Recommendation on a shutter tester?

**ac12** · 29-Jun-2011, 20:37

I bought the one that Wally makes and sells, and I'm happy with it.
What I really like is that the display is in 1/x fractions so I don't have to convert a 0.xxx number to the shutter speed on the lens. That makes it a lot more user friendly to use. And I don't have to connect up to a computer to use it.

Wally said it is designed for leaf shutters, but since I have the tester I'm going to check out my 35mm cameras.

**johnielvis** · 30-Jun-2011, 11:05

I have an idea to use a light meter as a shutter tester--i have a with flash metering, so you just put a brite light in front of the shutter, flash meter behind it...trip the shutter as if the shutter were the flash, this gives you a fstop for the flash reading...then you meter the light normally to see what that reading is....then you match the fstops to be equal---this gives your effective shutter speed...

clever, huh? i'm gonna see if it actually works now.....

**Wally** · 1-Jul-2011, 17:18

Originally Posted by l2oBiN

Wally, do you sell these as well?

Sorry I didn't respond sooner.

Yes, I'm still making them, but the process is considerably slower - I am commuting 75 miles to work and that puts a dent in my shutter tester building efforts.

I have 6 or 7 interested in my second batch, and hope to get them out over the next couple of months.

I'm also realizing I can't make a business of this, so I think I'll probaly open-source the design/artwork when I've used up my current supply of cases and parts.

// Wally

**pierre506** · 1-Jul-2011, 20:29

You can download a normal sound(music) record software.
Recorded the shutter's operationg sound.(every speed)
Then, check the time and write down on your note.
It's a simple & economic way.

**l2oBiN** · 2-Jul-2011, 14:22

Originally Posted by pierre506

You can download a normal sound(music) record software.
Recorded the shutter's operationg sound.(every speed)
Then, check the time and write down on your note.
It's a simple & economic way.

Piere, any reference for this?

**Wally** · 2-Jul-2011, 23:30

Originally Posted by l2oBiN

Piere, any reference for this?

Here's a thread discussing this:
http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ad.php?t=62916

A page describing how to make one:
http://www.davidrichert.com/sound_ca...ter_tester.htm

These are a reasonable solution, within their limitations.

// Wally