Kodak Commercial Ektar - Balancing flash with ambient light

[daniel1947]

Hi there - I am currently using Kodak Commercial Ektar lenses with an 8x10 camera and using studio strobe flash.

I use the X setting to sync with the lights but it seems like the shutter speed is always constant when used with this setting - in other words the shutter doesn't seem to use the shutter speed that is set on the dial at all. I've tested this by setting the shutter to B and then setting the flash sync to X and tripping the lights but the shutter just opens for a fraction of a second even when I keep the cable release pressed.

So my question is: does the "X" flash sync setting on these lenses have a set shutter speed (irrespective of what the shutter speed dial is set to) and if so, what is it? And also, is it possible to balance flash with ambient light in the same exposure in this case?

[C. D. Keth]

Something isn't right. All of my lenses (one is a 14" commercial ektar) stay on X sync all the time, even though I rarely sync to strobes, and it has never affected the shutter speeds in any way.

[BrianShaw]

Mine doesn't behave like that either. I can use all shutter speeds with all synch settings.

Suggest you find the shutter manual (it's online and easily found) to make sure you understand how the shutter works. It does have some unique functionality to make sure that bulbs don't pop when cocking the synch and/or cocking the shutter.

[petetsai]

Hi there, I own a 14" commercial Etkar thought I bought last weekend and I did a teardown and cleaning on the ilex 5 shutter what a bargain for $20! Anyway, as to the switch for X M and off. it is just a slider that moves the location of the contact point for the flash port. It is not coupled at all the shutter operation. If it is effecting your shutter operation it could be its so gummed up that its creating additional friction or is even bent into where it is interfering with operation.

[petetsai]

the second picture on this #4 shutter shows the pad. The pad on the #5 is what slides when you move the M X off lever..

http://mysite.verizon.net/fowler/photo/ilexuniversal.htm

[BrianShaw]

... It is not coupled at all the shutter operation. ...

I may have mispoken. What I remembering was the comment on page 18 of the manual (which I can't seem to cut-and-paste). I've never tried this so only know about it from reading the manual, and assumed that there was some sort of linkage between the synchronizer and shutter mecahnizms.

http://www.cameramanuals.org/pdf_files/ilex_acme_snychro_shutter.pdf

Basically it says that if the synchronizer is used and the shutter is set to T or B, then the synchronier will automatically use a speed of 1/25.

[daniel1947]

Thanks a mil for the help - the manual you posted looks to have explained the situation exactly. The reason my test didn't work is that the "B" and "T" shutter speed settings automatically trigger a shutter speed of 1/25th but it sounds like all other shutter speeds should work fine with teh flash.

I definitely came to the right place for the answer to this!