Care of shutters

[Seabird]

I have a brace of LF lenses in copal shutters. Sometimes they dont get used for a month or three. I was wondering what's the best way to keep the shutters at their prime? Store with shutters cocked/uncocked? Store with speed speed at "T" or "B"? Exercise shutters once a month/once a week etc? If regular exercise is best, then how often and how many cycles? And is it all speeds that require exercise or just the fast ones?

Thanks in advance for the collective wisdom.

Cheers

Carey Bird

 

[Dan Fromm]

Carey, we all get neurotic about shutters. Very neurotic. Me too. But I'm not sure there are good reasons to worry too much about 'em.

I usually park mine on "T," on the principle that on "T" there's no stress on the mainspring. But I've lost only one mainspring, in an early Synchro Compur #1, and to tell the truth it was dead when I received the shutter.

I've had a number of aged shutters cleaned, lubed, and adjusted; the oldest CLA job was done around six years ago and that shutter's still fine.

I do often fire the shutter a couple of times before pulling the dark slide and taking the shot. I blame this on superstition.

Cheers,

Dan

 

[edtbjon]

Older (C-type chrome) Hasselblad lenses uses Syncro-Compur shutters. It's recommended to exercise them once per month or so. Run through all of the time settings, especially the longer times. (Most often the times from 1/15 to 1 sec are the ones where problems occur.)
In practice there is really no difference between the 'blad shutters and LF shutters. The internal clockwork is about the same.
Even though Copal shutters are a much more simple (read modern) construction, I take it the same rule about exercising the shutters apply. I.e. once per month, and do it on all your lenses, regardless of shutter brand.

//Björn

 

[BrianShaw]

In practice there is really no difference between the 'blad shutters and LF shutters. The internal clockwork is about the same.

I construction there may be minimal differences, but in practice " 'blad " shutters (whether Sychro Compur or Prontor) are generally stored cocked and LF shutters are not. I personally think this is more of a "nit" than a significant issue, though. I'm not neurotic about shutter excercizing or storage on "T", but I am neurotic about making sure they are clean and well serviced if they show any signs of ...