What's the difference between aperture and shutter speed?

Question

I thought aperture was controlling your shutter speed. What's the difference?

Answer 1

Aperature is the size of the hole that allows light into the camera. Shutter speed is how long the shutter is open, determining the length of exposure. Shutter speed, basicly makes your shot lighter or darker.

Answer 2

ISO is a measurement of the sensitivity to light of a light sensitive surface, whether film or digital sensor. The lower the number the less sensitive; the higher the number the more sensitive. Inside the lens there is a diaphragm which is made up of thin movable blades which can be opened or closed to form the aperture or f-stop. The smaller the number the bigger the opening. So f1.2 would be very large and f22 would be very small. The aperture controls how much light is admitted so f1.2 would admitt all the available light and f22 would admit very little. The shutter speed controls how long the light is allowed to expose the light sensitive surface. It is controlled by both the ISO used and the f-stop chosen. The shutter speed also has a role in stopping action. The faster the shutter speed the more likely that a runner or moving car will be "frozen" with no apparent blur. Here is a hypothetical example to show the ISO-aperture-shutter speed relationship. For our purposes we'll be shooting on a clear, sunny day*. ISO 100 f2 @ 1/8000 f2.8 @ 1/4000 f4 @ 1/2000 f5.6 @ 1/1000 f8 @ 1/500 f11 @ 1/250 f16 @ 1/125 ISO 200 f2 @ 1/16000 f2.8 @ 1/8000 f4 @ 1/4000 f5.6 @ 1/2000 f8 @ 1/1000 f11 @ 1/500 f16 @ 1/250 As you can easily see, our shutter speed decreases as less light is admitted by the smaller f-stops. f2.8 admits 1/2 as much light as f2; f4 admits 1/2 as much light as f2.8, etc. Since less light is admitted our shutter has to stay open longer to allow the light to expose our film or sensor. * This example is based on the time-honored "Sunny 16 Rule" which states: "On a sunny day, set your f-stop to f16 and your shutter speed to 1/ISO." So if you're using ISO 100 your shutter speed at f16 is 1/125. It was created back when shutters were mechanical. Today's electronically controlled shutters are, in effect, "stepless" and can actually achieve a shutter speed of 1/100 or 1/200 when needed.

Answer 3

First, think of the camera as nothing more than a box that is light proof (prevents light from entering). The lens is what lets light enter the camera through an opening (aperture) and how long it reaches the film or CCD is controlled by the shutter.

I say "reflected light" because what you and I see, and everyone else, as well as cameas, is light that is reflected from objects and people. You and I do not "see" people" but rather the light that reflects from everything around us. We cannot see in total darkness. Colors are nothing more than different light waves that excite (or influence) cells (cones and rods) in the back of our eyes. Long complicated explanaton. Look it up; it's interesting.

The APERTURE is a variable hole (composed of blades that act like a valve) in front of the lens that adjusts to let more or less reflected light through (f/opening refers to the size of the aperture, or opening) and the SHUTTER, is a barndoor-like or a curtain-like device that either moves up/down or left/right, like a cover over the film or CCD that controls the length of time or how long or how brief that the reflected light reaches the film or CCD (shutter speed refers to how long or how brief the shutter stays open for periods like 30 seconds down to 1/4,000th seconds in most modern advanced consumer cameras, and "B" for "Bulb" which leaves the shutter open for as long as the operator maintains it manually open).

While a wide aperture can limit the depth of field and a small aperture can increase the depth of field, a long shutter can cause blurring and a fast shutter can freeze action (provided there's enough environmental light or artificial light for a proper exposure).

Aperture size and shutter speed work together to give you a "proper" exposure, and can be used to incrase/decrease depth of field or can be used to stop action or cause blur in a photograph.

I hope that helps you. Good luck and best wishes.

Answer 4

The aperture is the variable sized opening (usually behind the glass elements of a lens) which determines the amount of light which passes through the lens. Shutter speed is the length of time the shutter remains open during an exposure to allow a predetermined amount of light to reach the focal plane or CCD.

Sounds complicated, but you can think of shutter speed as the time it takes to make an exposure and aperture as the size of the hole through which the light passes before it gets to the shutter, (which, when it opens and closes exposes the film or CCD to light and creates the image)

Answer 5

Aperture controls how large or small the hole is in the lens. The smaller the hole, smaller the f/, the faster and narrower range of depth you have in the picture. The large the hole, higher the f/, the slower and larger the range of depth is in the picture.

Shutter Speed is how fast the shutter opens and close to allow light to pass through the sensor. Faster the Shutter Speed the less light you let in and you "freeze" a moment in time. Slower the shutter speed, the more light you let in, you can give movement or life to a picture.

Answer 6

Aperture is a mechanism that controls the amount of light reaching the film (or sensor in digital photography) through the size of its opening.

Shutter is a mechanism that controls the amount of light reaching the film through the duration it opens and closes / shuts.

A smaller opening (ex. Aperture = f/22) requires a longer / slower shutter speed to properly expose the film. A wider opening (ex. Aperture = f/4) will allow you to shoot at a faster shutter speed.

Also, keep in mind that aside from exposing a light-sensitive material (film or sensor), aperture also controls the depth of field of your image. A wider opening of your aperture will limit the area of sharpness in your photographs or give you a shallow depth of field. A smaller aperture opening will provide you with a greater depth of field.

Answer 7

They are intricately inter-related. Shutter speed is the speed of the shutter snapping the picture. Aperture is the opening in the lens. Although if your light meter says to take the picture at 1/500 of a second at f8, you can probably get the same results shooting it at 1/250 of a second at f5.6 or at 1/1000 sec at f11.

The main difference would be depth of field.

Answer 8

Apeture also controls your depth of feild. The wider the hole (lower the number) your going to get less depth of feild. If you have 5 things lined up at an angle and focus on the front object it's going to get blurier from front to back. A smaller apature (larger number) will focus on all 5 objects.
The smaller the apeture the faster the shutterspeed.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

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