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[Answered] Why do digital cameras have shutter speeds? (fedia.io)

submitted 6 months ago by atro_city@fedia.io to c/askphysics@lemmy.world

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Couldn't the camera sensor be turned on and off at will?

Edit: Thank you for your answers everybody!

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[–] sxan@midwest.social 6 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Because:

some still have shutters, especially pro level cameras
nearly all information about photography involves shutter speed, including software and book tables for calculating exposure, in addition to how cameras communicate with external flash.
pertaining to the previous point, there are still flashes that are set by shutter speed.
there are still a lot of film cameras use out there

But really, the simple answer is that shutter speed is just what we call exposure time, for historical reasons. You could call it something else, but it'd mean the same thing. Why rename it, when it's still literally shutter speed in much of prosumer and high-end photography?