What a shutter speed number means
Shutter speed is how long the camera’s shutter stays open, letting light reach the sensor or film. Longer times let in more light and record movement as blur. Shorter times let in less light and tend to freeze movement.
Most cameras show speeds under one second as fractions, but often drop the “1/” on the screen. A display reading 60 usually means 1/60 of a second.
What 1/15 means (and 1/60)
- 1/15 means one fifteenth of a second, about 0.067 seconds. It is a slow speed. Handheld, many people will see some blur from camera shake at this speed, especially with longer lenses, unless the camera or lens has image stabilization or they brace the camera.
- 1/60 means one sixtieth of a second, about 0.017 seconds. It is a common baseline for handheld shots of still subjects with normal lenses, but it will not reliably freeze a walking person’s quick movements, or fast sports.
A bigger number under the line means a faster shutter: 1/1000 is much faster than 1/15.
Full-stop shutter speed chart
Each step is one stop, meaning it halves the light of the step before it (or doubles it going the other way). Many cameras also offer third-stop steps in between, such as 1/80 or 1/100. Note that the usual sequence is rounded, so 1/15 is really close to 1/16 and 1/60 close to 1/64.
| Shutter speed | Camera display | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 second | 1” | Tripod, low light, flowing water |
| 1/2 | 2 | Tripod, night scenes |
| 1/4 | 4 | Tripod, light trails |
| 1/8 | 8 | Tripod, or very steady bracing |
| 1/15 | 15 | Stabilized handheld, still subjects |
| 1/30 | 30 | Handheld with care, wide angle |
| 1/60 | 60 | General handheld, still subjects |
| 1/125 | 125 | Everyday handheld, slow movement |
| 1/250 | 250 | Walking people, children, pets |
| 1/500 | 500 | Running subjects, moderate action |
| 1/1000 | 1000 | Fast action, sports, birds |
Beyond that, many cameras go to 1/2000, 1/4000 or faster, and to long exposures of 30 seconds or more, plus Bulb mode for as long as you hold the shutter. The “typical use” column is a guide, not a rule.
What “30” means on your camera
It depends on the display. A plain 30 usually means 1/30 of a second. A reading with a quote mark, such as 30”, means 30 seconds, which is the longest standard setting on many cameras. If your camera shows both, the quote mark is the clue.
Handholding: avoiding camera shake
A long-standing rule of thumb is to use a shutter speed at least as fast as one over the focal length: for a 50mm lens, about 1/50 or faster. Treat it as a rough starting point. High-resolution sensors, cropped sensors and unsteady hands may need faster speeds, while stabilization can allow slower ones. If your photos look soft at slow speeds, check whether it is camera shake or subject movement. A tripod solves the first; a faster speed is needed for the second. See also how shutter speed fits with aperture and ISO in photography settings explained.
Freezing or blurring motion
| Goal | Starting point to try |
|---|---|
| Freeze a walking person | 1/250 |
| Freeze a running child or dog | 1/500 to 1/1000 |
| Freeze fast sport or flying birds | 1/1000 or faster |
| Show gentle blur in water | 1/4 to 1 second or longer, on a tripod |
| Pan with a moving subject | roughly 1/30 to 1/60, practice needed |
Results vary with subject speed, direction and distance, so take several test shots.
Shutter speed and the other settings
Changing shutter speed changes exposure. Going from 1/60 to 1/125 halves the light, so you would need a wider aperture or higher ISO to keep the same brightness. For the underlying idea, read what exposure means.
What does ISO affect? ISO sets how strongly the sensor signal is amplified, so it affects brightness and visible noise. Raising ISO is a common way to get a faster shutter speed in dim light. The related idea of gain is explained in ISO vs gain.
Shutter speed for video
In video, shutter speed is often chosen relative to frame rate. A common guideline, the “180-degree rule”, sets the shutter to about double the frame rate, so 1/50 at 24 fps or 1/60 at 30 fps. It gives a natural look to motion; our DSLR video settings guide shows how to apply it. Many shooters adjust brightness with other tools (aperture, ISO or filters) instead of changing shutter speed.
Quick reference
- A bigger number under the line means a faster shutter.
- Each full stop is a halving or doubling.
- A quote mark means whole seconds.
- Use a tripod at about 1/15 or slower for sharp results with still subjects.
- To use these speeds with full control, try the manual mode guide, or Tv mode as described in the Canon mode dial explainer.