Alternative shutter timer to replace longer times on C T and CF lenses

<p>Hey there,</p>

<p>I have this issue with a recently bought 60mm C T* and slower times:<br>

1 is never accurate and sometimes jams temporarily,<br>

2 and 4 does not sound accurate to me most of the times and also does jam rarely<br>

8 does not jam but sound inaccurate and the rest seems more or less fine thought I would not count on it in a life or death situation - thank Charlie Parker it’s a lens and not a rifle, right guys?</p>

<p>I had a big delay with my return to photography due to being jerked around by so called "pro" used gear shops from Germany which made me lose not only time and hair but also money and a lot of creative energy. I was sent not only broken items but it took forever and some never came.<br>

Therefore I want to keep this lens as it was part of a set I bought from an actual person for a reasonable sum, not a bargain given the above issues but the optical quality is good on this one and the second lens in the set (which seem to have accurate times) and I want to shoot fine art too, without studio lights and other gizmos and without a client so I have some leeway in method and speed of work. If I can't get out there soon and be loading a tank once again by the end of the month I will tear my hair out and then make a rope out of it - with which I will strangle all of these so called "pro" sellers running their "pro" shops, only after I beat them half dead with the leicas they keep pimping.</p>

<p><strong>I know a CLA is what would be recommended but I had this idea of using some sort of timer coupled with a cable release to simply run the lens on B when I need to go slower than 1/15th.</strong><br>

The timer idea appeals to me as it would also be good for longer exposures eliminating the need for doing it manually and also be good for many lenses where slow times are an issue. I often see lenses sold as having times unchecked by seller (obvious indication that they are not accurate indeed) or as just 1s not being correct (which does spill into faster times being less dependable even if they work like with the lens I want to sort out). With such a whatyoucallit at my disposal I could potentially buy such lenses at a sane price where the dishonesty of the sellers would be offset by the price itself and I could make it work in the end too.</p>

<p><strong>What do you guys and gals think about this idea?</strong> <strong>Is there any product out there for the V system that would work?</strong> If not, is there a known DIY way of making one?<br>

Maybe a small darkroom timer retrofitted to work with a cable release in some way?<br>

How about accuracy - I would expect an external cable release could manage the good ol’ trio of 1, 2, 4 and maybe even the 1/8?</p>

<p>For now I will check the times and just use the lens on faster ones if they are dependable enough - it's not that easy to find a lens without fungus or major scratches or ending up waiting for godot when buying used online, regardless of whom from in my experience so having a workaround for such a common issue with older lenses seem like a good idea to me. Or is it? Let me know, please!</p>

<p>Cheerio.<br>

BP</p>

<p>For times longer than 5 seconds, I use the sweep second hand on my (analog) watch. I just count, "1000 one...1000 two..." for times between 1 and 5 seconds. If you're within 25%, that's good enough.</p>

<p>However sticky slower shutter speeds on a C (Compur) shutter is a harbinger of doom, as is any resistance in the dial when changing speeds. The shutter is in dire need of a CLA. You can fix it now for $100, or wait until it breaks and spend $500, assuming parts are available.</p>

<p>Where can I fix it for a 100$ though without having to ship to the US? Is there any sensibly priced service of the sort available in the EU?</p>

<p>Most photographers do not have the equipment to test their shutter. Of all the photographers that I know, only ONE has a shutter speed tester, and he runs a camera shop. And the tester is part of his store gear. I bought one because I decided that I wanted one, to test the various large format lenses. So it is perfectly reasonable that the seller does not know how accurate his shutter is. Do you have a shutter speed tester?</p>

<p>I cannot see how something can be rigged to duplicate the slow speed mechanism in the shutter. The problem is to open and close the shutter in the specified time window, and to do it consistently. As Edward said, longer times are easy to do, it is the times that is less than 2 seconds that is difficult to do, manually or mechanically.</p>

<p>There should be places that will CLA the Hasselblad lens in Europe.</p>

<p>I understand a seller not knowing wether the speeds are accurate but one should know wether they are consistent as you can test that by just listening to the shutter. Also unless you dug the lens out of your attic you should know wether you where able to shoot with it properly or not. A lens that is 1.5s now and then 0.5s on the same 1s setting won’t produce the same results.<br>

The least honest sellers both in shops and in auction I found to be those selling photography gear.<br />The worst of these are shop runners and not private people in my experience - if someone runs a shop and in this day and age can’t tell what makes a working V series body and what makes a completely broken one then that person is a liar - how can it be a honest mistake? That seller is a liar even if they accept returns.<br>

A workaround to common issues as well as servicing gear yourself is the best way to avoid hair loss in my opinion. With say studio gear, a guitar, a piano, a used car… I can grab a soldering gun, I can grab a spare string, I can grab a schematic from the net and order some parts online. I can also test most of those things and tell wether they are good or not at the shop with my ears and eyes alone.<br>

With photo gear if you are buying a CFI to get colour reproduction and you want the used lens to be performing in the high 90% compared to a new one in that regard - buying it for almost 2 grand is not an option since sellers don’t know what they are selling and can’t test the lens so you might as well buy it for half that money or less. Only once did I find a seller who had some testing gear to provide some numbers.<br>

So what I am trying to say is that, just spending more money at a more expensive seller is not a solution given the nature of the equipment and how sellers know nothing it seems and use that as an excuse when you come back. So you are always lost for time and more or less money and angry in the end.<br />Therefore I think it is a real issue rather than just a factor of having too little money.<br />Sure one can buy new lenses but that is just crazy with the V system unless you have some client already waiting for results by the end of the month, at least for someone like me and everyone I know personally.<br>

In the end once you are in the money would you really rather buy a used lens for 2k from an expensive used gear shop or a new one for 3k? If I can drive to the shop in a brand new sports car I would just grab the new one and a sushi on the way back. I think most of those interested in the V system are in the same boat and if you paid extra at a more expensive seller and din’t get a dud then that is luck my friends - I’ve found money on the street in the past and I know that streets are not made of money.<br>

I will try and ask some local technicians about an external shutter timer - there must be a workaround or at least a possibility of servicing the thing yourself (as in, doing the lube and clean part of the CLA).<br />If I have to spend 300 dollars on shipping + the lubing up of an old spring then maybe I should spend that money on getting the necessary tools and the know how to lubing it up my self?</p>

<p><a href="http://www.hasselblad-reparaties.nl/index.php?content=default&hlk=en">Wilco Jansen Hasselblad Reparaties</a> </p>

 

<p>Service and repair of V lenses is no problem, not only does the Hasselblad factory still repair V lenses but there are authorised independents like myself offering their services. I am in the UK (classicv.co.uk) and I have friends in France (lesvictor.com) and other countries outside Europe.<br>

My clients include many dealers in the UK who would not knowingly sell a camera that had faults so I am very sorry to hear of the problems you have had. </p>