D90 Fastest Shutter Speed

Mike D90

Senior Member
Just curious if anyone has any idea why Nikon dropped the fastest shutter speed to 1/4000th instead of 1/8000th as the D70 had? The D90 is a good bit more advanced than the D70 and I was just a bit, curious more than miffed, that the speed dropped. Not that I need 1/8000th speed. I have never used 1/4000th so far.
 

skene

Senior Member
I'm sure for most hobbyists the need to go to 1/8000 is not needed, as the likelihood of taking direct photos of the sun are reduced.
 

Mike D90

Senior Member
I'm sure for most hobbyists the need to go to 1/8000 is not needed, as the likelihood of taking direct photos of the sun are reduced.

But if the hobbyist did indeed take a direct shot of the sun, then 1/8000th would have been a better choice than 1/4000th.

I just wonder if it had anything to do with the noise level of the new (at that time) sensor on the D90. Some Nikon camera's, since the D90, have 1/8000th capability so it obviously was not a model wide change.
 

WayneF

Senior Member
Just curious if anyone has any idea why Nikon dropped the fastest shutter speed to 1/4000th instead of 1/8000th as the D70 had? The D90 is a good bit more advanced than the D70 and I was just a bit, curious more than miffed, that the speed dropped. Not that I need 1/8000th speed. I have never used 1/4000th so far.

Yes, D90 was more advanced. The D70 had an electronic shutter for fast speeds, doing the timing by enabling the CCD sensor for only the shutter time (which was in fact the shutter). This is what compact cameras do too. There are pros and cons, and these also do have a simpler mechanical shutter, used for slow shutter speeds (generally about 1/100 second and slower), but otherwise it is mostly only a protective covering to keep light off of the sensor. Blooming was one fault in electronic shutters.

The D90 used an actual high quality mechanical focal plane shutter, capable of the faster speeds.


Technically, there is more. The D70 was a CCD sensor, and the D90 (and all current models) use a CMOS sensor. CCD must be disabled each shot, to move the image out of them, so they can use this as a shutter too ( a free shutter). D40 and a couple of other inexpensive models were the same.

But now CMOS sensors are used, and it is better, but much more complex, and is not suited to serve as an electronic shutter. Focal plane shutter is also better, but has its own limitations too.


But if the hobbyist did indeed take a direct shot of the sun, then 1/8000th would have been a better choice than 1/4000th.

This would cause the blooming issue in electronic shutters. The CCD chip was enabled only 1/8000 second for the exposure, but the simple slower mechanical shutter would be open 1/100 second... letting the bright light hit the chip 80x longer, and which caused blooming (sort of a smear of bright objects).

A focal plane shutter is only open the 1/8000 second.


Here is an example of blooming. D70 and D80, both use the same CCD sensor, but D80 (more advanced) uses a real focal plane shutter.

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/D80/D80A5.HTM
 
Last edited:

Mike D90

Senior Member
Yes, D90 was more advanced. The D70 had an electronic shutter for fast speeds, doing the timing by enabling the CCD sensor for only the shutter time (which was in fact the shutter). This is what compact cameras do too. There are pros and cons, and these also do have a simpler mechanical shutter, used for slow shutter speeds (generally about 1/100 second and slower), but otherwise it is mostly only a protective covering to keep light off of the sensor. Blooming was one fault in electronic shutters.

The D90 used an actual high quality mechanical focal plane shutter, capable of the faster speeds.


Technically, there is more. The D70 was a CCD sensor, and the D90 (and all current models) use a CMOS sensor. CCD must be disabled each shot, to move the image out of them, so they can use this as a shutter too ( a free shutter). D40 and a couple of other inexpensive models were the same.

But now CMOS sensors are used, and it is better, but much more complex, and is not suited to serve as an electronic shutter. Focal plane shutter is also better, but has its own limitations too.




This would cause the blooming issue in electronic shutters. The CCD chip was enabled only 1/8000 second for the exposure, but the simple slower mechanical shutter would be open 1/100 second... letting the bright light hit the chip 80x longer, and which caused blooming (sort of a smear of bright objects).

A focal plane shutter is only open the 1/8000 second.
(***** I think you meant 1/4000th)


Here is an example of blooming. D70 and D80, both use the same CCD sensor, but D80 (more advanced) uses a real focal plane shutter.

Nikon D80 Review: Full Review - Exposure

Dang! That right there is service I must say! That is exactly the kind of information I was hoping to get on this and I sure thank you for it. I have not studied camera function much and I had no idea of the differences in the actual shutter mechanism nor even the difference in CCD and CMOS sensor types.

Makes perfect sense.
 

WayneF

Senior Member
In regard to 1/8000 second, the high end models (like D800 and D4) have a better professional focal plane shutter, faster, with longer life projection, and capable of 1/8000 second shutter speed, and also flash sync at 1/250 second. Spec is 1/250 second sync, but actually, they can do 1/320 second. Faster shutter. These are the ones you take to Antarctica. :)

Most of the others only do 1/4000 second and 1/200 second sync, and life expectancy is shorter (typical number of activations to failure).

There are actually three focal plane shutter grades, the D300 class was in between, semi-pro - which had 1/8000 and 1/250 sync, and higher life, but not full professional level life.

We still hear a lot about the electronic shutters, because they had no moving slit, and could sync flash at any shutter speed (firmware limited them to 1/500 second, but any speed worked). But there were other short comings. And of course, a really fast shutter speed clipped off the flash burst, unless it was also really short (low power).

I am making up numbers from common hear-say, so do not quote me, but expected lifetimes like maybe ...

75,000-100,000 activations (low end),

150,000 activations (say D300, D600, D7000),

and 300,000 activations (top end pro models).

The D1 actually had a 1/16000 second shutter speed, but they stopped doing that.
 
Last edited:
Top