Buying a Standard Lens

[Manfred M]

For the mathematically minded amongst us, here is my ultimate formula for choosing the shutter speed when shooting hand-held:

SS = 2^n / (ff_equivalent_focal_length * C).

I always love formulae where the most important variable is a loosely defined "fudge factor". I'm surprised that one important variable is missing from the formula - mass of the camera / lens combination (higher mass means you can shoot at slower shutter speeds than a lower shutter speeds due to the natural damping from inertia).

Of course, then there is my favourite solution - get a good solid tripod and suddenly exposures that run into many minutes are quite doable.

I'm not 100% sure about long time firearms shooters making for good long shutter speed photographers, if I look at my brother-in-law, a long time gun club member who does target shooting with rifle and pistol. Those skills don't always seem to carry over to slow shutter speeds shooting with a camera.

[xpatUSA]

I always love formulae where the most important variable is a loosely defined "fudge factor".

Indeed, there's one in every external light-meter - coincidentally called "C".

Not to mention "K" for your in-camera metering.

Further not to mention "ISO", which these days appears to be anything the manufacturer says it is.