How to choose the shutter speed on the camera

Obtaining an image in a photograph depends on the physical or chemical processes that take place on the surface of a photosensitive material or electronic matrix. They are initiated by the incoming radiation and are determined by its quantity, expressed by the term exposure. The latter is calculated by multiplying the light on the shutter speed. Let us take a closer look at what exposure means in a camera.

Concept of exposure

Camera shutter speed is one of the key concepts affecting image quality. It is equal to the time during which the light freely enters the photosensitive elements through the open shutter of the camera.. Together with the diaphragm, it is responsible for the correct exposure. In case of imbalance, you get a picture that does not meet the requirements of natural perception and the plan of the photographer.

This indicator affects:

• the degree of illumination of the frame;
• image clarity;
• the appearance of additional effects when photographing moving objects.

With insufficient exposure time in low light conditions, there is a high probability of obtaining a dark image, with excessive exposure, there is a strong exposure. Short exposure in bright light allows you to capture an interesting phase of a phenomenon or a moving object. Long exposure on the camera when shooting fast moving objects leads to blurry lines and reduce the clarity of boundaries. Sometimes they do it consciously, seeking emphasis on high speed movement. Photographing a clear sky or cityscape in the dark with an intentional increase in exposure makes it possible to capture the displacement of stars and the flow of traffic.

Shutter mechanism operation

At the dawn of the photograph, inactive reagents were used, for which a long exposure time was required. The operator simply removed the lens cap, counted off the seconds and set it in place. Now this function performs integrated shutteropening at a predetermined interval.On digital devices, the duration of exposure of the light flux to the matrix can be adjusted by turning it on and off. In this regard, the valves are divided into:

• mechanical;

• electronic.

The first option has the form of movable shutters moving perpendicular to the luminous flux. They are:

• central;
• curtain slotted.

Central shutter located between the lens of the lens. It consists of two halves, moving apart for a short time from the center to the edges of the chamber. Slot lock It has an adjustable gap between moving in one direction lightproof plates. The exposure time in this case is determined by the speed of movement and the width of the slit.

Electronic shutter It is a switch controlled by a built-in processor on the phone or camera. When it is triggered, the matrix is ​​reset, followed by reading the information. The interval between zeroing and reading is the exposure time.

In some models of cameras, instead of a mechanical shutter, it works electron-optical. It incorporates a liquid crystal located between two polarized plates.When voltage is applied to the crystal, it changes the plane of polarization, becoming completely opaque.

Such a device is characterized by simplicity, reliability and minimal response time.

Modern equipment allows you to adjust the shutter speed in automatic mode, depending on the light environment. But in a real situation there are many factors affecting the quality of the frame. The presence of a light source or a bright object can cause automation to make a mistake. A professional photographer always strives to independently make all installations manually, based on his own flair and experience. So, to get a good picture you need to follow his example.

Types of extracts and their application

The exposure time value is expressed in seconds and their shares. Long consider shutter speed more than 0.5 seconds. With its help, intentionally blurred images and drawings are created that are obtained when moving light sources in the dark. A short shutter speed of 1/60 to 1/8000 is needed to get clear shots when dynamically changing the picture. It is used only with good sensitivity of the receiving element and bright light.

The quality of the image in this situation may be affected by even a subtle hand shake, so it is recommended to use a tripod.

As mentioned above, modern photographic equipment allows you to select the shutter speed on the camera in automatic mode, depending on the light and the assigned standard situation pattern available in the menu. When self-tuning settings, select the manual mode, after which the desired interval is set using a rotating drum. The designation of the shutter speed on the camera appears in the corresponding area of ​​the display and is controlled by the position of the risks of the swivel wheel. In practice, after the initial installation of the settings, several pictures are taken, achieving the desired result by making several successive adjustments.

On some cameras to perform artistic images with any exposure time, there is a Bulb mode. It holds the shutter in the open position while the shutter button is pressed.