How to Set the Shutter Speed on a Canon S5 IS

Change the shooting mode of your Canon S5 IS to adjust the shutter speed.

Higher end digital cameras, such as the Canon Powershot S5 IS, allow you to manually adjust the shutter speed and aperture value to give you more control over your photographic vision, allowing your creativity to flow. The S5 IS is one step below an SLR camera, but is at the high end of the "point and shoot" spectrum of digital cameras. The camera can be set to automatically adjust both the shutter speed and aperture for those wanting a more basic "point and shoot" function, but more advanced photographers can change the shooting mode to set the shutter speed however they wish.

Instructions

1. Turn the Mode Dial to "Tv."

2. Press the arrow buttons to select your shutter speed. Faster shutter speeds are optimal for action shots, while slower shutter speeds are better for low light situations. On this setting, the camera will automatically adjust the aperture setting for you. If the aperture value on your screen is red, your image is underexposed or overexposed. Re-adjust the shutter speed until the aperture setting appears in white.

3. Shoot your picture.

Tips & Warnings

• Normally, lower shutter speeds result in more "noise" (specks of random color) in the resulting photo. The Canon S5 IS automatically adjusts to eliminate this noise at shutter speeds below 1.3 seconds. This can result in slower processing time between shots.

• Slower shutter speeds are more sensitive to movement of the camera. If the camera shake warning icon appears, use a tripod for your shot.

References

• Canon Support: Setting the Shutter Speed

Resources

• Canon S5IS Advanced User Guide