Re: Potential shutter speed problems

[P3D Tom Martin <tlmartin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

In response to Mike Kersenbrock's request for a review of different
shutter speed testers, I will have to decline as I have only used the
one that I currently own.

The shutter tester that I own is made by (for?) Calumet Photo and is a
rather simple looking device that consists of a black plastic box, a
photoelectric cell, an on/off button, a LCD numeric readout, a circuit
board with a few electric thingies (that shows my knowledge of
electronics), and a 9 volt battery. A rather dry instruction booklet
tells you how to do the measurements and has some tables and formulas so
that you can calculate how accurate your speeds are.

Basically you open your camera and set it on top of the tester with one
of the lenses centered over the photo cell. When a certain amount of
light begins to reach the photo cell (the shutter is opening) the tester
resets to zero and then begins to count the elapsed time. When the light
drops below that initial amount (the shutter is closing), the timer
stops. You write down the value and start over at the next setting. Most
people will go through all of the shutter speeds at least three times to
see how consistent each one is. The tester reads to the nearest 0.00001
of a second.

There are several factors that can effect how accurate the reading are,
but at the slower shutter speeds of yesterday's stereo cameras these are
not a real concern. Since several people asked me where I got the
tester, I contacted Calumet this morning to ensure that they still sold
the tester. The pleasant salesperson said that they did indeed have the
tester in stock, but that the price had risen to $79.99 plus shipping
since I had last purchased mine. The Stock number is AA8075 and their
phone number is 800-225-8638 if you wish to contact them.

I am not an expert when it comes to shutter speed testers, but I have
found this one to function adequately and accurately. If you are a
serious photographer, I would highly recommend that have your camera
checked so that you know what to expect when the shutter falls.

Tom Martin
mailto:tlmartin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx


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