air shutter release

Will these new fangled air releases work on an antique camera? Is

the tubing the correct size,--for that matter is there more than one

size tubing?Can I just cut off the fitting for a modern shutter and

slap it in my antique shutter,without any modification?

 

btw- just out of curiosity, --I noticed these are sold in 20'-30'

lengths---under what circumstances does one need a 30' release?

Don't know about "new-fangled", but the air releases I have used are simply standard metal plunger cable releases actuated by a squeeze bulb.

 

A 30 ft length is handy if you have set up your camera for a large group shot and you want to be included in the group picture.

Dennis-

 

yes, that would work with any modern/vintage shutter,but my 1890's B+L has the "metal plunger" built into the shutter,so I'm trying to determine if the tubing on a new air release is the correct size for the fitting on an antique "metal plunger"

 

Thanks for the tip on group fotos--sometimes it's the obvious that's difficult to see. lol

I think the tubing on the "modern" air releases is too small for the old B&L shutters.

 

I recently made an air release for my old B&L shutter. Used a piece of vacuum hose from the auto part store and a baby nasal aspirator from the corner drugstore. I held them together with a short piece of brass tubing (junk from the garage).

 

I looks weird, but works great. I did this because the only air bulb/tubing I could find was attached to the spigmomonometer in my doctors office... and he's still using the old-fashioned equipment.

Thanks,Brian--

 

I had a feeling this wasn't going to be an " off the shelf" item.

Take your shutter to the nearewst auto supply store and purchase the appropriate size of vacuum hose. They carry quite a variety. It is also cheaper than buying "special" tubing.

Jim

Maybe. There might be some issues with the clearance around the shutter, and some older cameras used straight threaded cable releases. If a regular tapered thread (normal) cable release works then all you have to worry about is the clearance. My Pacemaker Speed 4x5 both does not accept a tapered thread, nor does it have sufficient clearance for my air shutter. Somebody made a tapered to straight adapter that would solve both problems, but they seem to be out.

Wait, is this some kind of camera where the tubing attaches directly to the shutter? If so, neat.

Yeah, I see now that you have a unique shutter. I second the auto-parts suggestion, or, if you know somebody with a Taurus, my vaccuum hose is always disconnecting itself, so if you follow them for a few days, you might find one on the ground.

Oh, Joshua... you're a class act!

 

Sincerely,

Henry Ford

Brian,

 

The comical thing about it is the car seems none the wiser. No discernable change in performance, no light, siren, explosion, no nothing. I am convinced the hose does nothing, and is only there because it looks like it belongs there. It does, however, give me a few moments of amusement whenever I get an oil change and they check the air filter, disconnecting the hose in the process, and then freak because they "broke" my car. Actually, when the hose is disconnected the car idles funny, but only if the A/C is on, so it clearly does SOMETHING, just not something significant.

 

Don,

 

I could see needed 30' for a limited number of circumstances.: Photographing a VERY large group of people with you in it, photographing yourself from a distance (say 30'), a situation where the camera is expendable and you are not (think cliffs, big waves, etc...), and perhaps when dealing with a shy animal. 5' is more than enough for me. Heck, the release for my pacemaker is about 5".

Joshua, this is quite off-topic... but since you mentioned it.

 

My Saturn had a frayed hose in the air cleaner (maybe the same one as yours?). It caused my car to idle *just a tad* rough, nothing else. The hose is one of those "pre-formed" hoses with a 90 degree bend. It's a dealer-only part and costs about $15. I spent less than $3 at Kragen and bought 8 inches of the same sized vacuum hose. Plugged boht ends in, with a cute loop to keep the hose from kinking. Every time I take my car to one of those quicky oil-change places, they tell me that it's wrong and needs to be correctly repaired. I wonder what they'll say at my next CA smog check... maybe accuse me of "altering" the emissions control system?

I have an interesting air shutter on a Russian LF I was given. It's sort of 'barn-doors' approach. Works ok though.

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