All cameras have a shutter mechanism to expose the sensor for exactly the right amount of time. The shutter opens to begin the exposure and then closes again to end it. Most cameras have mechanical shutters, though you can also get electronic shutters, which we’ll come to a little later. Mechanical shutters come in two […]
Electronic shutter
Some cameras now offer electronic shutters which start and stop the exposure digitally rather than with a mechanical shutter. These are silent and can offer very high shutter speeds, though most use a ‘scanning’ process which makes them unsuitable for action photography because while the exposure time for any particular strip of the sensor is very short, the length of time taken to scan the full sensor area creates distortion and ‘rolling shutter’ effects with fast-moving subjects.
Continuous shooting and how it works
Digital cameras are usually used to take one shot at a time, but they generally offer a continuous shooting mode too. In this mode, the camera keeps taking shots in succession for as long as you hold down the shutter button. Some camera makers also call this ‘burst mode’. You’ll find it amongst a number […]