Abstract: The invention relates to an electromagnetically operated leaf shutter particularly for use in photographic cameras installed in microscopes in which a rotatable annular armature including a light passage is provided with an even number of poles radially extending to an annular field ring being secured into a tubular shutter housing. The annular field ring is provided with an even number of pole-shoes extending towards the armature poles. The armature and the field ring are made of "soft magnetic" material. The geometry of the pole-shoes and the adjacent respective poles is so that an optimum of magnetic force is exerted upon the armature when the electromagnetic coils which surround the pole-shoes are energized, and, hence, a rotation of the armature is effected. The armature is provided with means to operate the blades of the shutter in order to open the light passage.