Sometime ago, I was in a conversation with someone in an online photography chat room. This person was fairly new to photography and we were discussing night photography in particular as he had attempted some time exposures of traffic trails for the first time recently. I gave him a few pointers and explained some of the basics of photography that he was unfamiliar with.
He was shooting digital with a Nikon dslr and he was puzzled why I was shooting film. I explained to him some of the benefits of shooting on film, particularly in regards to night photography. Among these, if you are using an older film camera, is the use of a mechanical shutter which would allow you to do long exposures without battery issues. Actually not too long ago, I did a 7 hour exposure of star trails with an old mechanical camera and it was great not having to worry about batteries for that length of time.
After I explained this, he proudly boasted that his Nikon digital slr has a mechanical shutter! I said that he must be mistaken. There is no way that a digital camera would have a mechanical shutter. Again, he stated that it does. He then provided a link to a site listing the specifications of his camera. I can't recall the model name (I don't keep up to date with digital cameras) but to my surprise, the website stated that this digital slr does indeed have a mechanical shutter. Well, I stand corrected.
Though this begs the question. What is the use of a mechanical shutter on a digital camera? You will not get the same benefits as using a mechanical shutter on a film camera. Sure, the shutter will open and close without battery power but that is all that will happen. The camera will not 'take a photo' as such. For the CCD sensor to form an image and for that image to be recorded to a device like a memory stick, you need electricity obviously. If anything, you would only receive the disadvantages of a mechanical shutter such as limited shutter speed range (usually 1/500th to 1 second) and slow shutter speeds becoming sluggish if not used frequently enough. Out of curiosity, are there any members of this forum who have digital cameras with mechanical shutters?
Mechanical shutter on a digital camera?
Moderator: Andreas Wideroe
You both are right, actually. A Digital SLR has a mechanical shutter, but it is electronically controlled, not a full mechanical system. Rather like some lower end film SLR's such as the Minolta XG9. Digital SLR's use a physical shutter rather than an electronic for the most part.
But, I believe to date only Leica and Epson have released digital cameras with full mechanical shutters.
But, I believe to date only Leica and Epson have released digital cameras with full mechanical shutters.
An SLR would have a physical shutter, the most obvious purpose being the mirror on the shutter that allows you to look through the lens optically. Usually, the higher end the camera, the better (and faster) the shutter.
Even some video cameras have mechanical shutters. The higher end BTS/Philips/Grass Valley cameras have rotating shutters similar to what a 35mm camera would have. The purpose is blocking the light from the Frame Transfer CCDs between every frame to get a clean frame transfer off the CCDs. Otherwise vertical smear on those cameras would be horrible. The shutter eliminates vertical smear completely.
The DALSA digital cinema camera also uses FT CCDs and a mechanical shutter but also adds a mirror on the shutter to allow for an optical viewfinder.
Even some video cameras have mechanical shutters. The higher end BTS/Philips/Grass Valley cameras have rotating shutters similar to what a 35mm camera would have. The purpose is blocking the light from the Frame Transfer CCDs between every frame to get a clean frame transfer off the CCDs. Otherwise vertical smear on those cameras would be horrible. The shutter eliminates vertical smear completely.
The DALSA digital cinema camera also uses FT CCDs and a mechanical shutter but also adds a mirror on the shutter to allow for an optical viewfinder.
/Matthew Greene/