Why keep an outdated Swiss watch as opposed to a later Chinese one?Originally Posted by catalinajack
Why keep an old Stradivarius instead of getting a fresh-made violin?
https://www.largeformatphotography.i...Picture-BEAUTY
.... I've just bought half a dozen of 70-year-old Russian Москва-5 folders and am in the process of replacing all the cheapo Seiko shutters in my Mamiya TLR and Rapid-Omega lenses for the Момент-24С Compur copies.
Ridax, thank you for that reference and the time you took to explain a very complex topic. I am convinced. I believe my example is an older version as the aperture ring is chrome and serrated. Is my thinking correct on this? Also, do the nuances have as as much impact on 4 x 5 film as they might on 8 x 10 film?
The format is irrelevant; its all the same with any cameras.
As for the different generations of Synchro-Compurs, I avoid the most recent ones as they have angular 5-blade apertures. All the older Compurs have round ones. That matters a lot for the lens' out of focus rendition.
Unfortunately, my example is a newer 5-blade version. Knowing that, would you favor this Syncro-Compur over a 5-blade Copal or is it a wash. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.
If my mostly used f-stops with a particular lens are going to be around f/16 to f/32, I'd better use a low-efficient shutter like the Copal with a round aperture to the highly efficient Synchro-Compur with an angular iris as the smaller the f-stop, the less impact the shutter efficiency has on the picture, while the iris shape shows itself at any aperture when any part of the subject is still out of focus. I would just ignore both factors if taking F/64-style pictures with everything included in the depth of field. I'd also ignore the shutter efficiency but mind the aperture shape if using long exposures only. I'd pay more attention to the shutter efficiency when using slide films and other ones with small exposure latitude as less efficient shutters inevitably make more exposure errors with different f-stops (though one can test a particular lens-and-shutter combination and make corrections for the different speed+aperture pairs).
But if the less-efficient shutter has just the same angular iris, I'd get rid of it and go with any Compur or Compound without any doubt.
Not to cause trouble/sound harsh but. .. I’d get rid of the older (even if they are more valuable) lenses/ shutter. Older shutters are sometimes more difficult to maintain, parts are scarce, and someone might need to send to a repair shop with an in-house lathe (and fabricating parts can be costly). And to be honest if I had a 150 / 90 I’d get rid of all 3 of the 135's. Having lots of lenses and gear is a distraction not “helpful” …. for so long I have read threads here (and other places) of folks with like 15 lenses between 65 and 210, and it's a real conundrum picking a lens to shoot with, might as well just have what you enjoy and use the most and sell off the other stuff as dead-weight, and put the $$ into the film and paper fund (seeing it costs a king's ransom for film and paper these days).
Have fun with your image making!
John
Last edited by jnantz; 2-Mar-2023 at 12:34.
I’m glad I stumbled across this. I prefer to keep a small lens selection with 90/150/240 so I can identify issues as they arise. Recently my 150mm suddenly decided to go really slow. This has now caused a gap while I decide what to do (as it’s a Seiko shutter) I’m actually thinking about having a standby 150 to keep it simple.
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