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Film - Digital

What is a focal plane shutter?



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Focal plane shutters are located at the focal plane.

 

A simple 35mm film SLR has a focal plane shutter

They consist of two blinds or in newer cameras blades, positioned just in front of where the film lies. One blind follows the other, forming a gap which, passing rapidly across the film makes the exposure. This gap width is controlled by the shutter speed dial. For speeds below 1/60 sec, the second blind is delayed enough to expose the entire frame at once with one blind completed its run before the other begins. With faster shutter speeds the gap is reduced down to a thin slit.


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Aperture


 

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