> -----Original Message----- > From: Godfrey DiGiorgi [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>>> Nearly all digital cameras have a mechanical shutter. Only very > > I'm rather astonished that you are all so misinformed and do not > understand how digital cameras and digital SLRs operate with regard to > the sensor and shutter... > > Peter, > If you look down the barrel of the lens of your A2 and release the > shutter, you'll see the shutter operate. > > Don, > The way small sensor digital cameras work is like this: > > - Normal focusing/framing/viewing mode, the shutter is OPEN and the > sensor chip is in "live acquisition" mode, refreshing its buffer > according to the set refresh rate (30 or 60 fps on the KM A2). > > - At the time you press the shutter release to make an exposure, the > camera: > * Sets the focus and exposure values > * Closes the shutter > * Clears the sensor buffer, switches the sensor to "image capture" mode > * Closes down the aperture > * Operates the shutter > * Copies the sensor buffer to the image processing buffer > * Resets the aperture to fully open > * Reopens the shutter > * switches the sensor back to "live acquisition" mode >
Godfrey, We had quite a debate about this way back on the dpreview Minolta talk forum. I initially said that the A2 had a shutter, arguements to the contrary convinced me that there was no shutter. Others said if you look down the lens you can see the shutter, again this was dismissed as being the aperture mech. Further arguement to support the no shutter theory was that the A1 and A2 could do flash synch at full shutter speeds, that is up to 1/4000th sec. -- Peter Williams
