Leaf shutter
A leaf shutter is a shutter made of a series of overlapping metal blades arranged in a circular pattern, positioned near the iris within a lens. It uses a spring with the iris to control the exposure time. The biggest advantage of a leaf shutter is its ability to be synched with a flash at any speed.
Probably the most common type of leaf shutter is made by Copal.
Leaf shutters are sometimes referred to as "between-lens" shutters.
Pros
- Leaf shutters can flash sync at any available shutter speed.
- They are generally much quieter than focal plane shutters.
Cons
- Leaf shutters are typically not capable of shutter speeds as high as modern focal plane shutters.
- The leaf shutter must be built into the lens, which makes interchangable lens systems more expensive.