Thank you for this tester - finally I can actually check some of my cameras!
I've roughed it out to check the functionality before boxing it up, and have some questions.
- I have three lasers and three sensors, with the outer two at 32mm centres. Does this correspond to the 32mm in the settings menu, with the third one assumed to be centred?
- I'm getting the red message "Sens1&M Only>2SL"
- Which order are the sensors supposed to be in? The wiring diagram shows yellow, green, blue for the sensor connections going to pins 33, 25, 32 respectively, but no numbering. I've put the green in the middle as per the diagram. On 1/500 on the (uncalibrated) shutter I'm working on, I get the attached results showing the curtains aren't very happy at this speed, but consistently wildly out over eight tries. At 1/30, 1/60, 1/125 it's surprisingly even. "Paramater" should be "Parameter".
- I can't get any results with the two outer sensors plugged in as it is still looking for the third.
- My encoder counts backwards from expected rotation; is inconsistent in registering rotation and has a 5V pin labelled. I only have experience of valve electronics so this is all new to me. Is this just the switched logic level rather than required supply for the encoder, so connecting to the 3.3V pin as per the diagram is still correct?
Thanks again! This is going to be so very useful, especially with the medium format additions discussed previously...
Hi,
Yes 32mm sensor spacing is between the outer sensors. The physical spacing must also be set in the setting menu.
(For vertical shutters one would physically place the sensors at 20mm and also set this value in the settings menu).
Pin 33 is the left sensor and pin 32 the right sensor. Lasers point into the rear of the camera.
Error 'Sens1&M Only>2SL'
means that sensor 1 and sensor M have been triggered as the shutter opens but after two seconds or greater, Sensor 2 has not been triggered.
This indicates a very slow curtain, or shutter capping.
(Without The Shutter Tester timing out after two seconds, it would sit there forever waiting for sensor 2 to be triggered)
(L refers to the code-block that found the error, useful for me to know which part of the code found the error)
Do not expect to see 100% accurate shutter speeds. Older cameras using springs will vary from shot to shot. Often slower for the first few, as the old grease gets warmed up.
Using a modern electronic shutter, will give far more consistent results.
Look at the ISO chart for min & max values. Your 1/500s tests look to be fine.
Never try to get all the speeds spot on. It will drive you mad, then when you pick up the camera again, the speeds will be different. As said, just get them to within the ISO tolerance.
The Shutter Tester requires readings from all three sensors to compute the shutter speed and check for errors, so trying to run it without the middle sensor will not work.
(Single sensor mode requires just sensor 1 and leaf shutter modes only use sensor 1 and 2)
If your encoder is working backwards, check the S1 & S2 connections go to the correct pins.
Swapping the wires on S1 and S2 will reverse the direction of the encoder.
Whilst the encoder is marked 5V, it is only a mechanical contact so works happily on 3 volts.
Thanks for the questions, feedback and spell checking
)
All comments, questions, suggestions & issue reports are most welcome.
It helps me improve The Shutter Tester