35mm Camera with Fastest Shutter Speed

[mathjeff0]

Hello! I've recently been in search of the fastest mechanical 35mm (in term of shutter speed). The only one I can think of is the Nikon fm3a. Does anyone know any other brands with fast shutter speeds that are fully mechanical (Preferably 2000+ shutter)?

 

[narsuitus]

My Nikon F4 has a top shutter speed of 1/8000 second.



Nikon F4 by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[jimjm]

I think the FM2, FM2n and FM3a have the fastest shutter speed at 1/4000 for any mechanical cameras. Meaning the shutter is not dependent on battery power and will fire at all speeds without a battery.

 

[removedacct3]

The Minolta 9xi is able to do 1/12000.

 

[locutus]

Jup, and the Minolta is the regular production camera with the highest shutter speed.

Mind that OP's comment is about mechanical cameras and the minolta and F4 have electronically actuated shutters.

But it kinda begs the question why you need a shutterspeed faster then 1/4000th?

If you really need to shoot a the brightest of daylights wide open at f/1.4 on ISO400 film a 6 stop ND filter is actually practical especially with something like the FM3A viewscreen which is perfectly usable at that light.

 

[narsuitus]

...brands with fast shutter speeds that are fully mechanical...

I did not read this as looking for a fully mechanical camera but for shutter speeds that were fully mechanical.

Mind that OP's comment is about mechanical cameras and the minolta and F4 have electronically actuated shutters.

I guess that I misunderstood the original posters question. The title of the thread gave me the idea that he was looking for a 35mm camera with a fast shutter speed. I did not understand what he meant by, "...brands with fast shutter speeds that are fully mechanical..." I do not know the difference between electronically actuated shutters, fully mechanical shutters, partially mechanical shutters, or fully electronic shutters.

But it kinda begs the question why you need a shutterspeed faster then 1/4000th?

I need a 1/8000th second shutter speed when I am shooting a solar eclipse or shooting the planet venus crossing in front of the sun.

 

[benjiboy]

I have never used a shutter speed faster than 1/000 in my life, although my Canon F1's go to 1/2000 for me anything faster than 1/1000 is irrelevant.

 

[Ian Grant]

I have never used a shutter speed faster than 1/000 in my life, although my Canon F1's go to 1/2000 for me anything faster than 1/1000 is irrelevant.

I don't think I've ever needed to use faster than 1/250 in 50+m years and that was shooting Formula 1 motor racing , I get frustrated that one or two of my lenses fastest shutter speed is 1/100 or 1/125 (Compound and Copal #3) I could go with that extra 1/200 or 1/250 when shooting moving subjects.

Ian

 

[guangong]

My Leicaflex sl2 has 2000, but I do not remember ever using it once in 60 years. One of those things the marketing department of camera companies think up, such as f 0.9 lenses, for advertising.

 

[ic-racer]

In my work, the fast shutter speeds eliminate the need for ND filters. 1/8000 is like having a 0.9 ND filter (compared to a camera that only goes to 1/1000).

 

[Sirius Glass]

I do not think that I have used faster than 1/1000 second.

 

[AgX]

I need a 1/8000th second shutter speed when I am shooting a solar eclipse or shooting the planet venus crossing in front of the sun.

Maybe I'm slow on the uptake, but I do not understand that need.

 

[Les Sarile]

I am not sure why having faster shutter speeds is only a marketing ploy? Obviously it can be used to stop fast action if that is what you are after.
Golf ball at 1/8000 on Fuji Provia 400

In the Minolta manual lineup, only the XK has 1/2000.
In Pentax manual lineup, the LX, ME SUper, Super Program achieves 1/2000.
In Olympus OM, the OM3 and OM4 achievs 1/2000. Additionally, with the dedicated F280 flash, it has flash across the full shutter speed range.

 

[benjiboy]

I don't think I've ever needed to use faster than 1/250 in 50+m years and that was shooting Formula 1 motor racing , I get frustrated that one or two of my lenses fastest shutter speed is 1/100 or 1/125 (Compound and Copal #3) I could go with that extra 1/200 or 1/250 when shooting moving subjects.

Ian

I agree with you Ian anything faster than 1/500th is just an expensive neural density filter

 

[Ian Grant]

I agree with you Ian anything faster than 1/500th is just an expensive neural density filter

With LF I never shot faster than about 1/15th or maybe 1/30th until I began shooting hand held with HP5 and even then never faster than 1/200th or 1/250th.

Ian

 

[Sirius Glass]

I agree with you Ian anything faster than 1/500th is just an expensive neural density filter

 

[Huss]

In my work, the fast shutter speeds eliminate the need for ND filters. 1/8000 is like having a 0.9 ND filter (compared to a camera that only goes to 1/1000).

Exactly. Just because some don't use it does not mean it is extremely useful. Using Sunny F16 and 400 iso film, if your top shutter speed is only 1/1000 sec, the largest aperture you can use in bright sun is f/11.
I like to have more creative control than that.

Of course there are going to be those chiming in saying one should use a slow film in bright light, but the reality of the situation is that light conditions can be changeable, venues can change, time of day changes and more often than not the roll of film that was put in the camera has to be able to cope with these changes.

Using ND filters on an SLR is not as handy as on an RF, as the image obviously gets much darker.

 

[Cholentpot]

Exactly. Just because some don't use it does not mean it is extremely useful. Using Sunny F16 and 400 iso film, if your top shutter speed is only 1/1000 sec, the largest aperture you can use in bright sun is f/11.
I like to have more creative control than that.

Of course there are going to be those chiming in saying one should use a slow film in bright light, but the reality of the situation is that light conditions can be changeable, venues can change, time of day changes and more often than not the roll of film that was put in the camera has to be able to cope with these changes.

Using ND filters on an SLR is not as handy as on an RF, as the image obviously gets much darker.

Sometimes you have one camera and one film. Sometimes that film is 800 iso on a bright sunny/snowy day. While I've never used 1/8000, it's only because I forget the camera goes that high.

 

[zanxion72]

The Minolta 9xi is able to do 1/12000.

+1 for this. You could see a 36exp roll flying out of it. The fastest ever built!

 

[narsuitus]

Maybe I'm slow on the uptake, but I do not understand that need.

On April 8, 2005, I had to shoot a partial solar eclipse. To overcome the extreme brightness of the sun as the subject, I had to:

1. Use a slow film (ISO100)

2. Stop the telephoto lens down to f/22

3. Use a 2-stop red filter to give me an effective f/stop of f/45

4. Use a fast shutter speed of 1/8000th second.



Partial Solar Eclipse (2005) by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[Sirius Glass]

Exactly. Just because some don't use it does not mean it is extremely useful. Using Sunny F16 and 400 iso film, if your top shutter speed is only 1/1000 sec, the largest aperture you can use in bright sun is f/11.
I like to have more creative control than that.

Of course there are going to be those chiming in saying one should use a slow film in bright light, but the reality of the situation is that light conditions can be changeable, venues can change, time of day changes and more often than not the roll of film that was put in the camera has to be able to cope with these changes.

Using ND filters on an SLR is not as handy as on an RF, as the image obviously gets much darker.

That is why real cameras have interchangeable film backs.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Sometimes you have one camera and one film. Sometimes that film is 800 iso on a bright sunny/snowy day. While I've never used 1/8000, it's only because I forget the camera goes that high.

Again lets hear it for interchangeable film backs!

 

[ic-racer]

T-max 100 and 400 are not as far apart in speed as 1/1000 to 1/8000. If you to go real slow film or real fast film, it really becomes a totally different film in many ways besides the speed. High grain with 3200 and poor shadow detail with Pan-F, etc.

 

[bimmey]

Contax S2 is fully mechanical and tops out at 1/4000. In case the Nikon offerings are not your cup of tea.

 

[Cholentpot]

Again lets hear it for interchangeable film backs!

Where do I get one of these 35mm interchangeable film back devices?