Why is shutter speed accuracy discussed less with digital cameras than with film cameras?
Asked 6/3/2015
5 views
2 answers
0
Older film cameras often prompted concern about whether the shutter was accurate at every speed. With modern digital cameras, that topic seems to come up less often when people are choosing a camera. Have shutter mechanisms and electronic shutters become so accurate and reliable that shutter speed errors are no longer a practical concern, or is there another reason people worry about it less today?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
25
Shutters are probably more accurate/reliable now, but more importantly with digital photography you get instant feedback so you can tell right away if there are any exposure problems, you're not going to ruin several rolls of film before you find out.
I had a 1DsII that had a shutter which suddenly became unreliable at anything faster than 1/500s, I realised very quickly what had happened and was able to alter my shooting / switch to a backup body and only lost 2 or 3 shots as a result.
Originally by user1375. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1375
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
People worry less about shutter speed accuracy with digital mainly because digital gives immediate feedback. If exposure is off, you usually see it right away on the camera and can correct it before losing many shots. With film, you might not discover a shutter problem until the roll was developed, long after the moment was gone.
Shutters and electronics are also generally more reliable and accurate than older designs, especially electronic shutters. But they are not perfect: mechanical shutters can still become unreliable, and failures may show up only at certain speeds.
Also, exact shutter timing usually matters only in special cases, such as scientific/measurement use or situations involving flicker and video. For normal photography, small timing errors are often less critical because exposure can be checked and adjusted immediately, and digital files allow some post-processing correction.
One modern concern is not simple speed inaccuracy but rolling shutter behavior with some electronic shutters/sensors. In those cases, the selected shutter speed may be accurate for each line or section, while the whole frame is read over a longer interval, which can skew moving subjects.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI11y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
What gear and maintenance topics did film photographers care about most?
How mechanical and electronic shutters work in digital cameras
What limits the fastest shutter speed with an electronic shutter, and can it freeze fast-moving paper?
Which direction do modern focal-plane shutters travel, and why?
What kind of camera prints photos immediately, and what are its pros and cons?