Selecting The Shutter Speed - Canon AE-1 Instructions Manual

Setting the Shutter Speed
1
The shutter dial controls the length of
time that light is allowed to reach the film. On
the shutter speed dial, shutter speeds from
1/1000 to "6" are marked in white, while the
2-second speed is marked in orange. Each
shutter speed gradation is twice or ap-
proximately twice the preceding speed,
beginning with 1/1000 sec. (10001.
Thus, the light reaching the film at If250
second is half the light reaching it
a t
1f125.
The numbers on the shutter speed scale
represent the corresponding fraction of a
second (125
=
1/125), with the exception of 1
and 2 (marked in orange) which stand for 1
and 2 seconds respectively.
The "6"setting is for long exposures. At
the "6" setting, the shutter remains open
while the shutter button is depressed and
closes when
it is
not depressed. See page 54
for more details concerning long exposures.
To
set
the shutter speed, rotate the dial in
either direction until the desired number
clicks into place next to the white index
mark. An in-between setting should not be
used, and the shutter speed dial cannot be
rotated
between
"6" and
'
-
Brightness
lndoorr
Selecting the Shutter Speed
Shutter speed
is
determined in accord-
ance with the brightness of the scene and the
speed with which the main subject is moving.
You can use the above table a s a general guide
to help you select an appropriate shutter