Easy test for determining the shutter speed of an older camera

[removed account4]

I'm not so sure that something that old would have been 1/100 for the instantaneous setting. Clearly this is "just a guess" on my part, but I'd bet it was closer to 1/20 or 1/25 for the film speeds of the day, particularly if it has a fixed f/12.5 aperture.

Of course that doesn't mean a thing about what it currently fires. However it can't be a complicated mechanism, so getting it back in proper order should be possible, especially if it works now. Clearly all the parts are there an not broken if it fires.

MB

yup, just a guess.
an educated guess from the days when i used to fix and use and resell falling plate cameras ...
... and other "stuff" that used a guillotine shutter.

YMMV

john

 

[ic-racer]

Any sense for what the level of accuracy, +/-, one might expect after a professional servicing?

The specs given in my COMPUR repair manual state 15% tolerance for speeds 1 to 1/125 and 20% tolerance for 1/250 and 1/500

 

[bobwysiwyg]

Thanks, both helpful and comforting.

 

[bobwysiwyg]

Nikon FM Shutter Test

Having used "the gadget" to check my 4x5 shutters, thought I would start checking my 35mm bodies. Just did the Nikon FM and the accuracy was pretty amazing considering their age and past use. I'll do my FE and an even older Pentax SV when I get time.