The Sony a7III is the third generation of Sony’s A7 series, an entry-level full-frame mirrorless camera from the camera manufacturer.
However, speaking of beginners, it’s important to be able to control all camera settings if you want to unleash your creativity behind the lens. On that note, learning shutter speed basics and how to change shutter speed on Sony A7III is really important if you want to take photography seriously.
This article, thereby, comes as an aid to make you able to change Sony shutter speed. I’ll also discuss when to change the shutter speed to get the most aesthetic images.
How to Change Shutter Speed on Sony A7III:
First, turn on your camera (an important step if you want to change the shutter speed). Then, turn the mode dial located at the top of the camera to the “M” icon which indicates the manual mode.
Another dial is located just behind the mode dial, which is used to change the shutter speed numbers.
When you change the shutter speed, the speed number is highlighted in orange color. If you need to increase the shutter speed, simply turn the dial to the right. Turn the dial to the left to decrease the shutter speed.
How to Adjust Shutter Speed When Recording Videos?
Many people are confused about the process of changing shutter speed while in video mode. Here’s how you can do it.
- Turn the mode dial to the Movie icon.
- Press the “Menu” option, which is located just over the display.
- You’ll find a lot of settings and options there. Go to the second page of the camera settings to change the shutter speed.
- Go to the “Exposure Mode” from the screen.
- You’ll find four exposure modes here to select one from. The modes are:
Program Auto: This automatic mode determines the aperture and shutter speed by itself, considering the external light conditions.
Aperture Priority: This mode allows both the front and rear dials to adjust the aperture manually while the shutter speed is selected automatically.
Shutter Priority: The mode works quite the opposite to the earlier one letting you adjust the shutter speed manually while automatically selecting the aperture.
Manual Exposure: This allows the front dial to adjust the shutter speed and the rear dial to adjust the aperture.
Select your desired setting and turn the front/rear dial to adjust the shutter speed.
Once you’re done with the manual setup, you can start recording.
Here’s a video that shows how to set up the Sony A7iii shutter speed for video mode:
What Is Shutter Speed?
Shutter speed is the amount of time the shutter of the lens remains open while capturing a photo. Shutter speed is measured in fractions of seconds and expressed in numbers like 1/2, 1/4, 1/60, 1/250, and 1/500 on the display. These numbers describe how long the shutter stays open and lets light pass through the lens.
When you get out of the comfort zone of automatic settings, you’ll have to to try your camera’s manual mode and set the shutter speed, ISO, and aperture yourself. It might seem troublesome in the beginning but it greatly influences the outcome of the photos you’ll be taking. You’ll find a lot of pro photographers prefer shooting in manual.
Generally, when you take photos in bright daylight or a well-exposed environment, you would a fast shutter speed to ensure clarity and sharpness of the picture. On the other hand, when shooting in low-light conditions slower shutter speeds are recommended to let more light into the camera.
As said earlier, when you start exploring the manual settings of a camera, you need to control ISO, aperture, and shutter speed individually for every snap. These three settings are known as the exposure triangle. When you aren’t satisfied with the automatic mode of the DSLR and want to change settings manually, you must master the elements of exposure triangles.
How to Set Shutter Speed?
Shutter speed lets you control how fast the camera lens absorbs light while snapping. Have you ever wondered about fast-moving objects that can look blurry or frozen in an image? It’s a game of changing the shutter speed to get the desired effect.
When you set a low shutter speed, you would expect to get more light in the video. However, slower shutter speeds, such as 1/25, 1/30, and 1/50, may introduce motion blur in the photo because the electronic shutter stays open longer.
On the other hand, if the shutter speed is set to a higher number, for example, 1/200, 1/500 of a second, there won’t be any motion blur, but the output will be much darker.
Tip: The general guideline for setting the shutter speed while making videos is to set up the shutter speed at a number that is double the frame rate. For example, if you’re shooting at 24 frames per second, you should set the shutter speed to 1/50. This setting balances motion blur and sharpness within the videos.
When to Change Shutter Speed?
There’re certain situations when you feel like using a fast or slow shutter speed. Low-light environments or motion-blur photography are the perfect examples.
Motion Blur Photography
The primary rule for motion blur photography is to set a slow shutter speed such as 1/50 or 1/60 second. It also depends on the speed of your subject.
For a person walking in front of a lens, the shutter speed should be less than 1/60. Again, to create a motion blur effect for a moving car, the shutter speed should be around 1/125 second.
Remember to set the ISO as low as possible while motion blur photography to get the most aesthetic images. Using the Shutter Priority mode can help you in this situation as the camera automatically detects ISO and aperture depending on the shutter speed you set.
Also, when you use a long shutter speed, it is recommended to use a tripod to eliminate the camera shake. Even though modern cameras come with stabilization, a camera tripod serves the best.
Low-Light Photography
You must set longer shutter speeds so that the lens gets more light for a long time. To get a crisp photo in low light, set the shutter speed to a fraction of the focal length of your lens. For example, if you use a 50mm lens, keep the shutter speed to 1/50 of a second.
However, if you have fun taking blurry night photos of moving objects, especially cars on the night streets, keep the shutter speed even slower. And use a tripod!
Sports Photography
In Sports photography, you need to freeze the action in your images of the fast-moving athletes.
The fundamental rule in sports photography is to use the highest shutter speed possible such as 1/1000 of a second. Remember to increase the ISO at night as faster shutter speeds don’t capture much light.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to set the minimum shutter speed on Sony A7III?
At first, make sure the camera is in manual mode. A dial is used to change the shutter speed. To set the minimum shutter speed Sony a7iii, you must rotate the dial to the left side.
Does Sony A7III have an electronic shutter?
The Sony A7iii comes with a silent or electronic shutter. The electronic shutter doesn’t have any mechanical part, so it achieves faster frame rates than a mechanical shutter.
Conclusion
So, now you know how to change the shutter speed on your Sony A7III. I also discussed when to adjust the shutter speed for the best outcome.
If you’re serious about photography, you should know every in and out of shutter speed with ISO and aperture. Only then you’ll be able to explore your creativity.