Copal #3 Disassembly and Cleaning

Mal Paso · Sep 26, 2023

Whoa! Thank You! Fantastic Presentation!

Dan Daniel · Sep 26, 2023

Great write up. Thanks!

Did you try adjusting the star palette to get the slow speeds a bit faster? If you spread this tab a bit to the left (move sitting axle of the palette away from the star gear so it spins a little faster). Seeing that they are all off by 1/3 stop, I be they all will move closer to true time together.

chuckroast · Sep 26, 2023

https://photoarchive.tundraware.com/Camera-Lighting-Equipment/Leaf-Shutter-Repair.zip

Kodachromeguy · Sep 26, 2023

linhofbiker said:
Great presentation. I have several lenses in Compur Electronic 3 shutters, they are relatively simple in that they have 1 mechanical speed, the fastest, that is controlled by resistors/capacitors for slower speeds. Looks like the service required is similar to the Copal 3 but without the mechanical control of speeds. Have you "serviced" a Compur Electronic shutter in sizes 1 or 3?

I would be interested in this topic also. Lenses in the electronic shutters sometimes sell for much less than the mechanical equivalents, but the sellers almost never can tell you if the shutter works. In typical eBay fashion, some of the sellers refuse to install a battery....

awty · Sep 26, 2023

Nice work, thanks for posting.

ic-racer · Sep 26, 2023

Dan Daniel said:
Great write up. Thanks!

Did you try adjusting the star palette to get the slow speeds a bit faster? If you spread this tab a bit to the left (move sitting axle of the palette away from the star gear so it spins a little faster). Seeing that they are all off by 1/3 stop, I be they all will move closer to true time together.

View attachment 349853

Yes, that is the plan!
What I have found is after some use, the moving parts can speed up more with some use as the lubricant spreads. Thought, other times things slow down again after all that cleaning.

So I’ll use it for a week or so then start tweaking.

OAPOli · Sep 26, 2023

Thanks for the tutorial.

ic-racer · Sep 27, 2023

One more note, if this lever touches the timing dial, the shutter won't cock. The spring on the lever is very weak, and if it does touch the dial above it, that will prevent the lever from moving.

ic-racer · Sep 27, 2023

linhofbiker said:
Great presentation. I have several lenses in Compur Electronic 3 shutters, they are relatively simple in that they have 1 mechanical speed, the fastest, that is controlled by resistors/capacitors for slower speeds. Looks like the service required is similar to the Copal 3 but without the mechanical control of speeds. Have you "serviced" a Compur Electronic shutter in sizes 1 or 3?

No, I have not had a Compur Electronic to fix.

Joel_L · Sep 27, 2023

In your second picture, is that the shutter speed tester from a project you linked in a different post? How are you liking it. Leaf shutters are easy enough to measure, but do you think it does focal plane measurements well?

Nice work, I had to do a copal shutter a while ago, this would have helped.

ic-racer · Sep 27, 2023

Joel_L said:
In your second picture, is that the shutter speed tester from a project you linked in a different post? How are you liking it. Leaf shutters are easy enough to measure, but do you think it does focal plane measurements well?

Nice work, I had to do a copal shutter a while ago, this would have helped.

I made the tester primarily for 35mm cameras and am very happy with it. This was the first project using the tester for a leaf shutter. I still need to make the cable for flash synch testing.

Rolleiflex SL35E Thread

I had been discussing the SL35E off topic on another thread and wanted to continue over here. I had an SL35E since 1984 and the shutter stopped working around 2002. I picked up two nice SL35Ms in the mean time and finally got around to getting another SL35E from Germany. The camera came in the...

www.photrio.com

linhofbiker · Sep 28, 2023

Kodachromeguy said:
I would be interested in this topic also. Lenses in the electronic shutters sometimes sell for much less than the mechanical equivalents, but the sellers almost never can tell you if the shutter works. In typical eBay fashion, some of the sellers refuse to install a battery....

All of my Compur Electronic shutters in size 1 and 3 work at their one highest mechanical speed without the need of a battery. The slower speeds usually work if you keep the contacts clean and use a battery with a voltage range of between 3.5 volts and 7 volts, The electronic part does not use transistors or IC, but uses resistors and capacitors from the 1950's and 1960's - so simple! Ignorance of some sellers have gottem me some great lenses at a good price like, for example, a 165 Super Angulon. But don't ask a repair man to "fix" one of these shutters unless he/she is old school.

Copal #3 Disassembly and Cleaning

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