Press Shutters

[dustym]

Has anybody any experience of the compur press shutter, I do know they are restricted to 1/125 but being self cocking seems like a good Idea saves manual cocking and possible disruption of the camera and I have heard also good for multiple exposure for this reason.
Any thoughts or comments would be gratefully recieved

rgds
Dusty

 

[dustym]

correction should read copal press shutter

sorry

 

[Ole]

I've got one, but can't say that I like it. I much prefer the "single action" type, and I use multiple exposures quite a lot.

The release is so much stiffer (since it has to tension the spring as well) that I find there is no difference in the risk of moving the camera. Since I only use one Press-type shutter, I only find it confusing.

 

[Dan Fromm]

Well, I have one lens in a press shutter and have used another one for front-mounting lenses in barrel.

The one lens is a 47/5.6 Super Angulon and at times, i.e., out-of-doors on a really bright day, I find its #00 Prontor Press shutter's highest speed (1/125) a little limiting.

I used my ex-MP-4 #1 Copal Press shutter quite happily -- when I needed higher speeds than 1/125 and wasn't using flash, my little Speed Graphic's focal plane shutter provided them -- except with flash. Shooting closeup out-of-doors with flash and ISO 100 film and 1/125 or slower is, though, a little problematic. I want to overpower ambient with flash -- otherwise, why use flash? -- and in broad daylight this can force me to use a smaller aperture than I want. So I've sort of retired it in favor of a cock-and-shoot Copal #1.

Basically, as long as you can live with the limited top speed, there's nothing at all wrong with a Copal press shutter. They open and close as required.

Good luck, have fun,

Dan

 

[cperez]

The Copal Press shutter is a rather nifty device.

The focus preview lever opens not only the shutter, but the aperture too. So you can have the aperture preset to something you like and be able to focus without trying to remember to stop down. This can eliminate one step from the overall focus/exposure process. Then there's the fact you don't need to cock the shutter, and you have another step eliminated from the focus/exposure process.

Additionally, Press shutters tend to be lighter than their more complex higher top speed brothers/sisters. I have a 150mm Xenar that is super light when mounted in a Copal Press.

If you find Prontor Press shutters, take a look at the shape of the aperture. It's nearly round, and this will strongly influence the texture and rendition of out of focus areas. The Prontor too is very very light. In fact, the number zero shutters I own weight 77 grams!

By contrast, a number zero Compur shutter weighs 80 to 85 grams, and a number zero Copal shutter weighs 129 grams.

 

[tim atherton]

I do find the self-cocking shutter of the copal press useful for mutliple exposures

We have a 150mm in one (one of our frequently used fl for museum artwork reproduction) and find it much handier when we need multiple exposures/pops and re-cocking a regular shutter, which inevitable seems to introduce some camera shake.

At the end of exposing a couple of hundred sheets or more it's much preferred...

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I also like self-cocking shutters. I have a Copal Press for my micro lenses and an Ilex 5 for some of my 8x10"/11x14" lenses. For multi-pop strobe shots, the maximum shutter speed is not an issue.

 

[epatsellis]

No, No, you are all mistaken, they're all junk.....(quietly searching E#$% for more press shutters...) Damn, now press shutters are going to be Galli'd....


erie