What shutter speed is a good starting point for panning cars and slow-sync flash?
Asked 8/25/2010
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2 answers
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I shoot with a Canon EOS 400D/Rebel XTi and understand the basics of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. I usually use aperture priority, but sometimes I want to control motion blur more deliberately.
What are good starting shutter speeds for:
- Photographing a moving car so the wheels and background show motion blur, while the car itself stays reasonably sharp with panning?
- Using slow-sync flash indoors so the subject is lit by flash but the shutter stays open long enough to record ambient background light?
I know the exact setting depends on the situation, but I’m looking for practical starting points to test from.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
16y ago
2 Answers
6
Motion
It depends on a few variables eg, speed of subject / distance to subjects / focal length / speed of moving camera (for panning shots) etc.
But I would suggest just start at 1/20th second, take a test shot, then adjust as needed. Simple!
"Slow-syncro" flash
Well, now you're adding a fourth factor in the exposure with the flash (flash power / distance etc.).
However, assuming you're using the built-in flash or a speedlite that supports ETTL... I would allow for slightly longer shutter speeds, since the flash will freeze the main subject and you probably want long light trails for artistic effect.
1 second:
1/10 of a second:
Originally by user190. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user190
16y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
There isn’t one fixed shutter speed, because it depends on subject speed, distance, focal length, and how well you pan the camera. But a practical starting point for panning a moving car is about 1/20 second. Take a test shot, then adjust faster or slower depending on how much wheel/background blur you want and how sharp the car stays.
For slow-sync flash, flash adds another variable, but if you’re using built-in flash or an E-TTL speedlite, you can use longer shutter speeds because the flash helps freeze the main subject while ambient light records the background. A useful range is roughly 1/10 second for a mild effect up to around 1 second for stronger ambient trails and background detail.
In short:
- Panning cars: start around 1/20 s
- Slow-sync flash: try about 1/10 s to 1 s
Use test shots and adjust from there.
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