Exploring the Limitations: The Disadvantages of Camera Shutters
Camera shutters are a vital component of photography, dictating the exposure time and playing a significant role in the final image.
However, like any mechanical system, camera shutters have their limitations and disadvantages which photographers must navigate.
Mechanical Wear and Tear
Traditional mechanical shutters, found in DSLRs and some mirrorless cameras, are prone to wear and tear due to their moving parts. After a certain number of actuations, usually tens or hundreds of thousands, the shutter can fail, necessitating costly repairs or replacement.
Heres how they work:
you can se all the moving parts in the video, so the idea that this part of the camera would eventually wear out is not unwarranted.
Whilst shutter failure does happen, shutter failure for the enthusiast photographer is going to be rare.
Even low end cameras can manage 100,000 shutter actuations. High end around half a million. It’s really only a consideration for pro sports photographers who take silly amounts in burst mode, or, those who want the camera to last a lifetime.
Replacing the shutter is cheap relative to getting a new camera.
Shutter Lag
Shutter lag is the delay from the moment the shutter button is pressed to the moment the photograph is actually taken. This can be critical in fast-paced photography, such as sports or wildlife, where even a fraction of a second can mean the difference between capturing the action or missing it.
If you’re using a film SLR, TLR or medium format camera, this is more noticeable.
However if you have a modern mirrorless camera the lag is measure in milliseconds…so it’s not really an issue. My recommendation here would be to improve your technique, start taking pictures before the moment happens, improve your ability to anticipate moments.
Diffraction and Distortion
At very high speeds, the slit between the shutter curtains can be very narrow as they travel across the sensor, which can cause diffraction, affecting image sharpness. Additionally, the movement of the shutter curtains can cause distortion in fast-moving subjects, known as the rolling shutter effect.
Noise and Vibration
Mechanical shutters generate noise and vibration when they open and close. In situations that require discretion, such as during a solemn ceremony or when photographing wildlife, the sound can be disruptive. The physical movement can also introduce camera shake, potentially blurring the image at slower shutter speeds.
If you’re doing astrophotography or macro photography then keeping still is critical, so this can be an issue.
I shoot weddings primarily, and the noise the camera makes can be off-putting if you’re in a particularly intimate setting. A click from a camera during a wedding with ten people is really distracting.
Limited Shutter Speeds
While modern cameras offer a wide range of shutter speeds, they are still limited by their mechanical nature. Extremely fast shutter speeds are challenging to achieve mechanically and can lead to uneven exposure across the frame, known as shutter curtain sync issues.
Watch the video above to see what I mean. If you imagine an object moving very quickly across the frame as the very thin curtain moves across the sensor, when you look at the image, the subject would be out of alignment.
Motion Blur
A camera shutter can introduce motion blur if the subject moves significantly during the exposure, or if the camera isn’t held steady. While sometimes desirable for artistic effect, unintended motion blur can ruin a shot.
Exposure Inconsistency
Inconsistent exposure can occur with mechanical shutters, particularly when flashes are used at high speeds, or when the camera is subject to extreme temperature changes, which can affect the responsiveness of the shutter mechanism.
Bulk and Design Constraints
The need to house a mechanical shutter mechanism contributes to the bulk of the camera body. In the quest for compactness, this is a significant disadvantage, especially in the era of slim and lightweight camera designs.
Electronic Shutter Drawbacks
While electronic shutters, which are found in many modern mirrorless cameras, address some of these issues, they have their own disadvantages, such as susceptibility to the rolling shutter effect during fast movement, and potential for banding under artificial lighting due to the way they read off the sensor.
Banding. Oh banding.
This is the biggest wind up.
If you’re using a silent shutter under fluorescent lights, I pray for your sanity that you’ve set your shutter speed correctly.
Otherwise you will have an editing NIGHTMARE on your hands.
Banding occurs when using silent mode, so in the one circumstance where you’d ideally shoot silently (indoors) the potential for ruined images is high.
You’ve been warned, pay attention to your light sources!