Shutter Speed Charts and Graphs

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Charts and Graphs
Shutter Speed Comparison

Shutter Speed	Facts
Bulb	To be used in very, very low light situations. Any movement by the subject will cause a blurred affect. I recommend its use for inanimate objects. Streaks on the highways are made with this setting.
1 second and 1/2 second	Same as bulb
1/4 second	Same as bulb
1/8 second	Same as bulb
1/15 second	Very difficult to shoot without a tripod.
1/30 second	Lowest possible speed you can shoot with out a tripod. But unless you have a very steady hand. I would not recommend it to beginners. But if you need to use this speed, try propping yourself up against a wall and holding your breath, to avoid movement. This setting is good for flash portraits and mood pictures since it picks up the ambient light.
1/60 second	This setting is good for cloudy days and most existing light situations. Most flashes are set for this setting.
1/125 second	This setting is good for bright sunny days. It is good for a person walking normally. Good for short focal lenses. Also can be used for flash.
1/250 second	This stetting can freeze a person jogging slowly. Can be used with a 250 mm telephoto lens.
1/500 second	This setting can freeze cars in traffic. Can be used with a 400 mm lens.
1/1000 second	This setting can freeze racing cars, and planes. Can be used also with a 400 mm lens.
1/2000 second	This setting can freeze action that can move faster than the eye can see. Can also be used with a 400 mm lens.

Red indicates you must use a tripod. Source Kodak Guide to 35 mm Photography

In bulb exposure your lens will stay open as long as you hold the shutter release down..
My suggestion is to use a cable release. This avoids the minor problem of shaking when
you press on the release.

F-stop Guide

Example	Uses
F/2	Opening gives very poor images due to shallow depth of field. Use only if existing light is extremely limited.
F/2.8	Quality of the picture will improve but the problem of shallow depth of field continues with the limited existing light.
F/5.6	Excellent setting for indoor/outdoor photography. I like to use this setting for portraits with a 30th or 60th of a second. Goes well with a flash has a moderate depth of field.
F/8	Best used for outdoors. Depth of Field increases dramatically.
F/11	Outdoor image quality improves dramatically with great depth of field.
F/22	Setting can give you those wide open spaces you see in many scenic photographs.

Settings for outdoor photography.
The above settings are based upon the assumption that the photographer is using a standard 50 mm lens.
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