In camera design, a focal-plane shutter (FPS) is a type of photographic shutter that is positioned immediately in front of the focal plane of the camera, that is, right in front of the photographic film or image sensor.
A focal-plane shutter. The metal shutter blades travel vertically.
Vertical-travel focal-plane shutter firing at 1/500 of a second – the gap between the curtains is clearly visible near the bottom.
A "leaning" 1920s Dixi race car. The distortion is caused by a shutter wiping downward in the focal plane (upward in the scene).
Two sections of the frame are exposed differently due to a lightning strike that occurred during the exposure. A similar effect occurs if electronic flash is used when the shutter is set faster than X-sync.
In photography, a shutter is a device that allows light to pass for a determined period, exposing photographic film or a photosensitive digital sensor to light in order to capture a permanent image of a scene. A shutter can also be used to allow pulses of light to pass outwards, as seen in a movie projector or a signal lamp. A shutter of variable speed is used to control exposure time of the film. The shutter is constructed so that it automatically closes after a certain required time interval. The speed of the shutter is controlled either automatically by the camera based on the overall settings of the camera, manually through digital settings, or manually by a ring outside the camera on which various timings are marked.
An early (1875) rapid acting shutter by A. A. Pearson of Leeds
A focal-plane shutter. The plastic curtains travel vertically.
One diaphragm shutter opening over another in an Akarex camera
Dial-set three-leaf Compur shutter, partially open.
