On 2012-03-15 16:24 , Bruce wrote:
"K W wrote:
Other than the faster sync speed, does anyone feel there is an advantage for
horizontal or vertical focal plane shutters?


Absolutely. The fastest shutter speed of a horizontal travel shutter
is 1/2000 sec with the titanium foil shutter of the Nikon F3, but most
other cameras with horizontal travel shutters can only manage a
fastest shutter speed of 1/1000 sec, and may not even manage that
unless they have recently been serviced.

Vertical travel focal plane shutters offer speeds of up to 1/4000,
1/8000 or even 1/12000 sec. That's a huge difference.

This does not mean horizontal travel shutters cannot go faster than
1/2000 it just means camera makers abandoned horizontal travel and
gravitated towards the shortest path.

The Minolta Maxxum 9/9xi achieves 1/12,000 vertically. The same
technology could reasonably be expected to achieve 1/8000 horizontally.

The sync speed of the Maxxum 9 was 1/300. So a sync of 1/200
(horizontally) should also be attainable.


--
"I was gratified to be able to answer promptly, and I did.
I said I didn't know."
-Samuel Clemens.