Shutter Speed Chart
Shutter speed decides whether motion freezes or blurs and whether you can hold the camera steady. This chart lists what each speed is for, the standard stop sequences, and calculates the slowest speed you can hand-hold for a given lens using the reciprocal rule.
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Handheld minimum (reciprocal rule)
Slowest handheld shutter
1/50 s
1 ÷ 50 mm equivalent
With stabilisation (≈3 stops)
1/6 s
Stop sequences
Full stops: 1/8000, 1/4000, 1/2000, 1/1000, 1/500, 1/250, 1/125, 1/60, 1/30, 1/15, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 1 s, 2, 4, 8, 15, 30 s
Third stops between 1/125 and 1/30: 1/125, 1/100, 1/80, 1/60, 1/50, 1/40, 1/30
Each full stop halves or doubles the light. Doubling the shutter time and closing the aperture one stop leaves exposure unchanged.
Shutter speed chart
| Shutter speed | Use it for |
|---|---|
| 1/8000 – 1/2000 s | Freeze fast action: birds in flight, sports, splashes |
| 1/1000 – 1/500 s | Running, cycling, kids and pets in motion |
| 1/250 – 1/125 s | Everyday handheld shots, walking subjects, street |
| 1/60 s | Handheld limit for wide lenses; slight blur in moving hands |
| 1/30 – 1/15 s | Panning with a moving subject; low light with stabilisation |
| 1/8 – 1/2 s | Motion blur on purpose: crowds, water; tripod needed |
| 1 – 8 s | Silky waterfalls, light trails, blue hour cityscapes |
| 15 – 30 s | Night skies (stars start to trail beyond ~500 ÷ focal length seconds), long exposures |
| Bulb (minutes) | Star trails, lightning, very dark scenes |
Motion blur is a choice
Blur is not always a mistake: 1/15 s panning keeps a cyclist sharp against a streaked background; 2 s turns a waterfall to silk; 30 s empties a busy square. The chart pairs each speed with the effect it gives, so you can pick the effect first.
All eight calculators live on the camera calculators page.
Questions people ask
What shutter speed for sports?
1/1000 s or faster to freeze running and ball sports; 1/2000–1/4000 s for motorsport and birds in flight. Raise ISO to keep the speed rather than dropping below 1/500 s.
What is the reciprocal rule?
The slowest handheld shutter speed is about 1 ÷ the full-frame-equivalent focal length: 1/50 s for a 50 mm lens, 1/200 s for 200 mm. Stabilisation buys roughly three stops; a phone’s 24 mm main camera with stabilisation manages around 1/4 s.
What shutter speed for video?
Twice the frame rate: 1/50 s at 25 fps, 1/60 s at 30 fps, 1/120 s at 60 fps. In daylight that needs an ND filter to avoid overexposure.
What shutter speed should I use for sports, waterfalls or night shots?
Sports 1/1000 s or faster; silky waterfalls 1–4 s on a tripod; night cityscapes 2–15 s; stars up to 500 ÷ focal length seconds before they trail. The full chart with uses is at https://whitebalancer.com/tools/shutter-speed-chart.
What is the slowest shutter speed I can hand-hold?
About 1 ÷ the full-frame-equivalent focal length — 1/50 s for 50 mm, 1/200 s for 200 mm — and roughly three stops slower with stabilisation. The calculator at https://whitebalancer.com/tools/shutter-speed-chart gives it for your lens and sensor.
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