Shutter speed explained: 1/250 s, 1/1000 s and beyond

What it is

Shutter speed is how long the sensor collects light for one photo. It is written as a fraction of a second, such as 1/250 s. A bigger bottom number means a faster, shorter exposure.

Common speeds and what they do

• 1/1000 s or faster: freezes fast motion such as sports, birds and splashing water.
• 1/250 s to 1/500 s: a good general range for walking people and everyday scenes.
• 1/60 s: about the slowest most people can hold steady by hand without help.
• 1/15 s or slower: needs a tripod or a steady surface. Motion blurs, which can be a creative choice.

A rule of thumb

To avoid blur from your own hands, use a shutter speed of at least one over your focal length. At 50mm, aim for 1/50 s or faster. Stabilized lenses and phones can go slower.

How it works with the other settings

Aperture, shutter speed and ISO all control how bright the photo is. A faster shutter lets in less light, so you compensate with a wider aperture or a higher ISO. Learn about aperture and the other EXIF fields.

See yours

Drop a photo on Shutterlune to read its shutter speed and print it on a frame.