p.1 #1 · Electronic Front Curtain Shutter on Sony A7 ii. Does it affect image quality
Since I've owned my A7 cameras I've always had Electronic Front Curtain Shutter turned on. But recently I've heard people talking it it messing with the bokeh and image quality. Am I taking an image quality hit by leaving this turned on? Also what are the advantages? From what I've heard it is a quieter sound and potentially less vibration. This might make a difference on a7r ii where you need maximum sharpness. Also maybe good at slower shutter speeds. I mostly shoot portraits at 1/200 or faster so maybe I should just keep it off?
p.1 #2 · Electronic Front Curtain Shutter on Sony A7 ii. Does it affect image quality
pplskills wrote:
Since I've owned my A7 cameras I've always had Electronic Front Curtain Shutter turned on. But recently I've heard people talking it it messing with the bokeh and image quality. Am I taking an image quality hit by leaving this turned on? Also what are the advantages? From what I've heard it is a quieter sound and potentially less vibration. This might make a difference on a7r ii where you need maximum sharpness. Also maybe good at slower shutter speeds. I mostly shoot portraits at 1/200 or faster so maybe I should just keep it off?
You will only see the ill-effect of EFCS on bokeh rendering with fast primes at high shutter speeds (>1/1000s). The most pronounced effects on bokeh are really apparent after 1/2000s. So, unless you are shooting with fast primes like f/1.4 at high shutter speeds, I would always leave EFCS on to avoid any vibration issues.
p.1 #3 · Electronic Front Curtain Shutter on Sony A7 ii. Does it affect image quality
Fred thanks for reply. I shoot quite a bit of stuff with 35,50, and 85 at 1.4 and 135 f2 and I'm usually outside using high speed sync so shutter speeds are pretty high to get rid of ambient. I'll make sure to turn it off for that but I'll leave it on for general landscape or walk around use. So is the bokeh worse or is it just different? Different people like different looks.
The issues all stem from the fact the physical shutter sits a mm or so in front of the sensor, whereas the electronic shutter is effectively exactly flush with the sensor. When you use a shutter speed faster than 1/250s, the second curtain starts to close before the first curtain is fully open. At very fast speeds you have a slit moving across the sensor formed by the first and second curtains.
When the first curtain is electronic, you get an offset slit which when viewed from below appears wider than when viewed from above, which causes all sorts of issues such as lopsided bokeh and a shift in the plane of focus. If you were able to go fast enough that the slit height is smaller than the depth offset then the top half of the exit pupil would be completely blocked and you'd have semi-cicular bokeh, like this: ◒
So yeah, don't use EFCS with fast shutter speeds. Given how important EFCS can be at slower speeds, and how the issues are well known (Sony even mentions them in the manual). I'm baffled as to why there isn't an option to automatically disable EFCS above a certain speed...
p.1 #7 · Electronic Front Curtain Shutter on Sony A7 ii. Does it affect image quality
Given how important EFCS can be at slower speeds, and how the issues are well known (Sony even mentions them in the manual). I'm baffled as to why there isn't an option to automatically disable EFCS above a certain speed...
p.1 #8 · Electronic Front Curtain Shutter on Sony A7 ii. Does it affect image quality
Although I am aware of the potential issues regarding high shutter speed using EFCS but sometimes, while shooting in the field, I just didn't think about it . But frankly, the potential ill effect didn't materialize in my cases, as recent as shooting in Costa Rica when I used the HSS feature and shot hummingbirds between 1/1000 and 1/2000 sec with flash, too. The HSS worked and the final results are just fine. I don't want to bother you guys with the images again since I already posted plenty on that big FE thread and also here: https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1453361. So, what's wrong or more like, what's right ?
p.1 #10 · Electronic Front Curtain Shutter on Sony A7 ii. Does it affect image quality
I have had too many images ruined by EFCS when I was not aware that my shutter speed was >1/1000sec, so I leave it disabled most of the time. So far, I have not seen any ill effects at slow shutter speeds. Image stabilization helps in that regard.
p.1 #11 · Electronic Front Curtain Shutter on Sony A7 ii. Does it affect image quality
The uneven exposure issues at higher shutter speeds is more dramatic when using adapted lenses. I had no clue why until ran across this explanation: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/56328210
So moral of the story is be even more careful using EFCS when using adapted MF lenses at high SS. I have never seen tests of Metabones adapted EF lenses evaluated for this issue but suspect only native lenses would communicate the data to minimize the early frame underexposure--a hypothesis anyway.
p.1 #12 · Electronic Front Curtain Shutter on Sony A7 ii. Does it affect image quality
Is it truly only an issue at very large apertures, ~1.4 or larger, or can it affect shots at 1.8/2.0 as well? I have a couple of f2 lenses, but nothing faster. Thanks to anyone who can clarify.
p.1 #13 · Electronic Front Curtain Shutter on Sony A7 ii. Does it affect image quality
goto_dengo wrote:
Is it truly only an issue at very large apertures, ~1.4 or larger, or can it affect shots at 1.8/2.0 as well? I have a couple of f2 lenses, but nothing faster. Thanks to anyone who can clarify.
I have seen degradation of the out-of-focus areas using a 35 mm f/2 lens.
. But frankly, the potential ill effect didn't materialize in my cases, as recent as shooting in Costa Rica when I used the HSS feature and shot hummingbirds between 1/1000 and 1/2000 sec with flash, too. The HSS worked and the final results are just fine. I don't want to bother you guys with the images again since I already posted plenty on that big FE thread and also here: