Fast shutter speeds freeze movement and slow shutter speeds let it blur, so your choice depends on whether you want a crisp moment or a sense of motion. A speed of roughly 1/500 and faster freezes most everyday action, while speeds of about 1/30 and slower begin to show motion as streaks. The right number also depends on how fast the subject moves and how far away it is.
General Ranges as Rough Guides
These figures are common guides, not rules, and you should adjust them as you watch your results.
| Goal | Rough shutter speed |
|---|---|
| Walking people | 1/250 to 1/500 |
| Running children or pets | 1/500 to 1/1000 |
| Sports and birds in flight | 1/1000 to 1/4000 or faster |
| Soft water flow | Around 1/4 to several seconds, on a tripod |
| Panning a moving subject | About 1/30 to 1/125 |
Step by Step: Freeze Action
- Set the camera to shutter priority or manual mode.
- Pick a speed from the table that matches the subject, such as 1/1000 for a running dog.
- Raise the ISO until the exposure looks right, accepting a little noise in exchange for a sharp subject.
- Use continuous autofocus and a burst mode to increase your chance of a good frame.
- Check the first few shots at high zoom on the camera screen. If the subject is still blurred, go faster.
Step by Step: Show Motion
- Put the camera on a tripod or solid support for any exposure slower than you can hold by hand.
- Lower the ISO to its base value and close the aperture to a small opening such as f/11 to f/16.
- If the scene is still too bright, add a neutral density filter to allow longer exposures in daylight.
- Try a few speeds, since every moving subject blurs differently.
- For panning, follow the subject smoothly with the camera, press the shutter and keep following through the exposure. This keeps the subject fairly sharp while the background streaks.
Factors That Change the Answer
- Direction: a subject moving across the frame needs a faster speed than one coming toward you.
- Distance and focal length: long lenses and close subjects exaggerate movement, so they call for faster speeds.
- Handholding: a common guide is a speed at least as fast as one over the focal length, such as 1/200 for a 200 mm lens, although stabilization may allow slower.
FAQ
What if there is not enough light for a fast speed?
Open the aperture, raise ISO or add light. A slightly noisy sharp photo is usually better than a clean blurry one.
Can I use automatic modes?
Yes. Shutter priority lets you choose the speed while the camera handles aperture, which suits action work well.
The Short Version
Go fast, from 1/500 upward, to freeze action and slow, with support, to show motion. Adjust to the subject speed and check your results as you shoot.
