Where does the term SHUTTER SPEED come from?

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Hey everyone!

Not being a native English speaker, I often wonder where the term shutter speed comes from.
In German, we say "Belichtungszeit" which would translate to exposure time - which is rather logical and found in the EXIF data.

But where does the rather misleading "shutter speed" come from? I could only imagine these are from rotary shutters of movie cameras. But as far as I know, they rotate at the same speed.

Any historians here in the group?
 
Shutter speed simply refers to the amount of time that the camera's shutter is open. The longer the shutter is open, the more light that passes through to the camera's sensor. Conversely, the shorter the shutter is open, the less light that's able to pass through.
 
Shutter speed simply refers to the amount of time that the camera's shutter is open. The longer the shutter is open, the more light that passes through to the camera's sensor. Conversely, the shorter the shutter is open, the less light that's able to pass through.

Thanks, Jeff. But that was not my question ;)
 
When cameras first became cameras the mechanism that allowed light into the camera was a device called the shutter this is because it operated like a shutter a device that could be opened or closed by the photographer by pressing a button on the camera.
 
When cameras first became cameras the mechanism that allowed light into the camera was a device called the shutter this is because it operated like a shutter a device that could be opened or closed by the photographer by pressing a button on the camera.
That´s still the case for many cameras, Jeff. But what about "speed". The speed the shutter opens and closes doesn´t have all that much influence. It is more the time that is open. So why has "shutter speed" become more popular than "exposure time"?
 
The name has just stuck, with modern technology with my camera for example (Sony RX10 M4) it's all electronic now. Its just a name.
 
The name has just stuck, with modern technology with my camera for example (Sony RX10 M4) it's all electronic now. Its just a name.
I think it is a very confusing name when you are trying to teach people photography, while exposure time is so clear and easy. So I was wondering where that term came from, and if it ever made sense.
 
Like a lot terms and phrases like shutter speed were coined by someone to describe something or an action
And the phrases has stuck even though over time it has become less and less accurate.
There are a lot of words, term and phrases that are used that sometimes depend on location to properly describe an event or object.
I am in the UK, and this site is global sometimes people use words that to them mean one thing and something different to me.
I have heard the term shutter speed used by people to explain how fast the shutter moved, thus controlling the exposure. Whilst not correct and as Jeff 15 said it is often no longer relevant.
I have done some web search, and there is not a lot on the origin of the phrase the nearest is from a
navy Site.
The phrase shutter speed to them was to do with signaling lamps that sent messages in morse code by light these lamps worked on shutters being opened and closed by hand. And that the seaman operating the lamp had to maintain a steady shutter speed so that the signal could be read.
 
Early cameras had a device called a 'lens cap' that was removed to create the exposure. The photographer would set up the camera, put the lens cap on, put the film in, then remove the lens cap. If there was a lot of light, the photographer would have to be quick to replace the cap. If the scene was dimly lit, he could take his time replacing the cap.

So 'speed' came from how fast or slow the shooter needed to be to replace the lens cap.
 
Think back to the beginning where there were no shutters on cameras or lenses. All the photographer did was calculate the exposure time and uncovered the lens cover, for exposure time, and then placed the cover back over the lens. I assume that when shutter's were invented and attached to the lens, speed referred to this time.
 
Hey everyone!

Not being a native English speaker, I often wonder where the term shutter speed comes from.
In German, we say "Belichtungszeit" which would translate to exposure time - which is rather logical and found in the EXIF data.

But where does the rather misleading "shutter speed" come from? I could only imagine these are from rotary shutters of movie cameras. But as far as I know, they rotate at the same speed.

Any historians here in the group?

As usual the Germans are more logical than Brits.
I suppose with a leaf shutter the blades have to move fast to get shorter exposures, but it not a well chosen term!
 
My guess is that the term speed was used because other terms like duration are more cumbersome, and because people like alliteration. Consider another similar situation with describing lenses as fast or slow, when in reality one is describing the amount of light passing through the aperture and the ramifications for lumen exposure on the film or sensor, where one lens might offer a short exposure time while the other requires a long exposure time to pass the same amount of light.

A lot pf photography terms are moderately counterintuitive, but we're not going to get an entire industry to start talking specifically about shutter duration or bright or dim lenses.
 
OK.. This is odd to read because the answer is quite simple.

The speed is simply that. How fast the shutter is open and then closed.

Shutter speed is part to the overall calculation and equation to achieve proper exposure.
This includes the starting point of the film speed. (ASA, ISO, DIN) then the shutter speed and aperture size.

So following the sunny 16 rule, theoretically a film of an ISO of 100 should be able to be properly exposed in sunny daylight with an aperture of f16 at 100th of 1 second (the shutter speed).

That speed relates to the 'speed' of the film (measured originally by ASA and DIN standards and now is ISO.) So a shutter open to expose the film for 1/100th of a second is part in part to the FUNCTION (the "f" in "f stop").


Now in the european languages;

What most of us dumb A-Merikans forget is that latin languages use connotation of ideas rather than direct words to make a statement. The word in German the word as pointed out in the OP is "Belichtungszeit" that translates as stated to "exposure time" to whit is exactly what it is. The amount of time the film is exposed. In English its translated as shutter speed because its the same thing.

Digital sensors do not actually need a shutter, but instead turn on and then turn off at a rapid speed. This is why digital can have ISO's at 32,000K and above. Film physically cannot expose at that speed, and no shutter in existence can hold continuous and sustain physical functioning of that speed without exploding.
But that speed to whit the sensor is turned on and then off is calibrated to match the older film speeds.
This is for uniformity in convention.
 

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