Stiff Aperture Lever

[Donald Hutton]

I have a lens which is set in a Copal 1 shutter - a few months old. The aperture lever is really stiff to move - I'd like it to move much more easily. I don't mind having a peek inside the shutter if this is easy to rectify - does anyone know what's involved and if this is a reasonably safe procedure to take on? I obviously don't want to think about it if the whole shutter will spring into a hundred pieces if I open it (I've never opened one up so just don't know)...

[Gem Singer]

Hi Don,

Does the aperature ring remain difficult to move when the shutter is completely dis-mounted from the lensboard?

Sometimes, I notice that the back surface of the shutter (the outer surface of the aperature setting mechanism) will bind against the front surface of the lensboard. When the shutter retaining ring is tightened, it becomes difficult to move the aperature setting lever. A spacer ring placed between the back of the shutter and the front of the lensboard usually solves the problem.

I don't recommend dismantling a Copal shutter unless you are very sure of what you are doing.

[Donald Hutton]

Eugene

It's the same when it's removed from the board... I suppose I'd better send it off (just annoying because it's quite new and the times are perfect - I'd feel less annoyed if it needed times adjusted).

[Gem Singer]

Don,

Jim, at Midwest, uses a reliable and reasonable tech. for his Copal shutter repairs. Perhaps a call, or E-mail to Jim would help. He's usually in the store till 6PM and on Saturdays, from 10AM till 2PM (Eastern time).

[Brian Ellis]

The aperture levers on my lenses vary from almost too easy to move to quite stiff. I don't think the stiffness necessarily indicates a real problem and unless you're really having to use a lot of force to move it I wouldn't send it off, I'd just use it for a while and it probably will loosen up (unless, of course, there's actually a manufacturing defect). The kind of stiffness I think you're talking about isn't unusual in a new shutter. The aperture lever in the shutter for my 210 mm lens shutter that I've had for 10 years is almost too easy to move, the lever in my 8 month old 80mm lens shutter is pretty stiff.