Shutter speed explanation needed!

[ojai00]

I've been trying to use my DSLR more often now and I'm having a bit of trouble understanding the shutter speed notation in the viewfinder/LCD. From what I've read, my understanding is as follows:

500 in the viewfinder/on the LCD = 1/500 second
3" in the viewfinder/on the LCD = 3 seconds
3"2, etc. = ?

Can anyone explain the last one for me? Thanks in advance!

 

[slashbinslashbash]

3"2 is 3.2 seconds (not 3 1/2 seconds). Look what happens when you hit 1/4 second:

...
5 ( = 1/5 second)
4 ( = 1/4 second)
0"3
0"4
0"5 ( = 1/2 second)
0"6
0"8
1"
1"3
1"6
2"
...

So they are going by decimals of a second. They could have used 2 instead of 0"5, which would have been consistent with the 4 (1/4), 5 (1/5) etc., but instead they keep it consistent with all speeds slower than 1/4 second being expressed in seconds and decimal seconds.

 

[ojai00]

Thanks for the explanation!