Shutter Image Sensor: The Evolution of Shutters in Digital Photography
Different Shutter Technologies
Over the years, digital camera manufacturers have utilized various shutter technologies to control the amount of light reaching the image sensor. Some of the major shutter technologies used in modern digital cameras include:
Mechanical Shutters
One of the earliest shutter technologies used in digital cameras was mechanical shutters, which operate much like the shutters in film cameras. A thin metal curtain rapidly opens and closes over the image sensor to control the exposure time. While effective, mechanical shutters are prone to wear over time and can become inaccurate. They also take up more internal space compared to other technologies.
Electronic Front Curtain Shutters
To address some shortcomings of mechanical shutters, electronic front curtain shutters (EFCS) were developed. With EFCS, the initial opening of the shutter is controlled electronically rather than mechanically. Shutter Image Sensors allows for a very precise starting point of the exposure. However, the closing curtain still relies on a mechanical component. EFCS offer faster maximum shutter speeds than full mechanical designs while taking up less internal space.
Global Shutters
A global shutter exposes the entire image sensor simultaneously rather than scanning across rows sequentially like a traditional shutter. Each individual photosites on the sensor is equipped with its own shutter to control light exposure. This eliminates the distortion effects caused by motion while the shutter is traveling. However, global shutter sensors are more complex and expensive to manufacture compared to other designs. As such, they remain relatively uncommon in consumer cameras.
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