Using 1/2000 Shutter Speed in Digital Photography

Using 1/2000 Shutter Speed in Digital Photography
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Understanding Shutter Speed

Digital photography shutter speed shares the same basic principles with film based photography. The shutter opens and closes to allow the light in, imprinting the image in the format the camera utilizes. The shutter speed determines how fast this shutter opens and closes, and there are going to be advantages on both sides. The longer the shutter stays open on your camera, the more light it allows in. This can be good for low light situations, but it also has an issue. The longer the shutter stays open the longer the exposure takes, and this means that the lower the shutter speed the higher probability that you will have some sort of motion blur. Lower shutter speeds must be used to capture very still objects unless you are looking for some form of motion blur. If you want to capture motion so that it appears as if the object is still, then higher shutter speeds are going to be your best option. Anything below a 1/60 shutter speed is somewhat low and will require the camera to be stabilized so that you do not add blur just from the camera motion, but a shutter speed between 1/125 and 1/500 is good for many situations. There are still more extreme of shutter speeds that are used for fast movement, but in between the standard and the specialized is the 1/2000 shutter speed.

Using 1/2000 Shutter Speed

The movement of quick objects, especially those that are motorized, are going to require a higher shutter speed. The 1/2000 shutter speed is the perfect option for these situations as it will capture the object in a usable stance without allowing it to appear strangely still. Many of the higher shutter speeds will freeze a moving object completely, and this will only happen at the 1/2000 shutter speed if it is moving at a moderate pace. In these cases you may have to go up to a 1/4000 or 1/8000 shutter speed, but that is very rare. This is also going to usually be your highest option with natural light since these high shutter speeds let in very little light. Even with the 1/2000 shutter speed you will want to look into the options of using artificial light or shooting in full daylight. Dark situations, especially night, are going to be incredibly difficult at this high shutter speed.

In general, you will have to see that you are not going to employ the 1/2000 under most conditions. The 1/1000 shutter speed should be more than enough for most of your moving objects, so you will want to run a test before making this choice. You will not, however, have to worry about any camera stabilization as it is very difficult to create motion blur at this high shutter speed. You will also have to open the aperture quite a bit to allow in enough light, and you are going to subsequently reduce the depth of field. To counteract this you will have to position yourself in the right area to the object, and this can be difficult if it is moving quickly.