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.

Glossary Terms