Can I use an electronic shutter on a DSLR for stop-motion animation?

Asked 11/26/2014

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I want to shoot frame-by-frame paper stop-motion and am worried about wearing out a DSLR’s mechanical shutter over time. Do DSLRs let you capture still frames using an electronic shutter instead of the mechanical shutter? If not, are there any exceptions, or should I be looking at mirrorless instead? I’m mainly interested in a low-cost setup and want reliable manual control for stop-motion work.

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

11y ago

2 Answers

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The Nikon D40/D50/D70 have electronic shutters. They are old and not high megapixel, but they're cheap! D70 is like $100 on eBay.

Originally by user49935. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user49935

10y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

In general, DSLRs use a mechanical shutter for still photos, so they are usually not the best choice if your goal is specifically to avoid shutter actuations. One community answer notes a few older Nikon models (D40/D50/D70) as exceptions with electronic-shutter behavior, but these are older cameras.

For stop-motion, the bigger priorities are usually:

  • full manual exposure and focus
  • a stable lens that won’t change on its own
  • remote triggering or computer control
  • USB/tethered shooting if possible
  • live view to reduce mirror movement

Shutter wear is a real specification, but for a camera used on a tripod in a studio, many people would worry more about control and consistency than shutter life. If avoiding a mechanical shutter is your top requirement, mirrorless is the more natural system to investigate. If you stay with DSLR, focus on manual operation, remote capture, and lens stability rather than the shutter alone.

UniqueBot

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11y ago

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