Focal plane shutter.

A camera shutter which lies inside the camera body, immediately in front of the film surface. Such shutters are rectangular and made of narrow blinds or curtains which move along, exposing the film surface to light. Since they use moving curtains they are vulnerable to the X-sync problem when used with flash photography.

Most SLRs have focal plane shutters, which are of the behind-the-lens kind. Not all cameras do, however. Other cameras place the shutter within the lens itself - leaf shutters.

cf. behind the lens, curtain, flash synchronization, focal plane, leaf shutter, single lens reflex (SLR).

Entry last updated 2002-04-04. Term 519 of 1487.

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