Hassy leaf shutter question

[Rich Ullsmith]

Or leaf shutter question in general, as I've noticed the same with my Rolleicord and Rollei 35.

After setting exposure time and aperture then cocking the shutter, is it a no-no to then reset exposure time? I just notice that when I do reset the exposure time with the shutter cocked, there's a scritchy-scritchy sound that does not sound appealing. Am I screwing something up here? With the Hassy it's particularly troublesome, because the shutter has to be cocked to frame and focus a shot.

Basic question then: once the exposure is set and the shutter is cocked, is it a no-no to change shutter speed?

 

[Q.G.]

No. It's no no-no.
You can reset shutterspeeds and/or apertures at any time.

 

[Rich Ullsmith]

Good to know, thanks. It's just that little scratchy sound, thought for sure I was doing something wrong. I imagined the spring being set to a certain point, then changing it would screw it up.

 

[Allan Swindles]

Thats the idea of the cross coupling - choice of shutter speed/aperture combination for a given EV.

 

[Q.G.]

What shutter is in the lens (i.e. what type of lens is it)?
And when does the scratching noise make itself heard?

It could be the longtime gear train engaging when going from faster speeds to slower speeds (i forget when the long gear train 'kick is', but it's at 1/15 or so, and slower).

 

[unclemack]

It's not forbidden to change speed after cocking the shutter - but it does increase the wear rate of some components.
Setting speed before cocking is a good habit to acquire.

 

[elekm]

On the older rim-set Compur shutters, you shouldn't change to the highest speed after tensioning the shutter. I agree that setting the shutter speed before is a better idea.

Almost always, you can change the aperture without any ill effects.

 

[Q.G.]

Hasselblads can't be used unless you cock the shutter.
And they have been using Compur and Prontor shutters, that have been set after cocking, for many decades, without a single problem.

So absolutely no worries.
A non-issue.
Never even think about it again.



Now to that noise again.
It could be a sign of something being wrong (and if so, probably an old, well used shutter that needs service badly).
Or not, of course. Mechanical thingies do make one noise or another. That's just in the nature of mechanical thingies. So it could be nothing out of the ordinary.

 

[Rich Ullsmith]

But it is the same little "scritch" that I hear with all my leaf shutters. Only on the first adjustment, say from 1/4 to 1/8. From 1/8 to 1/15, no scritch. From the answers here, I'll take it as a mechanical thingy, as you said.

 

[Q.G.]

Or the long time gear train slipping in and out of engagement, as per the speed you set.
If so, also nothing to worry about.

 

[unclemack]

Sorry I didn't have enough time for more detail in my previous post.
The noise you're hearing as you change slow speeds with the shutter cocked is the slow-speeds escapement wheel and its gear train spinning VERY fast. This increased speed of rotation with rapid changes of rotation direction (and increased force applied to other parts) does increase wear rate.
Without the shutter cocked this part of the mechanism is disengaged, so no "scritchy" noise.
As QG says the slow-speed train is engaged usually around 1/15. You hear the wheel & gears spin during exposure, just a lot slower.
It's not something to be unduly worried about - I just prefer my shutters to last as long as possible.

 

[Rich Ullsmith]

That explanation makes total sense. Not to be difficult, but it seems this extra wear would be different in switching from faster to slower speeds, rather than the other way around. No?