Adjustable Light Source for Camera Repair

[Born2Late]

I am in need of an adjustable light source for camera repair, specifically meter adjustment and shutter speed measurement / adjustment. For the shutter speed measurement it needs to be flicker free. I would prefer to purchase something pretty much ready to use, but I can build if necessary.

Any suggestions?

 

[Nodda Duma]

Use your enlarger and aim your camera at a gray card on the easel. The output is continuously variable and uniform (enough) in a suitably large area. If you have an incident meter to measure the light falling on the easel then you are all set for calibration.

 

[Born2Late]

Use your enlarger and aim your camera at a gray card on the easel. The output is continuously variable and uniform (enough) in a suitably large area. If you have an incident meter to measure the light falling on the easel then you are all set for calibration.

That is an interesting concept. I wonder if I will be able to reach full daylight illumination.

 

[Nodda Duma]

That is an interesting concept. I wonder if I will be able to reach full daylight illumination.

I think you will get close depending on your light source ... close enough for useable levels. I just did an exposure outdoors at dusk with same exposure time as for my characterization exposures under the enlarger, and still had room to spare for making the enlarger output brighter.

At the very least it’s worth a shot

 

[Jim Jones]

A reflective light meter held against the old tubular fluorescent light lamps measured nearly sunny sixteen light intensity. When using an AC incandescent lamp for measuring shutter speeds, the more the current passing through the lamp the less the flicker. An incandescent auto headlamp powered by a step-down transformer is one possibility. Powering any incandescent lamp from a battery is flicker free.