A random tidbit about shutter speed and focal length.

I was talking to my neighbor last week who recently bought a new DSLR, a Canon 60D. He is very new to photography and he was asking at what point does he need to use a tripod. Believe it or not that is kinda a complex question. Since we can now change our ISO it muddy’s things up a bit.

When shooting film you have a fixed ISO. So you can guestimate when you need a tripod by looking at the focal length of the lens. For instance, if you were shooting with a fixed focal length 50mm lens, you need to shoot at 1/50 of second or more. This is a rule of thumb and you can certainly shoot at 1/30 if you are pretty steady. So if you are shooting at 135mm you should be shooting at least 1/125.

But now we adjust the ISO so the question becomes what is your tolerance for sensor noise versus blur from camera movement? This is where trial error comes into place as you get to know your camera. There is no right answer.

Oh, and as an afterthought, a tripod and a monopod are always good investments. And always get the best you can afford. They will last you a lifetime.

Thanks for reading and check out the additions to my portrait and commercial sections of my website.

-Ken