The Digital Photography Book

The Right Shutter Speed for Sports

There is a minimum shutter speed we go for because we need to freeze the action of the athlete (or the race car, or the horse, or the motorcycle), so our images come out super-sharp and detailed. That minimum shutter speed is 1/1000 of a second. Ideally, we’d like it a little faster (1/1250 of a second), but we can get away with 1/1000. If your shutter speed drops, down to even 1/800 of a second, you’re going to have some blur in your shots. They’re not going to be as sharp and crisp, like the ones you see online or in magazines. You might get lucky here and there and get a decently sharp shot below 1/1000, but ...