Re: Potential shutter speed problems

[P3D Michael Kersenbrock <michaelk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> After acquiring a tester, and testing several other cameras with it, I

If you're happy with your tester, would you mind posting the brand name of
it, or even a "full review"?  I think there are multiple brands and some
may work better than others, particularly for different types of shutters
(like for those who's open/close slew-times are a significant portion
of the total time).  Getting one of these might be a good stereo club
acquisition -- then it could be loaned out to each member for use.  It
isn't something that one needs all the time, just once in a while.  
Benefit/cost ratio could be high with such a purchase (S.L. - that's a hint).

> ran the Kodak through its paces. Sure enough, the 200 speed was actually
> 89 (slower than the 100 speed setting!). Knowing that fact, I avoided
> using 1/200 and my next roll had no exposure problems.

Alternatively, when one can use the setting *as* the "89" setting and have
it work (assuming it measured somewhat consistently).  It's not so much
whether the settings match the markings, but that one knows what the
actual shutter speeds are (although just remembering to just not use 
a particular setting may be easier).

I think it has been previously suggested to tape a lookup "correction 
table" to the camera to increase accuracy of setting -- albeit yet 
another step on the way to getting the shutter button pressed.  :-)

> 
> Although this is a common problem with Kodaks, I have found shutter

Like with my Kodaks, it also may indicate it's time to open 'er up and
clean out the camera's shutter mechanism.  Retesting after cleaning
would also be a good indicator if the work was worth it or if other
things (like new (?) springs are needed).

> speeds that were off on most other brands of stereo cameras (yes, even
> Realists!).

I think I reported this earlier a year or two ago when I borrowed a 
prototype shutter meter, but I got quite an assortment of (in)accuracies
among my 50's cameras.  I recall that my Realists were particularly
accurate.

The thing that is hard to believe is that with all the electronics in
cameras (for quite some time now), it was only a couple years ago when
one of the companies announced a brand new revolutionary idea of 
the camera actually using it's electronics to close-loop *measure*
the shutter speed when it fires.  But then, maybe they were just being
like Contax (?) who just revolutionized the world with focus via moving
the film plane.  :-)

Mike K.


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