I'm curious how everyone is using the Electronic Front Curtain Shutter setting. Lots of chatter after the last Manny Ortiz video discussing the apparent light gathering effects of having EFCS on at high shutter speeds. I would have never guessed that this is a problem even on tripods.
The conventional wisdom is to turn EFCS on to reduce shutter shake for still things like landscapes, but of course, some landscapes can be at 1/1000th or faster, which seems to be the line at which quality degrades with EFCS on.
Thought the video was interesting and curious how everyone approaches using the EFCS.
The Electronic Shutter is not the Electronic Front Curtain Shutter. ES is completely silent. EFCS is definitely not silent. I only turn off EFCS when I am using flash.
Dec 06, 2018 at 10:29 AM
imagesfromobjects Offline • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
I use full electronic (silent) by default, 98% of the time. If I'm going to be shooting over 1/800 or if there's strong banding under artificial light, I'll use full mechanical (EFCS OFF). For most of my applications, ultimate silence is more important than ultimate IQ, so I'm willing to make minor sacrifices up to a point. Bokeh almost always looks better with mechanical, but this is entering the realm of the subjective.
TheEmrys wrote:
The Electronic Shutter is not the Electronic Front Curtain Shutter. ES is completely silent. EFCS is definitely not silent. I only turn off EFCS when I am using flash.
Unless I'm misunderstanding the video, this behavior only occurs when using EFCS above 1/1000, not when using full ES.
Dec 06, 2018 at 10:57 AM
Steve Spencer Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: On
Steve Spencer wrote:
Yes, you are understanding the video right and those are exactly the conditions when I shut off EFCS at least when I remember to do so.
Yes, that's the problem I find, remembering to switch it off!
Dec 06, 2018 at 11:33 AM
imagesfromobjects Offline • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
If you use Electronic shutter you don't have to worry about turning off EFCS at short shutter speeds. (It only really makes a noticeable difference at > 1/2000s)
Electronic shutter (silent shutter) gives the same effect of turning EFCS off. However, it may not work for action shots depending on your Sony camera.
I only have an A9 and I don't shoot indoors or with flash. Therefore I have had full e-shutter on 100% of the time and never even looked at my EFCS setting.
johnnynapalm wrote:
I'm curious how everyone is using the Electronic Front Curtain Shutter setting. Lots of chatter after the last Manny Ortiz video discussing the apparent light gathering effects of having EFCS on at high shutter speeds. I would have never guessed that this is a problem even on tripods.
The conventional wisdom is to turn EFCS on to reduce shutter shake for still things like landscapes, but of course, some landscapes can be at 1/1000th or faster, which seems to be the line at which quality degrades with EFCS on.
Thought the video was interesting and curious how everyone approaches using the EFCS.
Yeah this issue is unchanged from previous A7 bodies. It's even more apparent when shooting in a studio environment in HSS as it shows as banding - you have to make sure to go to complete mechanical shutter in those situations (which is kind of annoying as in the past I've forgotten to when under pressure and essentially ruined the photos).
Fred Miranda wrote:
If you use Electronic shutter you don't have to worry about turning off EFCS at short shutter speeds. (It only really makes a noticeable difference at > 1/2000s)
Electronic shutter (silent shutter) gives the same effect of turning EFCS off. However, it may not work for action shots depending on your Sony camera.
Fred, I'm curious when you're shooting landscapes, do you do mechanical with EFCS on, or full ES?
Dec 06, 2018 at 02:57 PM
Steve Spencer Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: On
grahamgibson wrote:
What's the effective shutter drag with silent shutter on the newer gen 3 cameras? I seem to remember the gen 2 cameras it is 1/10s or so.
Jim Kasson has measured it and with the A7r III and I believe the A7 III it can be 1/30s depending on the mode your are shooting in, but no faster. With the A9 is is 1/160s, so when I use the A9 unless I am using flash I only use the electronic shutter. I don't get to use it much, however, as that is my wife's camera and she prefers that I don't touch it .
Steve Spencer wrote:
Jim Kasson has measured it and with the A7r III and I believe the A7 III it can be 1/30s depending on the mode your are shooting in, but no faster. With the A9 is is 1/160s, so when I use the A9 unless I am using flash I only use the electronic shutter. I don't get to use it much, however, as that is my wife's camera and she prefers that I don't touch it .
Yes I think 1/30s with compressed RAW. It's a lot though, as I don't get any ES skew even with slow action.
Here's a tougher question. Does ES/EFCS/Mechanical have any implications when shooting a time lapse or stop motion and trying to maintain very consistent exposure, to prevent flicker?
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