Just a curiosity question - Why do most DLSRs & mirrorless cameras still use mechanical shutters? I assume there must be some advantage, since some cameras (most Canon DSLRs & Fuji, for ex.) have both. Why don't those use electronic all the time?
Ironically, the first high end DSLRs (Canon 1D and Nikon D1 series) did use electronic shutters because they were CCD based.
Since then, however, factors such as production yield, cost, maybe color management, etc... have favored CMOS designs in most newer DSLRs in the past 10 years.
CMOS doesn't have the instant on/off that CCDs maintain. My original 1D bodies can do 1/16,000th shutter and 1/500th sync because the exposure is controlled by the CCD after the mirror and shutter leafs get out of the way.
With CMOS, they need 'another mechanism' to control faster shutter speeds, so the CMOS turns on as the mirror comes up, then the shutter leafs control the exposure.
One drawback to the mechanical shutter on fast shutter speeds is that just after the first leaf starts to open for exposure, the trailing (closing) leaf starts following - creating a slit of exposure that travels down the sensor. This results in a time gradient across the frame. Obvious indications of this are helicopter blades and baseball bats that seem to bend in the final capture. One the CCD based sensors, the whole frame is exposed at the same instant and captures fast action more accurately.
Sony is still has a few DSLRs with CCD technology and have brought back the pellicle design for lightning fast release and silent operation.
I do wish more companies would offer CCDs as an option at least. There seems to be plenty of advantages - but probably not enough to outweigh production costs.
CMOS doesn't have the instant on/off that CCDs maintain.
But all current Canon DSLRs use electronic first curtain in live view, and the Fuji X100 (maybe the other Fuji Xs, not sure) use electronic shutter at high speeds (mechanical up to 1/1000 I believe), and those cameras all use CMOS. So that wouldn't seem to be the reason.
I agree that it shouldn't still be the case... CMOS has evolved quite a bit since the Mark2. But there has to be some reason that the 1D-X only has 1/8000th shutter (based on mechanical leafs) vs my 10 year old 1D body that will do 1/16,000th (electronic CCD shutter)
Hopefully, more manufacturers will be getting way from "that's how it's always been done" with mechanical shutters and provide a pellicle design (losing up to a stop) for a closed (no dust) system that is silent. (but that takes away from residual repair revenue)
grog13 wrote:
But all current Canon DSLRs use electronic first curtain in live view, and the Fuji X100 (maybe the other Fuji Xs, not sure) use electronic shutter at high speeds (mechanical up to 1/1000 I believe), and those cameras all use CMOS. So that wouldn't seem to be the reason.
