Shutter accuracy?

[shutterfinger]

Ilex and Prontor shutters are the only ones designed to run dry that I know of. Ilex shutters clean up and run but are smoother and quieter if not faster with a trace of oil on the pivots and grease on the sliding parts but Prontors are worn and do not come back to operation. Designed to run dry is throw away when it stops IMO.

 

[Jim Jones]

Shutter testers can be as inaccurate as shutters, especially at top speeds. I prefer to check shutters with an oscilloscope. This graphically displays the varying amount of light that the shutter passes as it opens and closes, which can be a significant part of the total exposure at the highest speeds. It also checks for shutter bounce and can check the timing of the flash contacts.

 

[Pioneer]

Everyone has their own way of handling things. I am certainly no expert and I am not in your shoes. My grandfather was very tight with money. I am sure it had a lot to do with his experiences during his early years. Our family has a hundred stories of things he would do to keep his pickup running far past its expiration date. I still loved him even though I run my own life differently.

My pets make me very happy. I take them to the Vet once a year for a checkup, or sooner if something happens.

I hate being stranded on a trip by car trouble. I have my cars serviced regularly even though they are far past their warranty periods. I consider it a small price to pay to keep my vehicles reliable.

I have my cameras and shutters serviced whenever they show evidence of needing it. Slow shutter speed, oil where it doesn't belong, are some of the indicators that something is wrong. I absolutely love using these old cameras and I would prefer that they keep working long after I decide to pass them on to another owner.

Have I had cameras fail unexpectedly? Certainly and then I have to decide whether or not that camera is worth the cost of service. Sometimes I decide to service them, sometimes I don't. I have an old Pentacon Six TL that cost more to repair then the camera was worth on the market. I did it anyway because I love the lenses and I enjoy the camera. (It was still far less expensive than buying a Hasselblad. )

My cameras, my choice.

 

[takilmaboxer]

Mechanical shutters are spring driven and the springs are as old as the camera. That can affect the timing. With my old folders I am happy if the shutters are consistent and I know the actual speeds. Then I can compensate by changing the ASA I use.
I did have one camera whose shutter stuck open at speeds below 1/25. I took the lens apart and soaked the shutter in naptha. No dice. So I soaked it in WD-40, then cleaned it again in naptha. Voila! It still works to this day. Of course, it was a $20 garage sale find so if I had ruined it I wouldn't have cared.

 

[Neil Poulsen]

I have a shutter tester I purchased from Calumet Photographic and determine shutter speeds for each speed on each lens tested. While it involves logs, it's a relatively simple calculation to determine aperture corrections for each shutter speed. I did this for all my RB67 lenses. I've long since sold my RB gear, but here's a table I made with those corrections. They're given to the nearest tenth stop.

Many of the speeds were remarkably close.

 

[toyotadesigner]

https://www.filmomat.eu/photoplug?lang=en