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Shutter

By Kyle Schurman, About.com

Definition: The shutter is the piece inside the digital camera that blocks light from reaching the image sensor until the photographer presses the shutter button. The shutter then opens, allowing light to pass through the lens and strike the image sensor, recording the photograph.

Some people also use the term "shutter" to refer to the shutter button, which is the button on the digital camera that you press when snapping a photograph.

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