When to Use Fast Shutter Speed & How to Set It?

If you have just started photography, you may not yet when to use fast shutter speed and when not to. The fact that you are not using the right speed might be one of the main reasons for blurry images. In this article, I will share different situations where you need to use a higher shutter speed. I will also discuss the camera mode and other camera settings to use for such photography.

When to Use Fast Shutter Speed?

You can use fast shutter speed in the following situations:

1. To Freeze Action

When photographing action shots, your main aim is to freeze the action. 

For action photography, you need to use a higher shutter speed. Otherwise, due to the motion of subjects in the frame, the subject will appear blurry in the image

If you look at the above image of the Mountain Hawk Eagle, a high shutter speed value of 1/2000 helped freeze the bird in flight.

2. For Correct Exposure

When doing a photoshoot outdoors in daylight, you may be using a large aperture to get a nice background blur. 

The large aperture will let more light enter into the camera, and you will be using the lowest possible ISO. 

With these camera settings, you need to use a fast shutter speed to get the correct exposure, even if the subject in the frame is stationary. 

Otherwise, you will end up with an overexposed image.

In the image above of the Green-tailed sunbird, I had to use a shutter speed of 1/1600 to properly expose the bird without blowing out the highlights.

When Not to Use Fast Shutter Speed?

There are situations where you should avoid using fast shutter speeds.

1. For Long exposure photography

When doing long exposure photography, you want the shutter to remain open for a long time. So, a slow shutter speed is recommended.

A good example of a long exposure image is the star trails.

2. Landscape photography

When photographing landscapes, you will typically use a tripod.

There are no fast-moving subjects in the scene for a landscape image.

Thus, there is no need to shoot at a higher speed, unless there is heavy wind in the scene.

3. For Panning Shots

When capturing panning shots, you want to convey motion in the frame. 

Here, the technique involves blurring other elements in the scene in the direction of motion to show the movement of the subject.

So, you must not shoot at high speeds for panning shots..

4. Low Light Conditions While Using Flash

In low light conditions, you want more light to enter the camera. Otherwise, the image will appear dark.

It is always best to use a slow or medium shutter speed for such shots.

Otherwise, you need to light up the scene with artificial lights. If you want to depict the motion in the scene in the image, you need to shoot at a slow shutter speed. Otherwise, the subject in motion will be frozen in the frame.

5. When You Want Motion Blur

If you want to depict the motion in the scene, you need to shoot at a slow shutter speed.

Otherwise, the subject in motion will be frozen in the frame.

6. While Using Flash

When using flash at higher shutter speed, there can be sometimes black banding on the edges or corners of the picture.

This happens only when you shoot at extreme speeds. 

How to Set Fast Shutter Speed?

You can set a fast shutter speed on any camera. You can do this in all camera modes except for the Automatic mode and the Aperture priority mode.

1. Set the camera mode to Manual or Shutter priority mode. 

2. Now, you will be able to see the shutter speed option. It will be in numerical form like 1/60, 1/120, etc. 

3. Select this option from the menu. Use the rotating dial to set the shutter speed to a desired high number.

4. If you are in Shutter priority mode, you can set the ISO value too. The camera will give you the aperture value for correct exposure.

5. If you are in Manual mode, you need to set the aperture and ISO value as well. You can choose an ISO value according to the lighting conditions. Set the aperture in such a way that you get a properly exposed image.

How does Fast Shutter Speed Affect a Photo?

The fast shutter speed does impact the image, particularly its exposure.

As a result, the picture will look dark if there is insufficient light in the frame.

You need to shoot with maximum aperture for to get proper exposure. This can lead to the blurring of elements in the scene, especially those in the background.

You will also have to increase the ISO for such shots. However, when you increase the ISO, the noise also increases, especially if the scene is not well-lit.

What Shutter Speed is the Fastest?

Any speed of 1/500 or above is considered a fast shutter speed. 

The 1/8000 value is considered as the fastest shutter speed. 

Some cameras do not support this value, with the fastest shutter speed on those cameras being 1/4000.