Realist 1/100 sec shutter setting - is it real?

[P3D John Arrowsmith <jarrow@xxxxxxx>]

I know this sounds like a very dumb question -BUT- does the
 1/100 th of a second shutter speed setting on a Realist
 Custom ( 2.8 ) actually work? Is it really 1/100th of a second ?

Today I received 3 rolls of Sensia 100 back from processing
 and was surprised to find that, overall, the images were all
 under exposed by something like one stop. The exposure
 setting used ( 1/100 sec @ f11 )  agreed with a light meter
 and the sunny f16 rule. Additionally, a friend shooting the
 exact same scene with a very well adjusted Kodak Stereo
 camera, and using his own light meter ( both meters agreed
 on the exposure setting ), produced very well exposed images.

I normally shoot at 1/50 th of a second but have recently
 started to use 1/100 th. Since starting to use 1/100 all
 images are under exposed.

The top speed on a Realist Custom is 1/200th of a second. As 
you fire the cameras shutter, starting from lowest shutter
 speed and moving up, there is a very definate audible
 difference between the shutter speeds, that is, except for
 1/100 and 1/200. To me both sound exactly the same. To test
 the matter further I attached a light source to the front of
 the camera so that light would pass through the camera lens
 onto a screen. Firing the camera once again through all
 shutter speeds, and watching the screen for changes in the 
lenght of time light appears, only the 1/100 and 1/200 
settings looked the same.

I have to test further, but it seems that the 1/100 setting
 is firing at the cameras top speed of 1/200. As soon as I
 can I will put another film through the camera, shoot at
 1/50 then 1/100 then 1/200 and adjust the aperature accordingly.

The camera has very recently been serviced by Zak. I am surprised
that a fault like this ( if it is a fault ) was not detected,
 I thought it best to ask the photo-3d group if something else
 is happening here.

Appreciate any help with this one.


        John Arrowsmith
        Sydney, Australia


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