How to fire three shutters simultanously

[Terrance Hounsell]

I am building a multi (3) lens camera from scratch using Polaroid MP4 shutters and lenses. The shutters (copal) are self cocking and can be fired with a cable release.

I have a plan for doing this that involves mounting the cable releases for ewach shutter side by side and then using a separate cable release to fire the others.

However, thought I'd ask for other ideas in case I'm missing something obvious. BTW I'm short one MP4 shutter if someone has one FS.

Thanx

 

[Donald Miller]

If I were contemplating something of this nature, I would mount each of the cable releases into a bracket. This bracket would have a single 24 volt solonoid actuator that would depress a bar to trip the three shutters in unison.

This is probably similar to your thoughts. I just prefer electrical actuation because it is more precise then manual actuation.

 

[BradS]

Even better, you could have a graflex shutter solenoid on each shutter. Fire all three from one push-button switch.

 

[mark]

Get two buddies and count down.

This sounds like a neat idea. What would it be for?

 

[jimgalli]

Light with flash and wire your three flash syncs in series.

 

[nick mulder]

I'm going to be doing a similar set up but with around 10 or so Holgas (cheapest camera in 120 I can get in bulk) - The shutter spring has a fair amount of resistance and the holga's aren't known for mechanical (or optical) similarity camera to camera - so to get them all to fire at the same instant would rather fast acting and powerful solenoid (under load) - not to mention I would need 10 of them ...

For now I'm going to work with them all open in the dark perhaps with some slow film and ND gel in front and use a few slaved strobes ...

If I get round to testing a few actuators I'll get back (;

have you thought more about it ? the Holga uses the same 'press' style self cocking system, not sure whats inside your copals tho