Be aware of the drawbacks of the electronic shutter

Monday 28 July 2025, 16:08 by Nando Harmsen | 5,274 views | 13 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

The electronic shutter on mirrorless cameras is widely used. But be careful, as it can cause unwanted effects. In the worst case, your photos may become completely unusable.

A mirrorless camera can use an old and familiar mechanical shutter, or an electronic one. In the latter case, there are basically no moving parts, allowing the camera to work completely silently.

This sounds ideal, but there are some drawbacks to using the electronic shutter. It is important to know about them, so you can prevent them or anticipate when they occur.

You often, but not always, have a choice of two or three shutter options: mechanical, electronic and electronic first curtain.
The electronic shutter reads the sensor line by line. This is not the shutter speed, but the readout speed. You must not confuse the two. For example, the Sony A7R V has a readout speed of 31 milliseconds, approximately 1/30 of a second. That is how long it takes to read out the sensor.

Those 31 ms apply regardless of the shutter speed used. It makes no difference whether your shutter speed is 1 second or 1/1000 of a second. It still takes 31 ms to read out the sensor completely. Some cameras are slower, while others are faster.

Rolling shutter effect

Are you an action photographer, or do you photograph fast-moving subjects? Then there is a chance of the rolling shutter effect. This is distortion of the subject in the direction of movement. You will also notice that vertical lines are shown at an angle.

The readout speed of the sensor in the Sony A7 IV is slow. This causes the rolling shutter effect with the electronic shutter, as shown in this example. Vertical lines are shown at an angle when panning. The dog also shows distortion.
The cause is the movement of the subject during the time needed to read out the sensor. The faster the sensor readout, the less rolling shutter effect occurs. If your camera suffers badly from it, use the mechanical shutter.

Are you looking for a camera that is suitable for photographing action with an electronic shutter? Look for a camera designed for this purpose. For example, the Canon EOS R5 mark II has an extremely fast readout speed of 6.5 milliseconds. Or the Sony A1 mark II, which is even faster at 3.8 milliseconds.

The Sony A9 III has no rolling shutter effect at all. The sensor readout is instant.

Banding effect

The banding effect is related to the rolling shutter effect. Here too, the sensor readout speed determines whether it occurs. When it happens, it is while photographing under artificial light, particularly fluorescent and LED lighting.

LED and fluorescent lighting in particular can cause dark bands. Especially at faster shutter speeds. This is banding.
This type of light flickers at the frequency of the alternating current: 50 Hz. This means it switches on and off 50 times per second. If the sensor readout is not fast enough, this flickering becomes visible in the photo as dark bands.

Using slower shutter speeds can make the effect less noticeable. You should then use around 1/40 sec or preferably slower. But watch out for motion blur at those shutter speeds.

This effect can also occur with a mechanical shutter, but only when the shutter speed is close to the frequency of the light. Around 1/50 of a second. In that case, switch on your camera's anti-flicker mode to prevent it.

Prevention is better than cure

It is always sensible to check in advance whether you are affected by the effects mentioned above. You only need to check the rolling shutter effect once, and then you will know whether the camera you use suffers from it.

Preferably use the mechanical shutter. Then you will almost never suffer from banding effects. Do not worry too much about the sound of the shutter: in almost all cases, you are the only one bothered by it.
Does your camera suffer from rolling shutter? Then choose the mechanical shutter. Unfortunately, this also means that you have a lower frame rate available, and no pre-capture options.

Banding effects are a little more complicated, as they depend heavily on the circumstances. If you photograph indoors under artificial light, take a few test shots. If you see banding, switch straight to the mechanical shutter.

If in doubt, switch to the mechanical shutter as well. Do not take any risks. Do not worry about the sound of the shutter. In 99% of cases, only the person standing within a metre of the camera can hear it. It is also less disturbing than photographers think.

Help, I do not have a mechanical shutter

Some cameras do not have a mechanical shutter at all, or only have one partly. The latter have an electronic first-curtain shutter. This means that the camera starts the exposure with an electronic shutter and ends it with the mechanical one.

Check which shutter types your camera has. It may only offer electronic or electronic first curtain. Usually, these are the simpler cameras.
The electronic first-curtain shutter is faster than the fully electronic shutter. Choose this mode when you suffer from rolling shutter or banding effects. If you continue to experience problems, consider upgrading to a camera that is better suited to your photography.

The Nikon Z9 no longer has a mechanical shutter at all. But its readout speed is so fast that you will not suffer from rolling shutter or banding.
Finally, there are cameras that do not have a mechanical shutter at all. These include the Nikon Z8 and Z9, and the Sony A9 mark III. If you have one of these cameras, you can be sure that the sensor is read out quickly enough to prevent these unwanted effects.

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About the author

Nando Harmsen has been photographing for more than 40 years. He specialises in wedding photography and landscape photography. Nando also gives talks, workshops, masterclasses and photo trips, and regularly reviews new and interesting equipment.

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13 comments

Roelie van der Meer wrote on Tuesday 29 July 2025 at 10:30 | reply
Thanks Nando.
I have a Fuji X-H2 and usually set it to MS+ES.
Is it smarter to set it to one of the two.
Now I think, this way I'm always good.
Translated from Dutch.

Nando wrote on Tuesday 29 July 2025 at 10:48 | reply
A good question. I think the camera will use the mechanical shutter, until the exposure requires a shutter speed faster than the maximum mechanical shutter speed, and then switch to the electronic one.
But I'm not sure about that. It could be that this is explained in the manual. You could check that sometime.
Translated from Dutch.

Kees Verwaard wrote on Tuesday 29 July 2025 at 10:41 | reply
Very interesting for when I buy a mirrorless camera soon! One more question. Can you also choose a second-curtain flash setting with a mirrorless camera, or flash at the end of the shutter speed .
Translated from Dutch.

Nando wrote on Tuesday 29 July 2025 at 10:51 | reply
Second curtain and flash at the end of the shutter speed is the same thing, of course.
Flashes and electronic shutters are always a bit of a thing. Usually, the flash sync speed is fairly slow with an electronic shutter.
But there are some that also have faster flash sync speeds, usually the more expensive models.
Some cameras can only use the mechanical shutter with flash, if I remember correctly.

I don't know whether second curtain with an electronic shutter is possible. Something to look into sometime.
Thank you for asking the question. I hadn't thought of that when writing this article.
Translated from Dutch.

Metin wrote on Tuesday 29 July 2025 at 11:12 | reply
Thanks Nando, interesting article, clearly explained with clear examples. I always enjoy reading your pieces.
I still take photos with a DSLR from 2009.
It still works perfectly, but one day the time will come to make the switch after all.

I'm saving this article in my notes for when the time comes.
Translated from Dutch.

Gina Heynze wrote on Tuesday 29 July 2025 at 12:47 | reply
If you like photographing speed, you're better off with the Global Shutter in the A9III. That really is a breath of fresh air.
Translated from Dutch.

Nando wrote on Tuesday 29 July 2025 at 13:01 | reply
That's right, and I also mention that in the article. But then you do need to have 7000 euros (!) to spend.

For the vast majority of cases, you can also get by just fine with a camera without a global shutter. Even at high speed, provided the readout speed is fast enough.
Translated from Dutch.

Truus wrote on Tuesday 29 July 2025 at 20:27 | reply
Hello Nando, a very interesting article. Yesterday I spent a day in a bird hide for kingfishers. I tried everything in my eyes. I went for the diving and flying birds. Tried all kinds of shutter speeds. I was sitting right in front of the spot where the dive and flight would come/be. Focused on that, but everything was sharp except the kingfisher. Still with the electronic shutter on the Fujifilm xt 4. On a tripod but with a gimbal head. The stabilizer off, is this also useful with a gimbal head? Thank you for the article.
Translated from Dutch.

Nando wrote on Wednesday 30 July 2025 at 11:03 | reply
Sorry to hear that it didn't work out so well. However, that has nothing to do with the electronic shutter. I think the speed and accuracy of the autofocus and the shutter speed you chose certainly play a role in the results you achieved.
I haven't yet figured out for myself whether image stabilization should be turned on or off on a gimbal head. I'm leaning towards off, but I don't dare say that with certainty.
Translated from Dutch.

Mac wrote on Wednesday 30 July 2025 at 08:08 | reply
you say that the Z9 no longer has a mechanical shutter. But in the photo you can clearly see a suiter, right? Or is that only there for dust?
Translated from Dutch.

Nando wrote on Wednesday 30 July 2025 at 09:42 | reply
That is to protect the sensor when you turn off the camera. You seal the sensor off from the outside world... then you could still call it a shutter, couldn't you.
hahaha
It's just not used when taking photos. Only electronically.
Translated from Dutch.

Guido Bellens wrote on Thursday 31 July 2025 at 17:37 | reply
Hello Nando,
Thanks for this info. I mainly use my R6 with the electronic shutter. But I am advised to switch to mechanical for flash photography, why actually?
Translated from Dutch.

Nando wrote on Friday 1 August 2025 at 10:55 | reply
Exactly what I also mention in this article: the danger of banding caused by the existing light.
Translated from Dutch.

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