Why can electronic shutter mode reduce dynamic range compared with a mechanical shutter?
Asked 7/8/2015
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Some camera reviews note that switching from mechanical shutter to electronic shutter can avoid certain shutter-related issues, but may slightly reduce dynamic range and increase rolling-shutter artifacts. If the same sensor is used in both modes, why would electronic shutter mode have lower dynamic range? Is this just a misunderstanding, or can the camera’s electronic-shutter readout actually change image quality?
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 review has pictures to confirm higher noise of electronic shutter at similar settings, so it's not just a matter of prejudice.
On some recent models, e.g. GH4 and GM1, Panasonic has been caught using reduced bit depth (10 bits instead of 12) with electronic shutter to speed it up. As a half-price alternative to GH4, I'd expect G7 to pull the same trick, too. Less bits can express less stops of light, so it'd make a valid cause for reduced dynamic range. This would also nicely explain why lifting exposure in post-processing shows more noise in e-shutter images than mechanical shutter images, while unlifted ones look rather similar.
Originally by user4390. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4390
11y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes, electronic shutter can reduce dynamic range on some cameras, even with the same sensor. A common reason is that the camera uses a faster, simplified sensor readout in electronic-shutter mode to make the scan quicker. On some models, this has meant lower ADC/output bit depth in e-shutter mode (for example, 10-bit instead of 12-bit). Lower bit depth records fewer tonal levels, which can reduce recoverable shadow detail and make noise more visible when you lift exposure in post.
That fits reports where normal exposures look similar, but electronic-shutter files show more noise or less flexibility when pushed. So the difference is not necessarily the sensor itself being inherently worse; it can be the way the camera reads and digitizes the sensor data in electronic-shutter mode.
In short: the review’s claim is plausible. Electronic shutter may trade a bit of dynamic range for faster readout, while also carrying the usual rolling-shutter risk.
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