• Blog
  • Calculators
    • Camera Bitrate Converter | Record Time Calculator
    • Diffraction Calculator
    • DoF Calculator | Lens Equivalent
    • Shutter Speed to Shutter Angle Calculator
  • Memory Cards
    • SD Memory Cards Guide
    • CFExpress Type-B Memory Card Benchmarks
    • CFexpress Type-A Memory Card Benchmarks
    • Memory Cards For Canon Cameras
    • Memory Cards For Fujifilm Cameras
    • Memory Cards For Nikon Cameras
    • Memory Cards For Panasonic Cameras
    • Memory Cards For Sony
    • SD Cards For GoPro
  • Accessories
    • Canon
      • Canon R5 Accessories
      • Canon R6 Accessories
      • Canon EOS R
      • Canon RP
      • Canon M50 Accessories
      • Canon T7i / T6 / T6i / T6s
      • Canon SL3 / 250D
      • Canon M6 II
      • Canon M5
      • Canon G1X III
      • Canon G7X III
    • Nikon
      • Nikon Z6 II / Z7 II
      • Nikon Z6 / Z7
      • Nikon Z50
    • Fujifilm
      • Fujifilm X-T4
      • Fujifilm X-S10
      • Fujifilm X-Pro3
      • Fujifilm X-T3
      • Fujifilm X-H1
      • Fujifilm X-T200
      • Fujifilm X100V Accessories
      • Fujifilm X100F Accessories
      • Fujifilm X-E4
      • Fujifilm XT30 & XT20
    • Leica
      • Leica Q2 Accessories
    • Panasonic
      • Panasonic GH5 / GH5s
      • Panasonic LX100 II
    • Ricoh
      • Ricoh GR III
    • Sigma
      • Sigma fp
    • Sony
      • Sony A1 Accessories
      • Sony A7IV Accessories
      • Sony A7c Accessories
      • Sony A7sIII
      • Sony A7rIV / A9II
      • Sony A9
      • Sony A7 III, A7r III Accessories
      • Sony A6600 Accessories
      • Sony A6100 Accessories
      • Sony A6000 Accessories
      • Sony RX1R II
      • Sony RX10 IV / RX10 III
      • Sony RX100 IV / RX100 V
    • Drones
      • Mavic 2 Pro
    • Camera Cleaning Gear
  • Lenses
    • Canon RF Lens List
    • Fujifilm G Lens List
    • Fujifilm XF Lens List
    • Leica / Panasonic / Sigma L Lens List
    • Leica M Lens List
    • Micro Four Thirds Lens List
    • Nikon Z Lens List
    • PL Mount Cine Lens List
    • Sony FF E Lens List
    • Sony APS-C E Lens List
  • Store
Alik Griffin
Alik Griffin
  • Blog
  • Calculators
    • Camera Bitrate Converter | Record Time Calculator
    • Diffraction Calculator
    • DoF Calculator | Lens Equivalent
    • Shutter Speed to Shutter Angle Calculator
  • Memory Cards
    • SD Memory Cards Guide
    • CFExpress Type-B Memory Card Benchmarks
    • CFexpress Type-A Memory Card Benchmarks
    • Memory Cards For Canon Cameras
    • Memory Cards For Fujifilm Cameras
    • Memory Cards For Nikon Cameras
    • Memory Cards For Panasonic Cameras
    • Memory Cards For Sony
    • SD Cards For GoPro
  • Accessories
    • Canon
      • Canon R5 Accessories
      • Canon R6 Accessories
      • Canon EOS R
      • Canon RP
      • Canon M50 Accessories
      • Canon T7i / T6 / T6i / T6s
      • Canon SL3 / 250D
      • Canon M6 II
      • Canon M5
      • Canon G1X III
      • Canon G7X III
    • Nikon
      • Nikon Z6 II / Z7 II
      • Nikon Z6 / Z7
      • Nikon Z50
    • Fujifilm
      • Fujifilm X-T4
      • Fujifilm X-S10
      • Fujifilm X-Pro3
      • Fujifilm X-T3
      • Fujifilm X-H1
      • Fujifilm X-T200
      • Fujifilm X100V Accessories
      • Fujifilm X100F Accessories
      • Fujifilm X-E4
      • Fujifilm XT30 & XT20
    • Leica
      • Leica Q2 Accessories
    • Panasonic
      • Panasonic GH5 / GH5s
      • Panasonic LX100 II
    • Ricoh
      • Ricoh GR III
    • Sigma
      • Sigma fp
    • Sony
      • Sony A1 Accessories
      • Sony A7IV Accessories
      • Sony A7c Accessories
      • Sony A7sIII
      • Sony A7rIV / A9II
      • Sony A9
      • Sony A7 III, A7r III Accessories
      • Sony A6600 Accessories
      • Sony A6100 Accessories
      • Sony A6000 Accessories
      • Sony RX1R II
      • Sony RX10 IV / RX10 III
      • Sony RX100 IV / RX100 V
    • Drones
      • Mavic 2 Pro
    • Camera Cleaning Gear
  • Lenses
    • Canon RF Lens List
    • Fujifilm G Lens List
    • Fujifilm XF Lens List
    • Leica / Panasonic / Sigma L Lens List
    • Leica M Lens List
    • Micro Four Thirds Lens List
    • Nikon Z Lens List
    • PL Mount Cine Lens List
    • Sony FF E Lens List
    • Sony APS-C E Lens List
  • Store
  • Uncategorized

Sony A7 & A7r Electronic First Curtain Shutter Tests

  • February 9, 2017
  • AGriffin

I’ve never in the 13 year’s I’ve been shooting photography seen a camera get as much scrutiny as the Sony A7 & A7r. And they are extreme. Laughable. 

I’ve seen people test how loud the shutter is, complaining about it. When it’s totally average. The same as a 7Dmkii and not even as loud as a 1Dx. 

I’ve seen people put it through some extreme light leak tests. ISO 52cazillion with a 30 second shutter while shining a flashlight all around every inch of it. When so many cameras including my 5Dmkii fail miserable under the same tests. 

And now this one. The electronic first curtain shutter vibration test. For those that don’t know what this is, the EFCS option is only available on the Sony A7, not the A7r. It is a setting that only flips the shutter in one direction. Click, instead of Click Click.

Advantages Of A EFCS Shutter

-Less audible shutter noise.

-Less lag between trigger and shutter actuation.

-Less overall camera vibration from the inertia of the shutter. 

Disadvantages Of A EFCS Shutter

-Exposure issues with some 3rd party lenses.

It has to do with shutter lag being required so the iris can close down properly during an exposure.

-Uneven wear on the shutter which can eventually cause mechanical issues after the camera has aged.

-Often more sensor noise because images often end up under exposed because of the iris issue.

-Often issues with high speed motion on high speed shutters.

The pros sort of out weigh the cons in many situations. 

EFCS With The Sony A7 & A7r

Photographer Jim Kasson has done a great test testing the vibration caused by the shutter on the Sony A7 and A7r to see if there was in improvement when EFCS is turned on. Which is currently only an option on the Sony A7. 

The test he did uses MTS30 and MTS50 charts which measures the objective resolution, or IQ of the image.

Turns out, there is a significant difference EFCS on vs off with the 55mm Zeiss lens, but only at some shutter speeds. Mainly around 1/100s.

At 1/100th of a second the IQ of the Sony A7r drops down to about the same level as the A7 when EFCS is turned on. 

However, with the 55mm lens there is almost no difference on the Sony A7 between EFCS turned on or off.

EFCS With Longer Lenses On The Sony A7

Jim later tested just the Sony A7 with both EFCS turned on and off, to see if there was a difference on a longer lens. So he used the Nikon 180mm with the novaflex adapter.

Turns out, there was a big difference across the board, but it seemed to occur at random shutter speeds. I imagine this phenomena only happens when mounted to a tripod.

But I know with all of my cameras, even with the Canon 5Dmkii, if I so much as sneeze near the thing with a long lens mounted while on a tripod, the image will turn out soft. 

I highly recommend looking at all of Jim’s EFCS tests on his blog here. And he also has a very awesome and very unique style of photography. 

Sony A7 & A7r Electronic First Curtain Shutter Test Conclusions

The most important take away from these tests is, don’t go out and by a Sony A7 over the A7r because of the “EFCS on” option. Even with shutter shock, the overall IQ of the Sony A7r is still far superior than a A7 in most cases. However, if you own an A7, and you’re not shooting high speed action with third party lenses, you might want to keep it turned on. You’ll have a more stable IQ across the board, especially with longer lenses.

Now, I have seen some photographer do similar tests and they have found that mounting more weight to the base of your camera solves the shutter shock issue completely. Makes sense because that camera is light.

I’ve yet to see any evidence or tests done to see if this “Shutter Shock” effects over all IQ when shooting handheld photography. My guess is that it wouldn’t. 

Now can we stop worrying about the little shit and stop picking on the Sony A7 & A7r already? Jesus, it’s really a great camera, stop trying to find dumb reasons to hate it. I imagine a melting point test will be next with all the Volcano shooters out there.

**This website contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you click them to make a purchase.
AGriffin

Professional editor, blogger and photographer from Los Angeles California.

Related Topics
  • Camera News
  • Sony A7r
You May Also Like

IG Landscapes @alikgriffin

IG Streets @griffinalik

Twitter Feed
Rainy night in Miyazaki #streetphotography https://t.co/n41Om53zSM
8 hours ago
  • Reply
  • Retweet
  • Favorite
Follow
Popular Articles
  • BB2 Blower Review 1
    NiteCore BB2 Electronic Blower Review
  • 2
    Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f2 Review
  • Lexar New CFexpress A 320GB 3
    Lexar 320GB CFxA Memory Card – The Best Card Yet?
  • Leica M11 With Voigtlander 35mm f2 4
    Leica M11 Review | An Icon With Some Glaring Problems
  • Kalina Posing 5
    I Still Love This Lens – Here is why
Join The Fun! Sign Up To The Newsletter!


*You will need to confirm your email. Check your spam folder after hitting subscribe.

About Me

A professional freelance trailer editor. I've been blogging for a decade and this site focuses on benchmarking memory cards, camera accessories, and lens reviews. There will be a shift towards more education with color and editing so be sure to hit the bell in the bottom right to subscribe for updates. Read About to learn more.

Popular Lens Reviews
  • 1
    A Complete List Of Fujifilm Lenses | X-Mount
  • Nikon Z 50mm f1.8 S Lens Review 2
    Nikon Z 50mm f1.8 S Lens Review & Sample Photos
  • 3
    Kamlan 50mm f1.1 II Review & Sample Photos
  • 4
    Meike 35mm f1.7 Review & Sample Photos
  • 5
    Meike 35mm f1.4 Review & Sample Photos
Memory Card Guides | Benchmarks

Memory Cards For Canon R5

Memory Cards For Canon R6

Memory Cards For Nikon Z6II / Z7II

Memory Cards For Nikon Z5

Memory Cards For Fujifilm X-T4

Memory Cards For GoPro Hero 9

Memory Cards For GoPro Hero 8

Privacy Policy | Ethics Statement | Licensing

Copyright © Alik Griffin Inc. 2021

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

Manage Cookie Consent

We use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.

Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}