Can someone explain the difference between the Electronic shutter On & Off, other than one makes a louder clunk than the other?

I Get the Silent Mode setting and use that a lot for concert work (classical music) but never understood what the Electronic shutter mode does other than make a clunk (similar to a mirror going up on a SLR) or a quieter click.

Nobody has the answer to this it seems

As far as I can tell, the electronic shutter off allows you to have shutter sound and various beeps when some operations are carried out. Turning it on just seems to switch them all off. Perhaps some users like the reassurance of audio confirmation that something has happened, although I just find it annoying :-)

Roger

Here is a bit from my FZ1000 manuals

You can use either of the two shutters to take pictures: the mechanical shutter or the
electronic shutter.
¢1 The mechanical shutter sound cannot be muted.
¢2 Electronic shutter sound settings can be changed in [Shutter Vol.]. (P49)
Select the menu.
Mechanical shutter Electronic Shutter
Description
The camera starts an exposure
electronically, and ends it with the
mechanical shutter.
The camera starts and ends an
exposure electronically.
Flash ± —
Shutter Speed
(Sec.)
60 to 1/4000th 1 to 1/16000th


All exposures are started electronically and end mechanically by default as the electronic shutter does block some camera functions. If you go into "silent mode" then the electronic shutter is selected as the mechanical shutter is in fact mechanical so it cannot be silenced. Apart from silent operation the electronic shutter allows you a higher shutter speed (1/4000 vs 1/6000) but does inhibit some functions

You are right Chris, I found last night that with the electronic shutter on, I couldn't use my external flash.

Roger

I just looked in the manual so I never tried it to be honest so thanks for that Roger!

I find that strange as if you are in a "quiet" place it will be indoors so flash might be necessary. I doubt whether I will need the silent shutter ..definitely not for video and 1/4000th seems plenty for stills ..My Nikons only go up to that too.

The manual never specifies what functions are disabled so it might be scary to do a stills shoot in silent and find out that what you were expecting to work doesn't!!!

Maybe it was designed for bird watchers so the shutter noise doesn't scare away our feathered friends???

Have you ever used it??

I was going to use the electronic shutter last weekend, but when I found I couldn't use the flash, I just turned off all the sounds on the mechanical shutter setting.

Roger