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Your current position >> Learn >> What are shutter speeds?

The shutter speed determines how long the lens will allow the film to expose. Shutter speeds are usually measured in seconds or fractions of a second. For example a shutter speed of 1/250 would be a 250th of a second. So if it were possible, you would be able to take 250 photographs in one second. This is not possible as there is not a camera that fast although there are cameras that can take over 10 photographs per second.

Fast shutter speeds
Fast shutter speeds are used to take photographs of fast action shots of moving objects like cars or animals or photographs with a blurred background (sometimes referred to as bokeh). These shots rarely need the use of a tripod to be clear.

Slow shutter speeds
Slow shutter speeds are usually displayed in seconds, for example a very long exposure is 30 seconds. This is also referred to as a long exposure as it exposes the film for a long time. Slow shutter speeds are used for things like showing movement, showing time or to take photographs with great depth like landscapes. When using slow shutter speeds some support will probably be needed to stop camera shake, like the use of a tripod or the support of a solid surface.

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