Handheld Shutter Speed Calculator
A slow shutter can blur a photo when your hands move. This rough rule of thumb gives a starting speed for holding the camera without a tripod. Change the lens or the camera and the number follows.
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How it works
Multiply the lens focal length by the crop factor of your camera. That gives the focal length the lens acts like on a full-frame camera. Full-frame cameras use 1, and many APS-C cameras use about 1.5.
Take 1 over that number of seconds as the starting speed, then test a few shots to see what your own hands can do. Image stabilisation, a steady stance and subject movement all change what works.
Worked example
A lens at 85 mm on a camera with a 1.5 crop factor acts like 128 mm, so the rule of thumb starts at 1 over 128 second.
Questions
What is a crop factor?
It is how much smaller the camera's sensor is than a full-frame sensor. Look it up for your camera model. Full-frame cameras use 1.
Does stabilisation change the number?
Often, yes. Many lenses and camera bodies have stabilisation that lets you go slower. This rule does not account for it.
Will every photo be sharp at this speed?
No. It is a starting point. Movement in the subject can blur a photo at any speed, so take a few shots and look at them larger.
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