VIDEO: What are Shutter Modes?

You can configure various functions and settings on your camera. One of these is shutter mode. Let’s take a closer look at single, burst, self-time, and bracketing modes, and how each is used.

Watch our video to learn how to use these shutter modes and when they’re most helpful.  

Mechanical vs. electronic  

Let’s start by talking about mechanical and electronic shutters, though we won’t get into too much detail here. Today, you can choose between a classic mechanical shutter or an electronic shutter. One key difference between the two is the sound—A mechanical shutter makes a loud clicking sound, while an electronic shutter is silent.  

Interested in learning more about the differences between mechanical and electronic shutters? Read: Mechanical vs. Electronic Shutters: What’s the Difference and Which One Should You Use?

Single vs. burst mode

Single mode is the standard setting. It takes one photo each time you press the shutter button. On the other hand, Continuous or Burst mode takes multiple photos with each press of the button. The number of photos it takes depends on how long you hold the shutter button.  

Self-timer

Self-timer is a shutter mode that allows you to set a delay before the photo is taken. This makes it perfect for group shots when you want to include yourself in the photo.

When using self-timer mode, you can set the camera to take a series of photos. This helps you get rid of photos where someone blinks or other mistakes.

Bracketing

The last shutter mode is bracketing, commonly used in exposure bracketing, especially by landscape photographers. With bracketing, you can set both the number of photos to take and the differences in exposure between them.  

With the rise of HDR photography, bracketing is becoming less common, because you can now take a single photo in RAW and make the right exposure adjustments later. 

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