Best Shutter Angle – Understanding the Concept and Choosing the Right One

360° Shutter Angle

• Description: At 360°, the shutter is open for the entire duration of each frame.
• Result: This results in very long exposure times, leading to excessive motion blur.
• When to Use: Rarely used, but can be used for creative effects in specific slow-motion shots or time-lapse photography where blur can enhance the visual effect.
• Disadvantages: Too much motion blur, making footage appear smeared and unnatural in fast-moving scenes.

90° Shutter Angle

• Description: With a 90° shutter angle, the shutter is open for one-fourth of the frame duration.
• Result: This results in very sharp and crisp motion, with minimal blur.
• When to Use: Ideal for fast-moving subjects, such as action sequences or extreme sports, where you want to freeze motion and minimise blur.
• Disadvantages: The footage can appear choppy or mechanical, lacking the fluidity and organic feel that is usually sought after in traditional film productions.

45° Shutter Angle

• Description: The shutter is open for only a small fraction of each frame.
• Result: Creates an even more staccato, sharp effect with almost no motion blur.
• When to Use: Typically used for fast-paced action sequences or high-speed photography.
• Disadvantages: The motion will appear very jittery and mechanical, which is generally undesirable for normal narrative work but can be used for stylistic purposes.

270° Shutter Angle

• Description: The shutter is open for almost the entire frame duration.
• Result: This increases the exposure time, leading to more motion blur than 180°, resulting in a more cinematic blur effect.
• When to Use: This is sometimes used for dramatic effects or in situations where a heightened sense of motion or time compression is needed.
• Disadvantages: Similar to the 360° setting, too much blur can negatively impact clarity in fast-moving scenes.