Are there downsides to using a faster shutter speed than necessary?
Asked 3/4/2013
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If there’s plenty of light and I’m shooting a mostly still subject, is there any disadvantage to using a very fast shutter speed anyway? Does a faster shutter speed improve image quality, or can it actually make the photo worse once exposure is taken into account?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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The key is that shutter-speed is not independent of anything and is related to other exposure parameters.
To increase shutter-speed without under-exposing one must either open up the aperture or raise the ISO:
- A wider aperture is often softer and will therefore reduce image quality. It can also be sharper if you were past the diffraction limit and improve image quality.
- A higher ISO generally adds more image noise thus reducing image quality. Except if you were using an Expanded ISO setting below the sensor's native ISO, in which case you will get better dynamic-range.
Increasing shutter-speed without changing other parameters results in darker image. Darker images show more noise because the signal is lower and therefore so is the Signal-to-Noise (S/N) ratio.
Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1620
13y ago
0
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A faster shutter speed does not automatically make a photo better. Shutter speed is part of the exposure triangle, so if you make it faster you must compensate with a wider aperture, higher ISO, or accept a darker image.
Possible downsides:
- wider aperture: shallower depth of field, so less of the scene may be in focus; many lenses are also a bit softer wide open
- higher ISO: more visible noise and often lower image quality
- no compensation: underexposure, which can increase apparent noise when brightened later
The main benefit of a fast shutter speed is freezing motion or reducing camera shake. If neither is a problem, using a faster speed than needed usually gives no image-quality advantage and may force compromises elsewhere.
A practical approach is: choose the aperture for the depth of field you want, choose a shutter speed just fast enough to stop subject/camera motion, and use the lowest ISO that gives correct exposure.
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