In photography, a leaf shutter is a type of camera shutter, so called because it consists of a single metal leaf that is made to uncover the shutter aperture briefly by means of a spring and lever system to make the exposure.
Simple leaf shutters typically have only one shutter speed and are commonly found in most disposable cameras and point-and-shoot cameras. In it's more complex forms it can have variable shutter speeds.
1. Shutter plate
2. Shutter aperture covered by leaf shutter.
3. Shutter aperture during exposure.
4. Leaf blade
5. Catch mechanism
6. Butterfuly spring, lever operated, self resetting
The main advantages of the leaf shutter are:
- Relatively simple construction is possible.
- Many cheap versions have no requirement for a cocking mechanism or variable shutter speeds which further simplifies construction.
- Even in their more complex versions, they are less expensive to produce than a focal plane shutter
- Flash synchronization is possible at all speeds.
- Small size is achieved by placing the shutter at the focal convergent point either inside the lens or inside the camera body.
- Many versions have no connection between the cocking mechanism and the film advance mechanism, making multiple exposures possible.
- Shutter speeds are limited to how fast the leaf blade can be made to move; normally 1/500th or 1/250th of a second.
- Some versions may have no connection between the cocking mechanism and the film advance mechanism, making accidental multiple exposures a common problem.
- Many versions such as those found on the Holga camera are not especially accurate, due to their cheap design and construction.
