Copal

[ed_candland1]

I was just wondering, being new to LF. I just bought a second lens, a

Fuji. Both my Rodenstock and the new Fuji have Copal 0 shutters, but

the Fuji looks different with different fittings and is made Japan

while the Rodenstock says made in Germany. I had assumed that Copal

shutters were made by one company. Is this ture or is it a design

that's licensed to other companys to make?

[paul_owen]

I've got an older 150 Fuji in a Copal 0 shutter. Despite the shutter mount being black, it is different from my current Copal shutters. The lever that adjusts the aperture and the shutter speed ring are both different. The "click" stops on the shutter ring of my newer copal have definite settings/spaces, whereas the Fuji has a shutter speed ring that feels that it could almost be used at inbetween settings! ie, the "click" stops are not as definite. But the lens is truly a fine one!!

[ed_candland1]

Hmmm. Both my lens were bought new this year, a Rodenstock 135-S and a Fuji 240-A.

[s.k. grimes inc]

The Copal shutters are all made by the same company in Japan. The band on the Rodenstock ones says "lens made in Germany" Both Schneider and Rodenstock use the standard production version of the shutter which is <a href="http://www.skgrimes.com/newcopal/index.htm"> available at retail. </a>

<p> Both Fuji and Nikon use specially made

<a href="http://www.skgrimes.com/iris/index.htm"> proprietary versions of the very same shutter</a> which involve slightly different placement of the iris scales and shutter dials. Nikon also uses a different flash connector angle. The main differences are in the typographical presentation of the shutter speed and iris numbers.

<p> These differences make it inconvenient to interchange the lens elements to a standard production shutter. Replacement shutters need to have new iris scales prepared since the proprietary ones from the original do not transfer to the new shutter. All other dimensions and parts of all current versions are identical.

<p> Manufacture and QC of these is excellent and the shutters can be exchanged with simple attention to detail of keeping track of any spacers which may have been used in the original installation and transferring them to the new shutter.

[ed_candland1]

Thank you Steve for your very detailed response