Speed

[RubyKatz]

Now you can tell me to go and read the manual but I am more in need of a simple explanation from anyone with a D7000 camera, can you please explain to me the different speed settings and what the figures all mean and when I should use what number for what please? I am still getting my head around the ISO and F stop info, but the speed is failing me. I forget things very quickly too and have to keep re-reading stuff all the time. :(

[ricktas]

You need to read the manual.

The shutter speed is just that, the speed of the shutter. 1/25th is 1/25th of a second. 1/1000th is 1/1000th of a second. What and when you use a particular shutter speed, depends on the available light at the time, and what result you want. There is not rule about 'use 1/25th of a second to shoot a portrait'. It doesn't work like that. Until you get an understanding of shutter speed, ISO and Aperture, and how all three work together, you are not getting the very basics of photography. So learn about these and how they work and interact between the three and then you will 'get it'.

Not only do you need to read the manual, and use the NTP Library section of Ausphotography, but you need to get out there taking photos. Go outside and take a photo at 1/10th second, then 1/125th second, then 1/1000th second, come back in, put them on the computer and look at the differences. DOING photography and learning from the results is the BEST way. You can read as much as you can find, but until you take photos and study them and look at what works and the settings used, and what didn't work and the settings used, you will not improve your own photography. Learn by taking photos and reviewing them.

[GerryK]

Hi Ruby,
Speed is the time the shutter is open when a photo is taken. 1/1000 is a fast shutter speed and will often 'freeze' movement. 1/2 is a slow shutter speed and will blur motion. It is one part of the whole photographic process. The aim is to get a photo that is 'correctly' exposed. This is a balance between shutter speed and aperture. A photo may be correctly exposed at 1/125 @ f4. It is also correctly exposed at 1/30 @ f8. The second will give you a greater depth of field.

The best teacher is practice. Try setting the camera to shutter priority and taking shots of the same subject with different speeds. You will see changes in every shot.

Happy shooting

[Mark L]

.... and use the NTP Library section of Ausphotography, ...

And that is here, http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showlibrary.php?title=Indexes:New_To_Photography_Book
It really is worth taking the time to read some of it. :th3:

[ameerat42]

See if you can meet up with some other photographers in your area... That's always helpful.
Am.

[Mark L]

Gerry has summed it up well. However,

I am still getting my head around the ISO and F stop info, but the speed is failing me. (

Get to know ISO and f/stop. Not sure what the setting is called on Nikon, but if you us aperture priority mode, select the ISO you want (depends on the lighting you have) and the camera will look after the shutter speed.
Preview the photo and if it looks a little blurred increase the ISO. This will give you a faster shutter speed.

[ragemain]

Since there is no cost with digital photography to take a picture, try continually shooting a static scene at different settings to visually see what the functions do.