Canon R6 I Electronic vs Mechanical Shutter

[sarahbearpatch]

Hi,

I have an R6. I love it but I don't know what the difference between electronic vs Mechanical shutter. It's confusing.

Additionally, I've been watching YouTube about back button focus and I think if someone has the time and patience, if you would be up to a zoom meeting, I'd really appreciate it. I learn best one to one and it's not sticking in my brain.

Thank you for reading this. I hope someone can help me.

Blessings,
Sarah

 

[PKM-UK]

Hi,

I have an R6. I love it but I don't know what the difference between electronic vs Mechanical shutter. It's confusing.

Additionally, I've been watching YouTube about back button focus and I think if someone has the time and patience, if you would be up to a zoom meeting, I'd really appreciate it. I learn best one to one and it's not sticking in my brain.

Thank you for reading this. I hope someone can help me.

Blessings,
Sarah

Hi Sarah,

You can read a little more about the various shutter types Here. Which one is best for you will depend on what subject(s) you're shooting (and in what lighting). Consequently, if you could provide a list of your usual/ main photographic uses it would probably help people to give you more specific/ relevant advice.

(We have an R5 and R7. We generally use: EFCS for landscapes, historic properties and museums; Mechanical for zoos, or where interior lighting may cause banding issues; and Electronic only where silent shooting is required e.g. quiet places/ very sensitive subjects, or occasionally/ rarely if we need the fastest burst and the rolling shutter effect isn't going to be a big issue. You should note that we also sometimes adopt the 'random camera settings' approach... ).

In terms of BBF, we used to have it set up for all of our cameras but, since moving to the R System we have returned to conventional shutter button use, so we're probably not the best people to sell the benefits, or advise you on the best BBF set-up. Again, both will partly depend on your intended use(s).

(BBF was useful to us for providing a hybrid between One-Shot i.e. focus once, and Servo i.e. continuous focus, for instances where a subject could go from static to moving and for focus/ recompose. We've found the AF system with our R System cameras can meet our needs without recourse to BBF. Having said that, and without wishing to further complicate the conversation, we use the AF-On button as a non-latching temporary set-up switch, for example we could be using general walk round settings and spot an animal, e.g. a wild deer/ bird - pressing AF-ON will enable Animal eye-focus detect/ tracking settings).

Unfortunately, this isn't a complete answer for you (we're sure others will provide far more informed responses) but something to start the ball rolling...

Phil and Karen

 

[Archibald]

Sarah,

You raise two interesting but quite complicated issues - shutter type and BBF.

The link that Phil provided on shutter types is really good, but it shows how complicated shutter technology is. Most folks are not going to understand all the ins and outs after one read.

I have my R5 and R7 set for first curtain electronic shutter and I practically never change it. It is great for almost all the kinds of photography that I do. So one simple way to deal with complexities is to just pick a useful alternative and stick with it until there is an issue that requires you to change it.

At one of our local model shoots, one of the participants couldn't get his camera to work with the flash units there. It was a stressful moment because it was his turn and the model was waiting. It turned out his camera was on electronic shutter, and in that mode, wouldn't work with flash.

ES in burst mode can easily give you hundreds of exposures that you need to review later on the computer. It can give obvious rolling shutter effects, but also subtle ones that will be present but are harder to see right away. These are disadvantages of ES.

So unless there is a particular need, I would stay away from electronic shutter and use EFCS.

Back button focus was great for many of us with DSLRs, and I still use it today with my mirrorless cameras, but not all the time. If you are just getting acquainted with focus modes, I would just use the default, which is focusing with a half-press of the shutter button. That will serve you well most of the time, maybe all the time. If you discover a need for better control of focus in some circumstances, that's when you can experiment with BBF.

Once your muscles are trained for the normal focus mode, it can be very hard to get used to BBF. Folks will be surprised that the camera won't focus, until they remember it was set for BBF and they need to press that button.

 

[Only RF]

https://support.usa.canon.com/kb/index?page=content&id=ART170279

 

[Only RF]

Types of Camera Shutters You Should Know

This video describe about the types of camera shutters. Camera shutter has been a part of cameras since the dawn of photography. Shutter also plays an import...

www.youtube.com

 

[JoeTheSnowPlowGuy]

I am partial to mechanical shutter mode. I believe, and I need to do the test shots, just been busy with family life, the electronic modes produce greater color noise across the image than mechanical shutter use at the same settings.

I have been using BBF a lot, however I keep my shutter button on half press AF-On. I find BBF really brings out all the strengths of AF Servo. I find better hit rate with fast moving subjects using BBF. The advantage used to be you could focus with BBF, take pressure off the button and then activate the shutter without refocusing. With the insane AF systems even the cheapest mirrorless cameras have I don’t think that’s a huge issue anymore. They all focus so accurately and quickly.

I think the joystick is more useful than the AF-On button. Give me the option between BBF and joystick I’d take joystick. I use it a lot to move my focus points or click it to choose a different subject. Very useful for wrestling photography a few weeks ago!

 

[lostnomore]

Some practical examples. But first, let me state that I've never used Mechanical on my R6 yet. I've always used EFCS with the odd exception. For example, after shooting some hummingbirds at 1/4,000s using Electronic with continuous-drive so that I could get 20 FPS, the ends of the wings looked jagged and pixelated, like I was looking at an 80's video game character, so I switched back to EFCS and all was well. HOWEVER, when I was in a church recently taking photos of a music recital, the EFCS was too noisy and so I switched to Electronic since my subjects weren't fast-moving. The shoot was now silent and the photos were perfect. The only thing I didn't like: in continuous-drive mode, you can only shoot at 20 fps on the R6 so I had a LOT of photos to sort through!

So the point: I always use EFCS except for slow-moving subjects where a silent shutter is needed, in which case I use Electronic (but again, 20 fps is your only option in any continuous-drive mode on the R6). I've had absolutely no need to use Mechanical yet (I like to keep things simple) unless somebody can convince me that it's the best choice in certain situations.

 

[Archibald]

I too have never used the mechanical shutter on my R7, and don't even know how loud it is. I think it will stay that way.

The only justification for the all-mechanical shutter AFAIK is that in some cases with very fast lenses, you can get distorted bokeh balls with EFCS.

 

[sarahbearpatch]

Hi Sarah,

You can read a little more about the various shutter types Here. Which one is best for you will depend on what subject(s) you're shooting (and in what lighting). Consequently, if you could provide a list of your usual/ main photographic uses it would probably help people to give you more specific/ relevant advice.

(We have an R5 and R7. We generally use: EFCS for landscapes, historic properties and museums; Mechanical for zoos, or where interior lighting may cause banding issues; and Electronic only where silent shooting is required e.g. quiet places/ very sensitive subjects, or occasionally/ rarely if we need the fastest burst and the rolling shutter effect isn't going to be a big issue. You should note that we also sometimes adopt the 'random camera settings' approach... ).

In terms of BBF, we used to have it set up for all of our cameras but, since moving to the R System we have returned to conventional shutter button use, so we're probably not the best people to sell the benefits, or advise you on the best BBF set-up. Again, both will partly depend on your intended use(s).

(BBF was useful to us for providing a hybrid between One-Shot i.e. focus once, and Servo i.e. continuous focus, for instances where a subject could go from static to moving and for focus/ recompose. We've found the AF system with our R System cameras can meet our needs without recourse to BBF. Having said that, and without wishing to further complicate the conversation, we use the AF-On button as a non-latching temporary set-up switch, for example we could be using general walk round settings and spot an animal, e.g. a wild deer/ bird - pressing AF-ON will enable Animal eye-focus detect/ tracking settings).

Unfortunately, this isn't a complete answer for you (we're sure others will provide far more informed responses) but something to start the ball rolling...

Phil and Karen

Hi,

Thank you so much for the information! I appreciate you taking the time to write a thorough response.

I photograph people, pets, and NOT events. I do portraits. But *sometimes* I will do an event for friends etc. I just got a strobe and am learning to use it. I usually use speedlights with either my MagMods or softboxes.

Additionally, I am confused on the Servo and one shot. I do have AF-Focus on. It drives me crazy sometimes because if I'm posing my subjects, it auto focuses while I'm doing that.

Please feel free to send me an email at sarah@unspokenimagesphotography.com if you are willing to help me understand things. I'm a hands on learner or via zoom. YouTube is hard for me to learn because I have so many questions, which sometimes don't get answered.

Thank you again for your help. It was much appreciated!

Sarah

 

[RedCobra]

I too have never used the mechanical shutter on my R7, and don't even know how loud it is. I think it will stay that way.

The only justification for the all-mechanical shutter AFAIK is that in some cases with very fast lenses, you can get distorted bokeh balls with EFCS.

I very very rarely use the ES on my R7 for wildlife due to the abysmal rolling shutter. Used it on one trip, and haven't used it since.
My OM-1 doesn't have the rolling shutter problem due to the BSI Stacked sensor. There is a little but it's minimal.

 

[AntonLargiader]

Additionally, I am confused on the Servo and one shot. I do have AF-Focus on. It drives me crazy sometimes because if I'm posing my subjects, it auto focuses while I'm doing that.

One-shot focuses once, and when it has achieved focus it stops trying. So at that point you can recompose or whatever, as long as you leave your finger on the button. Plus once it has focused on what you want, you know it's going to stay there and not jump to a different subject.

Servo constantly adjusts. I use this nearly all the time because there's hardly any reason not to. Even static pics of kids or whatever, they move... I move... why not have the camera update the focus all the way to the exposure.

I do switch to One-shot every now and then when there's the chance that the focus will hunt among eligible subjects at the wrong time.

If the camera is focusing by itself while you are posing your subjects, you probably have AF preview (I think that's the name) turned on.

 

[PKM-UK]

Hi,

Thank you so much for the information! I appreciate you taking the time to write a thorough response.

I photograph people, pets, and NOT events. I do portraits. But *sometimes* I will do an event for friends etc. I just got a strobe and am learning to use it. I usually use speedlights with either my MagMods or softboxes.

Additionally, I am confused on the Servo and one shot. I do have AF-Focus on. It drives me crazy sometimes because if I'm posing my subjects, it auto focuses while I'm doing that.

Please feel free to send me an email at sarah@unspokenimagesphotography.com if you are willing to help me understand things. I'm a hands on learner or via zoom. YouTube is hard for me to learn because I have so many questions, which sometimes don't get answered.

Thank you again for your help. It was much appreciated!

Sarah

Hi Sarah,

If you check out the previous reply, Anton provides as good an explanation as I ever could about the practical differences between Servo and One Shot AF. (I generally use Servo unless both the subject and me are completely static and I want the focus to be on a particular point).

I don't photograph people (only Karen - and her eyes are co-ordinated with my shutter, so she always has them closed... ), or pets and I don't use flash/ other lighting (plus I don't have an R6!) - so I suspect I'd have far more questions/ blank looks than good answers for you.

As you've seen, if I pick up a query on here and I have the knowledge/ time to answer, I'll generally try to help, but I can't offer one-to-one tuition (and the reality is, I'm as much at sea as the next person - my 'informed' replies are usually proceeded by the rustle of the User Manual and/ or copious on-line researching).

I'm pleased to have been of help to you - and I'll continue to chip-in where circumstances (and my limited abilities) permit...

Phil

 

[sarahbearpatch]

I am partial to mechanical shutter mode. I believe, and I need to do the test shots, just been busy with family life, the electronic modes produce greater color noise across the image than mechanical shutter use at the same settings.

I have been using BBF a lot, however I keep my shutter button on half press AF-On. I find BBF really brings out all the strengths of AF Servo. I find better hit rate with fast moving subjects using BBF. The advantage used to be you could focus with BBF, take pressure off the button and then activate the shutter without refocusing. With the insane AF systems even the cheapest mirrorless cameras have I don’t think that’s a huge issue anymore. They all focus so accurately and quickly.

I think the joystick is more useful than the AF-On button. Give me the option between BBF and joystick I’d take joystick. I use it a lot to move my focus points or click it to choose a different subject. Very useful for wrestling photography a few weeks ago!

Thank you for your experience and thoughts! I appreciate you taking time to explain why and what you use it for. Again, thank you! Happy Holidays!

 

[sarahbearpatch]

Sarah,

You raise two interesting but quite complicated issues - shutter type and BBF.

The link that Phil provided on shutter types is really good, but it shows how complicated shutter technology is. Most folks are not going to understand all the ins and outs after one read.

I have my R5 and R7 set for first curtain electronic shutter and I practically never change it. It is great for almost all the kinds of photography that I do. So one simple way to deal with complexities is to just pick a useful alternative and stick with it until there is an issue that requires you to change it.

At one of our local model shoots, one of the participants couldn't get his camera to work with the flash units there. It was a stressful moment because it was his turn and the model was waiting. It turned out his camera was on electronic shutter, and in that mode, wouldn't work with flash.

ES in burst mode can easily give you hundreds of exposures that you need to review later on the computer. It can give obvious rolling shutter effects, but also subtle ones that will be present but are harder to see right away. These are disadvantages of ES.

So unless there is a particular need, I would stay away from electronic shutter and use EFCS.

Back button focus was great for many of us with DSLRs, and I still use it today with my mirrorless cameras, but not all the time. If you are just getting acquainted with focus modes, I would just use the default, which is focusing with a half-press of the shutter button. That will serve you well most of the time, maybe all the time. If you discover a need for better control of focus in some circumstances, that's when you can experiment with BBF.

Once your muscles are trained for the normal focus mode, it can be very hard to get used to BBF. Folks will be surprised that the camera won't focus, until they remember it was set for BBF and they need to press that button.

Thank you for your thoughts and input. I will definitely explore the options! Happy Holidays!

 

[JoeTheSnowPlowGuy]

Thank you for your experience and thoughts! I appreciate you taking time to explain why and what you use it for. Again, thank you! Happy Holidays!

Just wanted to update you. I took the shutter button off AF-On with half press. Now it just releases the shutter. I’m finding good results. However, as I said earlier, with the AF systems on mirrorless cameras I think it’s a lot of splitting hairs.

 

[Ed Cordes]

Let me address the BBF question. My wife and I shoot wildlife, birds and animals. BBF is particularly useful in our R5 and R7 cameras. We have the AF-on set for animal eye servo tracking so we can quickly acquire focus on the critter's eye. As long as we hold it down it will track anywhere in the frame. However, there are sometimes the camera needs a bit of help finding the subject, or we want a very specific point to be focused on. Then we have the button just to the right of the AF on button programed to AF using the center point AF spot. We can instantly switch between the two with a simple thumb adjustment. It only took a short while to adapt to this. In addition, having the AF separated from the shutter release allows us to acquire AF then use the shutter half press to adjust the exposure. Practice, practice and then practice some more.

 

[sarahbearpatch]

Just wanted to update you. I took the shutter button off AF-On with half press. Now it just releases the shutter. I’m finding good results. However, as I said earlier, with the AF systems on mirrorless cameras I think it’s a lot of splitting hairs.

Thank you for the update! Happy New Year!