Define Shutter Speed Dial

Indentification

• The shutter speed is normally measured in fractions of a second. Every number that you see on your dial is a large integral number, but in reality this numerical value represents a fraction. For example, the number 60 is actually 1/60 of a second and the number 1000 represents 1/1000 of a second.

Function

• Each step up on the Shutter Speed Dial--60, 125, 250, 500, 1000--is actually a step downward in the speed and amount of light that enters the camera and strikes the film. In fractional values, the above sequence should read 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500 and 1/1000. A value of 1/60th of a second allows twice as much light to enter the camera as one at 1/125th of a second.

Features

• In more advanced cameras, the shutter-speed dial can be adjusted by hand or the automatic mode of the camera can be engaged to automatically adjust the shutter speed to the proper setting.

Considerations

• The "B" on the Shutter Speed Dial allows the photographer to hold the shutter open for an indefinite amount of time. The shutter speed is set at B usually when the camera is mounted on a tripod; the shutter is opened and closed with a cable release device.

Effects

• Any shutter speed below 60 (1/60) or 125 (1/125) is subject to motion and a resulting blurry image, if the the photographer does have a steady hand. Typically, a faster speed can freeze an image while a slower speed blurs it.