {{frac|200}}&nbsp;s and {{frac|500}}&nbsp;s; neither were apertures or film sensitivity (at least 3 different national standards existed). Soon this problem resulted in a solution consisting in the adoption of a standardized way of choosing [[aperture]] so that each major step exactly doubled or halved the amount of light entering the camera ({{f/|2.8}}, {{f/|4}}, {{f/|5.6}}, {{f/|8}}, {{f/|11}}, {{f/|16}}, etc.), a standardized 2:1 scale was adopted for shutter speed so that opening one aperture stop and reducing the amount of time of the shutter speed by one step resulted in the identical exposure. The agreed standards for shutter speeds are: {{enum |comma=;{{sp}} |and=; and{{sp}} |{{frac|1000}}&nbsp;s |{{frac|500}}&nbsp;s |{{frac|250}}&nbsp;s |{{frac|125}}&nbsp;s |{{frac|60}}&nbsp;s |{{frac|30}}&nbsp;s |{{frac|15}}&nbsp;s |{{frac|8}}&nbsp;s |{{frac|4}}&nbsp;s |{{frac|2}}&nbsp;s |1&nbsp;s }}.<ref name=kahn>{{cite book | title = Essential Skills for Nature Photography | author = Cub Kahn | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=EZhNY--TZjIC&pg=PT21 |isbn = 1-58428-009-3 | year = 1999 | publisher = Amherst Media}}</ref>

[[File:Phatman - Lightning on the Columbia River (by-sa).jpg|thumb|right|upright|An extended exposure can also allow photographers to catch brief flashes of light, as seen here. Exposure time 15 seconds.]]
With this scale, each increment roughly doubles the amount of light (longer time) or halves it (shorter time).

Camera shutters often include one or two other settings for making very long exposures:
* '''B''' (for ''[[bulb (photography)|bulb]]'') keeps the shutter open as long as the shutter release is held.
* '''T''' (for ''time'') keeps the shutter open (once the shutter-release button had been depressed) until the shutter release is pressed again.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

The ability of the photographer to take images without noticeable blurring by camera movement is an important parameter in the choice of the slowest possible shutter speed for a handheld camera. The rough guide used by most [[135 film|35 mm]] photographers is that the slowest shutter speed that can be used easily without much blur due to camera shake is the shutter speed numerically closest to the lens focal length. For example, for handheld use of a 35&nbsp;mm camera with a 50&nbsp;mm [[normal lens]], the closest shutter speed is {{frac|60}}&nbsp;s (closest to "50"), while for a 200&nbsp;mm lens it is recommended not to choose shutter speeds below {{frac|200}}&nbsp;s. This rule can be augmented with knowledge of the intended application for the photograph, an image intended for significant enlargement and closeup viewing would require faster shutter speeds to avoid obvious blur. Through practice and special techniques such as bracing the camera, arms, or body to minimize camera movement, using a monopod or a tripod, slower shutter speeds can be used without blur. If a shutter speed is too slow for hand holding, a camera support, usually a [[Tripod (photography)|tripod]], must be used. [[Image stabilization]] on digital cameras or lenses can often permit the use of shutter speeds 3–4 stops slower (exposures 8–16 times longer).{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

Shutter priority refers to a shooting mode used in cameras. It allows the photographer to choose a shutter speed setting and allow the camera to decide the correct aperture. This is sometimes referred to as [[shutter priority|Shutter Speed Priority Auto Exposure]], or TV (time value on Canon cameras) mode, S mode on Nikons and most other brands.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

==Creative utility in photography==
{{main|Motion blur}}

{{multiple image
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| image1    = E17 - korte sluitertijd.JPG
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| footer    = The photograph to the right was taken with a slower shutter speed than that to the left, creating a more pronounced motion blur effect and longer streaks of light from vehicle headlights.
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[[File:Sparklers with a slow shutter speed.JPG|thumb|Sparklers moved in a circular motion with an exposure time of 4 seconds. This is an example of [[light painting]].]]
Shutter speed is one of several methods used to control the amount of light recorded by the camera's [[Image sensor|digital sensor]] or film. It is also used to manipulate the visual effects of the final image.

[[File:Shutter speed pool.jpg|thumb|Images taken with a lower shutter speed evoke a visual sense of movement. Exposure time 3 seconds.]]
Slower shutter speeds are often selected to suggest the movement of an object in a still photograph.

Excessively fast shutter speeds can cause a moving subject to appear unnaturally frozen. For instance, a running person may be caught with both feet in the air with all indication of movement lost in the frozen moment.

When a slower shutter speed is selected, a longer time passes from the moment the shutter opens till the moment it closes. More time is available for movement in the subject to be recorded by the camera as a blur.

A slightly slower shutter speed will allow the photographer to introduce an element of blur, either in the subject, where, in our example, the feet, which are the fastest moving element in the frame, might be blurred while the rest remains sharp; or if the camera is [[panning (camera)|panned]] to follow a moving subject, the background is blurred while the subject remains relatively sharp.

The exact point at which the background or subject will start to blur depends on the speed at which the object is moving, the angle that the object is moving in relation to the camera, the distance it is from the camera and the focal length of the lens in relation to the size of the digital sensor or film.

When slower shutter-speeds, in excess of about half a second, are used on running water, the water in the photo will have a ghostly white appearance reminiscent of [[fog]]. This effect can be used in [[landscape photography]].

[[Zoom burst]] is a technique which entails the variation of the focal length of a zoom lens during a longer exposure. In the moment that the shutter is opened, the lens is zoomed in, changing the focal length during the exposure. The center of the image remains sharp, while the details away from the center form a radial blur, which causes a strong visual effect, forcing the eye into the center of the image.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.illustratedphotography.net/basic-photography/understanding-shutter-speed|title=About Shutter Speed|work=Illustrated Photography|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160618082252/http://www.illustratedphotography.net/basic-photography/understanding-shutter-speed|archive-date=June 18, 2016}}</ref>

The following list provides an overview of common photographic uses for standard shutter speeds.
* ''{{frac|16,000}}&nbsp;s and less'': The fastest speed available in [[APS-H]] or [[APS-C]] format [[DSLR]] cameras ({{as of|2012|lc=y}}). ([[Canon EOS 1D]], [[Nikon D1]], [[Nikon 1 series|Nikon 1 J2]], [[Nikon D1X|D1X]], and [[Nikon D1H|D1H]])
* ''{{frac|12,000}}&nbsp;s'': The fastest speed available in any [[135 film|35 mm]] film [[Single-lens reflex camera|SLR]] camera. ([[Minolta]] [[Minolta 9xi|Maxxum 9xi]], {{Interlanguage link multi|Minolta Maxxum 9{{!}}Maxxum 9|de|3=Minolta Dynax 9}}''
* ''{{frac|8000}}&nbsp;s'': The fastest speed available in production [[Single-lens reflex camera|SLR]] cameras ({{as of|2013|lc=y}}), also the fastest speed available in any [[Full-frame digital SLR|full-frame DSLR]] or [[Sony SLT camera|SLT]] camera ({{as of|2013|lc=y}}). Used to take sharp photographs of very fast subjects, such as birds or planes, under good lighting conditions, with an [[ISO film speed|ISO speed]] of 1,000 or more and a large-aperture lens.<ref>Doeffinger, 5</ref>
* ''{{frac|4000}}&nbsp;s'': The fastest speed available in [[consumer]] SLR cameras ({{as of|2009|lc=y}}); also the fastest speed available in any [[leaf shutter]] camera (such as the [[Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1]]) ({{as of|2013|lc=y}}). Used to take sharp photographs of fast subjects, such as athletes or vehicles, under good lighting conditions and with an ISO setting of up to 800.<ref>Doeffinger, 6</ref>
* ''{{frac|2000}}&nbsp;s and {{frac|1000}}&nbsp;s'': Used to take sharp photographs of moderately fast subjects under normal lighting conditions.<ref>Doeffinger, 7–12</ref>
* ''{{frac|500}}&nbsp;s and {{frac|250}}&nbsp;s'': Used to take sharp photographs of people in motion in everyday situations. {{frac|250}}&nbsp;s is the fastest speed useful for [[Panning (camera)|panning]]; it also allows for a smaller aperture (up to {{f/|11}}) in motion shots, and hence for a greater depth of field.<ref>Doeffinger, 12–17</ref>
* ''{{frac|125}}&nbsp;s'': This speed, and slower ones, are no longer useful for freezing motion. {{frac|125}}&nbsp;s is used to obtain greater [[depth of field]] and overall sharpness in [[landscape photography]], and is also often used for panning shots.
* ''{{frac|60}}&nbsp;s'': Used for panning shots, for images taken under dim lighting conditions, and for available light portraits.<ref>Doeffinger, 20–22</ref>
* ''{{frac|30}}&nbsp;s'': Used for panning subjects moving slower than {{convert|30|mph}} and for available-light photography. Images taken at this and slower speeds normally require a [[tripod]] or an [[Image stabilization|image stabilized]] lens/camera to be sharp.<ref>Doeffinger, 24</ref>
* ''{{frac|15}}&nbsp;s and {{frac|8}}&nbsp;s'': This and slower speeds are useful for photographs other than panning shots where motion blur is employed for deliberate effect, or for taking sharp photographs of immobile subjects under bad lighting conditions with a tripod-supported camera.<ref>Doeffinger, 26–30</ref>
* ''{{frac|4}}&nbsp;s, {{frac|2}}&nbsp;s and 1&nbsp;s'': Also mainly used for motion blur effects and/or low-light photography, but only practical with a tripod-supported camera.<ref>Doeffinger, 32–40</ref>
* ''[[Bulb (photography)|B (bulb)]]'' (fraction of second to several hours): Used with a mechanically fixed camera in [[astrophotography]] and for certain special effects.<ref>Doeffinger, 41 et seq.</ref>
<gallery widths="200" heights="200">
File:Stars Circle La Silla.jpg|Star trails like these are created by using a long exposure to capture the apparent motion of the stars.<ref>{{cite web|title=Stars Circle La Silla|url=http://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1527a/|access-date=6 July 2015|archive-date=July 14, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714001715/http://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1527a/|url-status=live}}</ref>
File:Wave Swinger 0.8 Sec SFGAm.JPG|alt=|The Whirligig (now DC Super-Villains Swing) ride during night at [[Six Flags Great America]] at an exposure time of 0.8 seconds.
File:Streaks outside Waterloo.jpg|Light streaks outside [[London Waterloo station]].
File:Windflower-05237-nevit.JPG|Effect of different shutter speeds on photograph.
File:The NTT Spinning like a Top.jpg|A 30-second exposure of the rotating [[New Technology Telescope]]
</gallery>

==Cinematographic shutter formula==
{{further|Rotary disc shutter}}
Motion picture cameras used in traditional [[film]] [[cinematography]] employ a mechanical [[rotary disc shutter|rotating shutter]]. The shutter rotation is synchronized with film being pulled through the gate, hence shutter speed is a function of the [[frame rate]] and [[shutter angle]].

Where ''E'' = shutter speed (reciprocal of exposure time in seconds), ''F'' = frames per second, and ''S'' = shutter angle:<ref name=brown/>

: <math>E = \frac {F \cdot 360^\circ}{S}</math>, for ''E'' in reciprocal seconds

: <math>S = \frac {F \cdot 360^\circ}{E}</math>

With a traditional shutter angle of 180°, film is exposed for {{frac|48}} second at 24 frame/s.<ref name=brown>{{cite book | title = Cinematography: Theory and Practice : Imagemaking for Cinematographers, Directors & Videographers | author = Blain Brown | publisher = Focal Press | year = 2002 | isbn = 0-240-80500-3 | url = https://archive.org/details/cinematographyth0000brow | url-access = registration | page = [https://archive.org/details/cinematographyth0000brow/page/125 125] | quote = cinematography 360 shutter-angle shutter speed. }}</ref> To avoid effect of light interference when shooting under artificial lights or when shooting television screens and computer monitors, {{frac|50}}&nbsp;s (172.8°) or {{frac|60}}&nbsp;s (144°) shutter is often used.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.provideocoalition.com/shutter-speed-vs-shutter-angle/|title=Shutter Speed vs. Shutter Angle|last=Jeppsen|first=Matt|date=July 11, 2007|website=provideocoalition.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113213201/http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/freshdv/story/shutter_speed_vs_shutter_angle|archive-date=November 13, 2012|access-date=December 5, 2019}}</ref>

Electronic video cameras do not have mechanical shutters and allow setting shutter speed directly in time units. Professional video cameras often allow selecting shutter speed in terms of shutter angle instead of time units, especially those that are capable of [[overcranking]] or [[Time-lapse photography|undercranking]].

==See also==
{{Commons|Shutter speed}}
* [[Exposure (photography)]]
* [[Exposure value]]
* [[F-number]]
* [[Shutter (photography)]]
* [[Preferred number]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Sources===
* {{cite book|last=Doeffinger|first=Derek|title=Creative Shutter Speed: Master Your Camera's Most Powerful Control|publisher=Wiley|year=2009|isbn=978-0-470-45362-9}}

{{photography subject}}

[[Category:Science of photography]]
[[Category:Durations]]