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Photography vocabulary · Camera Parts & Settings

Shutter

Meaning in photography, with examples

/ˈʃʌtər/nounCore term

In photography, shutter means: The part of the camera that opens and closes to control how long light reaches the sensor. It can be mechanical or electronic.

In Turkish: örtücü, obtüratör, perde, deklanşör

How it is used

You press the shutter or the shutter button and hear the shutter click; an electronic shutter allows silent shooting. Mechanical shutters wear out over time, so listings for used cameras mention the shutter count, the number of photos the camera has taken.

Example sentences

  1. Hold the camera still and press the shutter gently.

  2. The used camera has a shutter count of only 12,000, so it's almost new.

Common collocations

  • shutter button
  • shutter count
  • electronic shutter
  • press the shutter
  • shutter sound
  • shutter speedThe length of time the shutter stays open to let light reach the sensor, such as 1/1000 of a second or two seconds.
  • shutter priorityA semi-automatic mode, marked S or Tv, in which you choose the shutter speed and the camera sets the aperture.
  • burst modeA drive mode in which the camera keeps taking photos quickly, many frames per second, for as long as you hold down the shutter button.
  • exposureThe amount of light that reaches the camera's sensor or film when you take a picture; it decides how bright or dark the final image looks.

More terms: Camera Parts & Settings

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