Speed camera
Knowing which aperture settings work best for your setup can save you time and ensure great results
Your Nikon gives you great control over the way moving subjects will appear. This assignment will help you explore that potential. For the exercise, we recommend using a tripod to eliminate camera movement. You’ll also need a willing (and reasonably fit!) volunteer to run or cycle past you several times at a consistent speed. In the examples here, the rider was travelling at about 30km/h (20mph).
1
Use Shutter Priority (S) mode and set an ISO of 400. Set the release mode to Continuous (C) or Continuous High-speed (Ch). Set the focus mode to Continuous-servo AF (AF-C).
2
Set the shutter speed to 1/4000 sec. This will show as 4000. If the aperture readout changes to ‘Lo’, increase the ISO.
Get your volunteer to move past you, and take some shots as they pass by.
3
Repeat using slower shutter speeds: 1/2000, 1/500, 1/125, 1/30 and 1/8 sec should give a good range of results. Check your images on a computer – which show artistic blur?
4
Repeat the exercise, this time panning your camera as the cyclist or runner crosses the frame. Test out different shutter speeds and see which one gives the best action blur. It takes a little practice to get the hang of panning!