Do you feel 1/500 sec max shutter speed is a problem?

nick mulder · Dec 20, 2010

I'm struggling to get faster than somewhere between 1/30th and 1/60th on the dial in LF ...

Not sure if I have even any MF cameras that do that

removed account4 · Dec 20, 2010

never a problem ..

i have 3 mf cameras - and i never shoot them beyond 1/100S
( mamiya, agfa box and holga )
and i also use a graflex slr with a roll film back on it and i only shoot that at 1/15ths
i never use fast shutter speeds, even when i probably should ...

23mjm · Dec 20, 2010

Speed kills--slow down and live.

wclark5179 · Dec 20, 2010

Where I need a faster sync. shutter is when I use fill flash outdoors. If I have flash and f stop at f 7.0 but that needs a shutter of 1/400 to balance ambient, that can present a challenge with some camera bodies. I could go to a higher number f stop but usually I want to control DOF. I hate blown out backgrounds or a white sky. Doesn't look real to me.

narsuitus · Dec 20, 2010

stradibarrius said:
How many feel that have a max shutter speed of 1/500 is a problem?

A long time go, I had a night football game to cover in a stadium that was notorious for its dim lights. The light level was too low to shoot available light and I could not use flash because my SLR would sync no higher than 1/60th second.

In this instance, having a maximum shutter speed of 1/500th of a second on my medium format TLR was a solution to the problem. I mounted a telephoto lens, a prism finder, and a pistol grip to my Mamiya C22 and set the shutter speed to 1/500th of a second and used a handle mounted flash to get some great shots for the newspaper.

Having a top shutter speed of 1/500th that can sync a flash is very useful under certain conditions.

brucemuir · Dec 21, 2010

No one mentions handholding longer lenses.
When I recently picked up a 250 Sonnar for my 'blad I was wishing for faster but was okay with 1/500.

I also like 400 speed films for my 120 because they are pretty clean these days for modest enlargements.

MattKing · Dec 21, 2010

Not a problem - for medium format.

For 35mm, some potential inconvenience, but it is slight.

haplo602 · Dec 21, 2010

Not realy ... show me an FP shutter that can sync at 1/500 ... that's one of the reasons I picked an ETRSi.

All it needs is a CPL or ND filter. Usualy 1/500 is plenty fast unless you are shooting racing cars.

doktor · Dec 21, 2010

Sometimes there is a problem. I was on a trip, so I had to take all I need to my pockets. On a travel you simply don't have enough rolls to change one every time the lightning conditions changed. Personally, I prefer to carry a bottle of water instead kilos of stuff.

film_man · Dec 21, 2010

I did have a few times where I'd like to be able to shoot at f/2.8-4 with my Hasselblad which is impossible with ISO100 slide film and bright sunlight. 1/1000 would be a lot more convenient as a top speed but...

Q.G. · Dec 21, 2010

film_man said:
I did have a few times where I'd like to be able to shoot at f/2.8-4 with my Hasselblad which is impossible with ISO100 slide film and bright sunlight. 1/1000 would be a lot more convenient as a top speed but...

... can be had if you pick up a 2000 or 2003 FCW body and put your lens(es) on that. Everything else you have will fit too.
Then you have a choice: fast speeds to be able to use a lens wide open in bright light, and fast synch speeds when you need them.

A problem is only a problem if, and for as long as, you do not have the solution.

IloveTLRs · Dec 21, 2010

I shoot mostly ASA 400 film. Shooting wide open in bright daylight is difficult with 1/500, especially in summer.

perkeleellinen · Dec 21, 2010

For me it would be a problem when shooting skateboarding which ideally needs 1/1000 to freeze the action. But it's not too much of a problem as I'd just go the other extreme and shoot at 1/30 and exploit the movement in the scene. Also some issues with wanting to use narrow depth of field in sun with fast film, but that's rare for me.

Andrew Moxom · Dec 21, 2010

I use a Hasselblad 201F with 1/1000th focal plane shutter.... Mainly for use with funky lenses shot wide open. For that, a fast shutter is needed.

film_man · Dec 21, 2010

Q.G. said:
... can be had if you pick up a 2000 or 2003 FCW body and put your lens(es) on that. Everything else you have will fit too.
Then you have a choice: fast speeds to be able to use a lens wide open in bright light, and fast synch speeds when you need them.

A problem is only a problem if, and for as long as, you do not have the solution.

Yes a simple solution to my problem, buying another very expensive and nearly impossible to find camera. Why didn't I think of that...

hpulley · Dec 21, 2010

film_man said:
Yes a simple solution to my problem, buying another very expensive and nearly impossible to find camera. Why didn't I think of that...

Well, the simplest and cheapest solution for you to use a faster shutter speed is to use your EOS bodies but they aren't MF of course.

Is there a cheaper FP shutter MF camera?

film_man · Dec 21, 2010

hpulley said:
Well, the simplest and cheapest solution for you to use a faster shutter speed is to use your EOS bodies but they aren't MF of course.

Is there a cheaper FP shutter MF camera?

Personally I'm not too bothered about the 1/500 limit. I just mentioned that on a few occasions it was an issue but nothing that I couldn't live with.

As for other FP MF cameras, as far as I know the only ones are 645, like the Contax, Mamiya and H1/2/2F.

Gerald C Koch · Dec 21, 2010

Galah said:
In that case, your 1/500th is probably only 1/300th. That could be a problem.

No, the problem is usually with the topmost speed being the most inaccurate. Look at it this way, say that inertia, friction, etc causes a 400 usec delay. At 1/1000 sec this is a 40% error but at 1/100 sec it is only a 4% error.

Q.G. · Dec 21, 2010

film_man said:
Yes a simple solution to my problem, buying another very expensive and nearly impossible to find camera. Why didn't I think of that...

Yes... Solutions always are so painfully obvious once you know them.

Q.G. · Dec 21, 2010

Gerald C Koch said:
No, the problem is usually with the topmost speed being the most inaccurate. Look at it this way, say that inertia, friction, etc causes a 400 usec delay. At 1/1000 sec this is a 40% error but at 1/100 sec it is only a 4% error.

Shutterspeeds are set/calibrated with that inertia/friction present.
So the error at high speeds probably is (should be) the same as at low speeds.
The bigger problem with fast speeds is shutter efficiency at small apertures.

nick mulder · Dec 21, 2010

He's not talking about inertia/friction in a constant sense - he's talking about the inherent +/- variation trip to trip.

The error might be different at different speeds but I think the trend would be towards the error getting relatively larger compared to the actual shutter time as you go up the speed range (1/500th compared to 1/30th for instance).

I think that the example numbers given are a bit sloppy for most shutters ! But could easily be of concern whilst reconditioning a 100 year old+ pickard and are of interest in talking about the limitations of shutter speed (forgetting other limiting factors like film reciprocity and the rest). I think of course they were supplied in the interests of making his point clearer...

Maybe I should let him speak for himself

hnrh2 · Dec 22, 2010

One or twice using 400 film in bright day light with a lens that has minimum apperture of f16 it was a problem (no mediu format). Else never. And I was just one stop short. So it was not really a problem.

degruyl · Dec 22, 2010

hnrh2 said:
One or twice using 400 film in bright day light with a lens that has minimum apperture of f16 it was a problem (no mediu format). Else never. And I was just one stop short. So it was not really a problem.

That's what I was trying to get at before, only I've run into it with a max of f/22 and it was medium format. Slower film was the correct answer, filters were the answer I used. In the real world, it is hardly an issue. Once you meter and think "MY god, it is bright today, maybe I shouldn't be using ISO 320 film..." you should probably finish the roll and switch to something slower.

Q.G. · Dec 22, 2010

You do quickly run out of options using 'regular' ISO 100 film and an f/2 lens too.

Doesn't even have to be bright sunlight: f/2 at 1/500 is a 'paltry' EV 11. Bright sunlight, ISO 100 film, needs EV 15 or thereabouts (and then even 1/2000 will not help keep your lens wide open).

hpulley · Dec 22, 2010

With a medium format camera why don't you just bring two or more backs? Pan F Plus 50 in one back solves all your too bright problems with only 1/400 and f/22 to use.

Do you feel 1/500 sec max shutter speed is a problem?

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency