1 June 2009
For digital cameras, the term shutter speed is used to express the exposure time, or length of time that the image sensor is exposed.
Most compact digital cameras don't let you directly change the shutter speed, instead they may have different shooting options. But with more expensive models it can be possible. Why would you want to change the shutter speed? Well for moving objects, such as animals and children, you want the fastest possible shutter speed, otherwise you will see a motion blur effect. With still targets, a longer shutter speed can be used.
Adjusting the shutter speed also provides a creative tool for a photographer. Shooting waterfalls with a slow shutter speed will create a smooth flowing image, rather than actually being able to see the individual water droplets.
In low light conditions, slow shutter speeds are often used to gather as much light as possible into the sensor, improving the quality of the image, but possibly also resulting in some motion blur effects.
There are now standard shutter speeds, and by increasing or decreasing the shutter speed by one step, you will exactly double or half the amount of light entering the image sensor. The standard speeds are as follows: 1/1000 s, 1/500 s, 1/250 s, 1/125 s, 1/60 s, 1/30 s, 1/15 s, 1/8 s, 1/4 s, 1/2 s, 1 s.
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