1/16,000th sec? What for?

[W.Smith]

Leafing through one of my cam's manuals I found that, in manual mode, it can be set to a 1/16,000th sec shutter speed!

Since one would probably need to illuminate a scene with 3 fullsize suns at 10 feet distance in order to get a visible image with 1/16,000th sec shutter speed, I wonder what the use of such a setting could be.

1/1,000th sec will 'stop' a helicopter's rotors; 1/2,000th sec will 'stop' a humming bird's wings...
Do we really need faster shutter speeds than that? What for?

 

[Big Mike]

Because It looks good on the spec sheet?

 

[Johno]

Bright sunlight, F 1.4?? No ND filters?

 

[W.Smith]

Bright sunlight, F 1.4?? No ND filters?

I'll bet you get a beautiful deep grey image!

 

[Johno]

I'll bet you get a beautiful deep grey image!

LOL :lmao:

 

[rosselliot]

even though it is REALLY FAST, and the chances are that even shooting into direct sunlight with this shutter speed will most likely give you a slightly dark image. but when shooting sunsets and sunrises, most AUTO digital cameras set themselves to about 1/2000 and that's usually as high as they go. but if you were to set it yourself, you might want to take it up to 1/4000 to allow less blurring of the colors through the "long" shutter speed. also, you could take one at 4000 and one at 16000 and use layers in PS to make some interesting images...

it's PRETTY much useless...but not completely.

- RE

 

[W.Smith]

"blurring of the colors through the "long" shutter speed"

Huh? 1/2000 is a 'long' shutter speed?
I know about color shift at shutter speeds over 1 minute long. Getting worse as the shutter speed gets longer.
But "blurring of the colors"... what IS that? Do blues and yellows turn green?

 

[fmw]

"Shutter" speeds like this are actually fairly common in flash photography. I have no idea what kind of flash duration my studio strobes produce when they are dialed down all the way but I know I don't have to use a tripod.

Perhaps 1/16,000 is what you need to photograph a bullet in flight. I don't know. I've never photographed a bullet in flight. I'll go with Mike. It looks good on the spec sheet.

 

[Flash Harry]

In 1996 my old dynax 9000 had SS to 1/12000 of a second, using fast film shooting sports in bright light with wide aperture it produced the goods, I would think for digital cams to have this spec it would be attractive to sports togs too.

 

[Remi M.]

I had to use 1/8000 shutter speed for this shot:

So I don't think 1/16000s (just one full stop faster than that shot) is crazy.

 

[W.Smith]

"Shutter" speeds like this are actually fairly common in flash photography. I have no idea what kind of flash duration my studio strobes produce when they are dialed down all the way but I know I don't have to use a tripod.

I seem to remember the duration of a Metz CT60's flash varies between 1/5,000th and 1/30,000th of a sec. So that's what I'm assuming my 5600D's do too. It bears out in practice because I can always shoot unsupported with the 5600D's on their own tripods. Synced at 1/200th sec. And any minor movement is stopped dead in it's tracks. Tacksharp.

Perhaps 1/16,000 is what you need to photograph a bullet in flight. I don't know. I've never photographed a bullet in flight. I'll go with Mike. It looks good on the spec sheet.

Imagine the amount of light you would need when you want to use 1/16,000th to actually capture that bullet.... staggering! Can't be done without flash. Synced flash.

Although 35 years ago I did capture a 107mm mortar grenade as it left it's launch tube. It is visible as a streak. Shot with a mechanical 35mm Olympus Trip camera at 1/200th sec!
A lucky shot.

 

[LaFoto]

Although 35 years ago I did capture a 107mm mortar grenade as it left it's launch tube....A lucky shot.

(You having been 11 at the time I would think it was a lucky shot
But a very cool one, all the same, eh?)

 

[LWW]

At 1/8K second with my Nikon F4s and a Nikkor 80-200MM f2.8 and Kodak ISO 200 I could stop a baseball pitch in flight with enough clarity to see the individual stitches and read the brand name and signature section when enlarged.

I also used it extemsively shooting USAF jets. My D50 only goes to 1/4K. At 1/16K shooting jets would help.

Ever see a pic of a plane as it breaks the sound barrier?

LWW

 

[W.Smith]

(You having been 11 at the time [...]

I wish.

 

[Flash Harry]

I've done a bit hi-speed stuff in the studio, actual shutter speed makes no difference,camera on bulb, studio was in darkness using metz ct60's triggered by infra red light beam as the target broke the beam, flash fires capturing the subject.